Chương 3: Against all odds
"What are you doing, kid? Go back!?" the stranger exclaimed, grasping Ayid's collar and shaking him violently. "Didn't you hear the instructions? Do you want to die?"
Ayid stumbled back, his eyes cast downward in deep thought. He couldn't believe he was irritated by this girl's parents for abandoning her, when he was trying to save his own skin while his own family was still at home. "I'm sorry..." he murmured to himself.
The stranger tilted his head, confusion etched on his face. "Huh?"
"You know, I've been wondering... do you even care about anyone but yourself?", asked Ayid, with a low but firm tone.
Ayid's sudden tone caught the stranger off guard. "I'm sorry, but I have to go back. My family is still home, and they need my help to get to safety."
The stranger's expression turned cold. "You won't make it back."
Ayid smiled resolutely. "Maybe, but I have to try. I can't leave them behind. Not now, not ever. So, please, I'm sorry for slowing you down, but you can go on without me."
The stranger stared blankly, unable to comprehend Ayid's determination. Seeing the young boy wouldn't back down, he sighed loudly , staring off to the far distant plane, then he offered a smile and extended his hand. "You'll need to be quick, and you can't do that while carrying this child. Let me take her to safety for you."
Ayid's eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you," he said, gently lowering the girl from his back.
"Where are you going?" the child asked, her innocent eyes filled with worry.
Ayid smiled reassuringly. "Let this man take you to your parents. I have to go back to get something I forgot."
Still not convinced, she held Ayid fingers which were larger than her hand, tears rolling down her eyes. "Will you come back?".
Ayid slowly looked up to the man, then back to the girl who was still waiting for his answers. Ayid nodded confidently "I'll be back. I promise".
The girl forced a smile, her little hands slowly loosing her grip from Ayid's hand . Then she roughly wiped her tears with her sleeves and went to the stranger's side.
Ayid stared at the man with determination "I'm leaving her in your care Mr".
The man nodded, gesturing to Ayid to get moving as time was running fast.
Ayid looks up to the sky and sees the vortex getting stronger and more violent. He didn't have a second to wait and immediately burst into a run, as fast as his legs could possibly carry him.
Ayid sprinted through the city streets, weaving past debris and leaping over cracks in the pavement. The wind howled around him, threatening to knock him off balance, but he refused to yield. He dodged fallen power lines and sidestepped crumbling buildings, his heart racing with every step. The roar of the vortex grew louder, its fury intensifying with each passing moment.
Finally, he turned the corner onto his street, his eyes fixed on the familiar shape of his home. But his relief was short-lived - the roof was gone, blown off by the force of the vortex. "No, no, no... Please, no!" Ayid muttered to himself, his voice trembling with fear and desperation. The walls trembled, on the verge of collapse. "Grandma! Grandpa! Imelda!" Ayid yelled, his voice hoarse from the wind and his own panic. He dashed towards the house, praying that his family was still alive. "Please, please, please... Let them be okay!" he whispered, his eyes scanning the rubble for any sign of his loved ones. He burst through the door, calling out to his family as the walls creaked and groaned around him. "I'm here! I'm here! Where are you?"
Ayid's eyes frantically scanned the dark, dusty interior, his heart racing with every creak and groan of the collapsing house. He stumbled forward, tripping over debris, his voice echoing off the walls. "Grandma? Grandpa? Imelda? Answer me!"
Suddenly, a faint cry replied, "Ayid! Over here!"
Ayid's heart skipped a beat as he followed the sound to a partially collapsed room. He saw his family huddled together, trapped under a pile of rubble.
With a surge of adrenaline, Ayid began to lift and pull away the debris, his muscles screaming in protest. The walls creaked and groaned, warning of imminent collapse.
Just as he freed his family, he embraced them tightly, tears rolling down his eyes. "I'm so glad you guys are okay".
The roof above them gave way, showering them with dust and debris. Ayid shielded his family with his body, praying they wouldn't be crushed.
