chapter 6- tremble

(JAMES)

"Ellie, Ellie, are you there?" I asked. But there was no response. The last thing I did was offer her a plate, and she didn't take it, which confused me. She's the silent type, keeps to herself. Suddenly, she froze, staring at the window. I'm not one to judge, since I sometimes overthink and stay in a trance.

Something was off though. She didn't react when I snapped my fingers in front of her face. Nothing, just a blank stare. I decided to call Debbie.

"WHAT!" Ellie suddenly shouted.

I heaved a sigh of relief, she was back. But now her body started shaking, and she was breathing heavily.

"What happened? No, never mind, just breathe. Thumbs up if you need water, thumbs down if you need to go outside," I said.

"I need my inhaler... cough... hurry," she managed to say.

"Maddie, can you fetch Ellie's puffer? She needs it now," I called out.

The group was surprised but Maddie reacted quickly and went to the girls' room, returning with the inhaler.

"Thank you," I said, grabbing the inhaler and quickly moving to the couch where we had laid Ellie down. After a while of using the inhaler and breathing out, her breath returned to normal. Debbie got a glass of water to help rinse her mouth if needed.

"I saw it, what happened, what's going on, I thought I died?" She said, shocked expression of fear.

"Look, just breathe, don't talk, we're here, nothing's happening, everything's fine, you're alive." I don't know what's exactly happening? Was she having an episode, schizophrenia, heart attack, whatever it was, it scared me, I don't even want to know what she's feeling right now, she's probably more terrified.

"Everybody, their faces, except," She looked up, staring not at the group but at an one person, Debbie.

"Except , what?" I said. "No, I... I want to go back, I want to go home, I don't like it here, please, can I go home?" Ellie pleaded.

Suddenly the cabin started to shake, what was happening, I looked behind me and what I saw, it was the table which Maddie and Debbie had started preparing for game night, their so-called roleplayig game.

Suddenly, the cabin started to shake. It was an earthquake. "Everyone, find cover! Go under the table, get anywhere safe. Khaza, help Tommy grab the pillows and fortify the middle table. Maxwell, help me move Ellie underneath. Debbie, I need..."

"But James, Debbie's... she's gone. I can't find her," Maxwell said.

"What? You've got to be kidding me," I said pissed! What kind of person would ditch Their responsibility like that?

I pulled Ellie's arm over my shoulder and Maxwell grabbed the other side, lifting her up. We moved her closer to the table, which Tommy and Khaza had fortified with pillows.

"What the fuck, what the hell is happening? An earthquake at a time like this?" Khaza said, frustrated.

"Guys, are we going to make it out alive? I'm... I'm scared. I don't want to die," Maddie said, tears streaming down her face.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how..." Maxwell has officially lost it rocking back and forth underneath the table.

Everyone was losing it, this was happening too fast.

Ellie was hyperventilating again. Everything was going to pieces. I felt the grip of someone's arms. It was Tommy, his huge frame was covering most of the group.He gathered everyone in a huddle, comforting them.

"Father, Son, Holy Spirit, may you bless us with your divine protection. Ensure no harm will befall us, guide us with your light, bless us so that we shall prevail this disaster," Tommy prayed, holding us all together. Everyone else started praying, wanting to distract themselves from what was happening. Maddie clung to Tommy and Maxwell.

The hanging light bulbs on the ceiling shook and swayed, and then it happened—they fell to the ground, smashing into pieces, with shattered glass scattered all around. Meanwhile, the other light bulbs flickered on and off. 

Whatever Debbie was doing, fuck her for abandoning us. As the oldest, she had the responsibility to look after us and she had abandoned us. I was furious and pissed, but I needed to stay focused. I had to ensure that we all made it out of here alive.

Khaza pulled out and unfolded a blackened blanket and placed it on Tommy's back, spreading it across the group to make sure everybody was underneath and warm. The air conditioning was off, and the windows were cracked, causing us to freeze. Khaza's quick thinking saved us from freezing to death.