“Are we going to make it?” Erika jogged along behind me.

“We’ll be fine.” I grabbed a bag from my mother. “We just need to get to the high point.”

My mom kept looking back at either the water or our house. Erika and I had been brought home from the hospital to that house. We had spent our entire lives there, and now it was gone. We reached the top of a small hill where a crowd had gathered. I led my mother and sister to the front and my shoulders dropped. Water covered the road that led to the highest spot in the city.

“What now?” asked Erika. “Do we try crossing it?”

I looked across the two-hundred-yard stretch. Some people were getting out on the other side. A few others were in the process of swimming or wading through the shallower spots.

A rumble came from beneath our feet. Screams filled the area as everyone dropped to the ground and braced themselves. I pulled my mother and sister closer to me. The buildings around us shook, but none of them looked like they were going to collapse. I was more concerned with the rate the water was rising.

The area grew still.

“Mom—” Erika clung to our mother. “Look.” She pointed at the waves that were creeping closer.

“Dear god.” My mother hid her face. “It’s happening again. Please, god.” She started to whisper a prayer.

“Stay with Mom.” I stood.

In desperation, people were starting to swim across. The distance was growing with every passing second. I didn’t know if we’d be able to make it. I hurried up the stairs to the nearest house and checked the door. It was locked. I peeked inside and saw it was practically empty except for some furniture. Some of us had been smart enough to get out early. There still might be something left behind that we could float on at least.

I jogged down the steps and started gathering rocks. I threw one as hard as I could at the thin window next to the door. It fractured, but the glass remained intact. I grabbed a loose brick and hurled it at the same spot. It shattered, drawing the attention of the people around us. Going to my bag, I grabbed a shirt to cover my hand and hurried up the steps. I knocked the bigger shards out of the way and reached for the deadbolt.

“Zale?” said my mother, looking rather confused.

“It’s fine. They’re gone.” I unlocked the door and entered the house.

There was only a couch in their sitting room. I went to the kitchen and tried yanking off the cupboard doors. They weren’t going to be big enough. For being this close to the waterline, I would think we’d be more prepared for potential flooding. It was frustrating that we didn’t think this would ever happen. I went upstairs and almost started crying from the sense of relief. An air mattress was sitting in the master bedroom.

I grabbed it and dragged it out of the room and down the stairs. I glanced outside to see the majority of people were gone or trying to break into other homes. Going to the door, I motioned for Erika.

“Come and help me with this.”

She stood. “Are you serious? How did you find that!?”

“Luck,” I replied with a deep breath. There was no other way to explain it.

Erika helped me maneuver it out the door. My mother came to help, and we carried it to the waterline.

I held it in place. “Get the bags and let’s go before someone comes.”

My mom and sister snatched our things off the ground and ran down the small incline. The hill was nearly completely covered. They both climbed on.

“Lay down.” I swung the mattress around and held onto the bottom so I could kick with my legs.

Pushing off the submerged road, I started across. Water washed over the mattress, and I struggled to keep it from flipping. Erika was nearly in tears as she clung to the front.

My mother grabbed her hand. “We’re almost there. It’ll be okay.”

Waves hit against my back. I looked over my shoulder to see the hill covered. Bricks from a building toppled into the water as a larger wave rolled over the hill and slammed into us. We didn’t have anything blocking the sea now.

“Zale,” whispered Erika.

“It’s fine. I got it.” I kicked my legs harder.

I was slammed into again and water rushed over the mattress, causing a bag to be thrown off. Erika reached for it.

“Leave it!” I snapped.

“Zale,” breathed my sister.

I glanced back to see a wave rising into the air. “Oh shit.”

It reached high above my head and slammed down on top of us. The mattress was forced under the water. I was yanked off when it popped back up. I swam to the surface and spotted my mother, helping my sister back onto the mattress, fifty feet away.

I waved at them. “Keep going.”

The girls moved to the bottom and kicked their legs. We were nearly there. I swam after them. They reached the other side and grabbed any remaining bags. I touched solid ground and took a moment to catch my breath.

“Zale!” Erika swung her arms overhead.

The city started to shake as a rumble grew closer to where we were standing. Turning slowly, I saw the tidal wave begin to grow and crash into buildings.

“Run!” I waved for them to keep going. “Run!”

The girls raced up the hillside. I fought my way to shore and took off after them. I wasn’t going to make it.

“Zale.” My mother looked back. “Zale!”

“Keep going!”

I broke off the path and tried a house. The door was locked. I jumped through the planter boxes to their next-door neighbor. Closing my eyes, I tried the handle. It turned. I hurried inside and slammed the door. I was midway up the stairs when the wave hit. It shattered the windows in the sitting room and swirled around the main floor. I clung to the banister as the water tried to suck me out. The water pushed forward again, and I was able to make it to the upstairs landing. Water spilled over through the banister railing.

“Shit.” I clambered to my feet.

I spotted an attic hatch and pulled the string to bring down the stairs. Climbing up them, I yanked the stairs back up and shoved junk out of the way as I made my way to the one window. It didn’t want to open. I yanked it up an inch at a time as the water touched my shoes. Finally, it was wide enough that I could fit through. Climbing out, I used the window sill to stand on so I could get onto the roof. Pulling myself up, I army crawled toward the chimney as another massive wave shook the house. I wrapped my arms around a metal pipe and hung on for my life.

My eyes were burning. The fact that I was going to cry over something so stupid was pissing me off, which only made it worse. I didn’t want to die, but at the moment, it was up to God whether or not I survived.