"We need to get out of here now", he said pulling his grandparents towards the exit while his followed closely behind.
They emerged, coughing and covered in dust, but alive.
As they stumbled out of the house, the building behind them gave a final, ominous groan and collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.
"We were trying to reach out to you but you weren't picking up your phone", Imelda said shielding her face from the violent wind around them.
Then it dawned on Ayid that the previous call he had been ignoring was infact them.
"Why didn't you guys leave the house and head somewhere safe. You could have been killed", Ayid inquired, leading them to the safe point where he was heading before.
Ayid's heart sank as he heard a low groan and the sound of someone collapsing to the floor. He spun around, his eyes widening in horror as he saw his grandmother, her leg impaled by an iron rod. Blood flowed seamlessly from the wound, and Ayid's knees buckled as he rushed to her side.
"Grandma!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear. "Why didn't you tell me? This is bad, really bad!"
His grandmother's warm smile and gentle touch on his face only made him feel more desperate. "You're a strong and kind boy, Ayid," she said. "I didn't want to worry you."
His grandfather joined them, inspecting the leg with a worried expression. "Honey, how are you feeling?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
"I'm fine, dear," she replied, her eyes fixed on her mangled leg. "It's just...very difficult to move with this."
Ayid's grandfather exchanged a worried glance with him, and Ayid knew they had to act fast. His grandmother needed medical attention, and time was running out.
Ayid trudged forward, his grandmother's frail body weighing heavily on his back. He struggled to navigate through the treacherous city streets, debris and rubble threatening to trip him up at every step. But he refused to give up, driven by his determination to save his family. His grandfather and Imelda walked beside him, their faces set with resolve, as they fought against the howling wind and the vortex's deadly pull.
As they stumbled onward, the alarm blared louder than ever before, piercing the air with its shrill cry. Ayid's heart raced with urgency as a voice boomed from a loudspeaker, echoing off the ruins. "Five minutes remaining until complete evacuation, all civilians should seek safety at the far east of the city." The words sent a surge of adrenaline through Ayid's veins, and he quickened his pace, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
Ayid pushed forward, his legs pumping hard as he battled against the vortex's fury. His family's lives depended on it, and he would not falter.
A deafening boom shook the city as black lightning struck, unleashing destruction in its wake. Shockwaves rippled through the ground, making every step a struggle. Imelda clutched her ears, her eyes squeezed shut. "Can we make it?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Ayid's jaw clenched, his mind racing with the thought of failure. He wouldn't let his family down. "Grandpa?" he called out, his voice firm.
"Yes?" his grandfather replied, urgency etched on his face.
"Can you run?" Ayid asked, his eyes locked on the horizon.
His grandfather rubbed his back, a hint of pain flickering across his face. "I'll try, but...why?"
Ayid's breathing quickened, his body screaming in exhaustion. "We need to run, Grandpa. We need to make it to the safe point before it's too late."
Imelda's eyes widened in alarm. "Run? But...Ayid, you can't run with Grandma on your back!"
Ayid nodded, his determination unwavering. "I have to. It's the only way."
His grandfather nodded, already stretching his legs. "Whenever you're ready, kiddo."
"On the count of three, we are gonna run, as fast as we can, okay?" Ayid shouted to his family.
"Okay," his grandpa and Imelda said in unison.
"One, two, three, Go!" Ayid yelled, taking off in a sprint.
But as he tried to run, his body froze up, the fatigue and exhaustion finally catching up to him. His muscles locked up, refusing to move, and he crashed to the ground with a thud.
"Ayid!" his grandpa and Imelda cried out in unison, rushing to his side.
Ayid lay there, his body trembling with effort, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He knew he had to get up, had to keep moving, but his body refused to listen.
"Come on, Ayid," his grandpa urged, helping him to his feet. "We have to keep going."
Ayid nodded, gritting his teeth, and tried to take a step forward. But his legs buckled beneath him, and he fell to the ground once more.
"I...I can't," he whispered, tears of frustration and despair streaming down his face.
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