Chapter 1
APOCALYPSE is a revelation: seeing something which has been hidden. Derived from the Greek word, apokalypsis, which means ‘lifting’ of the veil’, or finding out something secret. This secret is often found out via dream or in a vision.
In religion the word means Armageddon or the end of the world. This might have come from the words, apokalupsis which means all the secrets will be discovered “at the end of an Aeon (age)”.
Apocalypse - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arista
“Social media is a trap,” my older sister Racheal states as she peers over my left shoulder to see what has captured my full attention. Shrugging her out of my space I turn my face towards hers and give her a scowl as I roll my eyes for the opinion, she feels the need to share with me.
“Pff,” my gaze is pulled immediately back to the screen and the scene playing on a loop as a reporter can be heard speaking off screen nearby. “Have you been listening to the news reports lately?” Using my first finger I flick the image upwards so I can view the next video in line. “Seriously Rach, do you know how many shark attacks there were today?” I glance up from my phone again to give her a wide-eyed look of shock.
Flicking her mousy brown hair over her shoulder my sister leans against the island counter that takes up a fair portion of space in our country style home that she inherited from our parents after they perished in a car accident the year prior. Though everyone who meets us thinks we’re twins, we’re not, she’s 19, taking online college courses while I’m only seventeen and just started my senior year of high school. Rach lifts her shoulders in a half-assed shrug indicating she couldn’t care less about what’s happening outside her own little bubble of a world which astounds me.
Huffing out a breath I ask, “don’t you think it’s strange? There were three shark attacks four miles apart in an hour and a half span.” Racheal’s hazel, nearly brown, eyes stare blankly back at me which in turn makes me want to put my hands on her and shake her until she grasps the oddity of it all. “Just last week reporters were commenting on how the ocean waters are nearly twenty degrees warmer than in past years...” My voice trails off as I can see she still doesn’t care and there’s no point wasting my breath on her.
Leaning next to me she stares into my blue-green eyes for a second and then simply says, “that’s just nature. Nothing to worry about, Arista. Now, go get your shit or you’re going to be late for school! If you want me to drive you, we walk out this door in two minutes or you’ll find yourself walking!”
Hoping down from the bar stool I mumble under my breath a ‘whatever’ but make my way to my bedroom to grab my things none-the-less.
***
Climbing out of my sisters’ little blue Fiat, I threw my bag over my shoulder and turned away from her car to stare up at the entrance of the high school. “My last year, I can do this.” I mutter to myself as I begin to walk towards the tan brick two story building. Maneuvering around students milling about on the front lawn and sidewalk, I walk inside and head directly to my locker located on the second floor of the prison, I mean school.
As I dial my locker so I’m able to open the metal door I hear a shrill voice squeal my name. “Arista! Oh. My. Gawd! What did you do to your hair? I absolutely love it!” Krista gushes as she bounces over to me and begins to pet my shoulder-length purple bob like a damned dog!
Batting her hand away from my head I laugh out, “what the hell are you doing, Kris? I’m not Trixie, (her Pomp-Ski puppy). Don’t do that!” She cackles as I say this but doesn’t get upset with me for yelling at her. Krista stops laughing but continues to keep a wide grin on her face as she loops her arm through mine to drag me down the hall towards our homeroom.
While in math class that takes place just before lunch hour my stomach began to growl so much that it sounded like a lion was in the room! My cheeks grew so hot that I knew they were probably glowing bright red. Placing my hands against my face, I seriously had to check and make sure I wasn’t on fire. Sliding low in my chair I didn’t dare risk a glance at the students around me for fear they’d be pointing and laughing. As soon as the bell shrilled overhead, I grabbed my bag and high-tailed it to the cafeteria.
I’m pretty sure I was first in line and took a tray with a burger and fries placed upon it up to the register to pay for it. Snagging a bottle of water, I made my way to my ‘usual’ table towards the back of the large room and began to stuff my mouth while I waited for Krista to arrive. “Geesh, girl, you hungry?” Krista asks as she sets her tray of food on the table across from me and then promptly flops into her designated chair.
I attempt to grin but then stop as I’m afraid food might fall out and instead nod my head in a definitive yes! Krista begins to talk about an upcoming science test but I’m too focused on consuming the food in front of my face to listen to her. Stuffing a few fries in my mouth I stop chewing as a weird noise begins to sound throughout the open space of the cafeteria. Quirking an eyebrow at Krista I wait to see if she hears the noise as well. She has stopped mid-sentence which is a pretty good indicator that she’s hearing the sound as well. There are large windows on the far side of the room that look out onto the campus grounds or what the students refer to as the lounge because most people that sit out there do just that, lounge.
Faint at first, the sound of rattling glass quickly grew louder and louder until most of the students that had been sitting or standing near the windows scurried as fast as they could away from them to the opposite side of the room. Seconds later the building seemed as though it was shaking along with the floor beneath our feet! Kids and adults began yelling as panic set in because none of us had ever experienced an earthquake in the middle of nowhere, Florida before! “Holy shit-balls!” I yell out to Krista. “What the hell is happening?” I see fear flash across Krista’s grey-blue eyes which I’m sure I’m mirroring but I’m frozen in shock and can’t seem to move even though I want nothing more than to be beside her and hug her.
A moment later the rumbling, rattling, and shaking has stopped, and everyone looks as though they can breathe just a bit better when we all hear the click of the overhead speaker being turned on and Principal Douglas informs us that yes, it was an earthquake and that classes were canceled for the rest of the day. “Buses will be out front to take students home. Those who drove are to take the buses as well. All parents have been called and will be awaiting your safe return home.”
Staring at the speaker in the ceiling in disbelief, I slowly lowered my gaze to focus it upon Krista’s face. “Tell me you don’t think that Florida having an earthquake isn’t astronomically weird? Like for real, I don’t think there’s been a noticeable one like this since the early 1900’s!” Krista turns her eyes my way, but her stare looks vacant making me want to do something so that she will focus on me. Throwing my arms up in the air I growl in frustration before taking her hand in mine and leading her out to where the buses are parked.
Living in a small town off the Floridian coast, the ride home would typically take ten minutes or less. Today however, it took nearly a half hour because of damage to the surrounding areas causing detours and traffic issues. As soon as I saw we were close to my house I hopped out of my seat and began walking down the aisle so that I was near the front when the bus came to a stop. Seeing Racheal’s Fiat parked in the driveway caused me to relax some because I had been afraid, I was going to have to be home by myself.
As soon as my feet hit the ground I rushed up to the house and let myself inside. I was just about to shout for my sister when I saw her planted on the couch in our living room, her full attention absorbed by what she was seeing on the television. My eyebrows shoot skyward nearly touching my hairline as I see what she’s watching. I don’t think Racheal has ever watched the news channel a day in her life! “Hey, uh, Rach. What’s going on?”
Lifting her right arm Racheal simply points to the television. Her silence is enough to strike fear within me and I sit down next to her, grabbing the remote and turn the volume up as the news anchor continues to talk. “It has been a hundred and fifty years since Florida experienced an earthquake such as this even though it was only a 3.1 magnitude whereas today, most Floridians experienced a magnitude of about a 6.2! Seismologists say that it is very likely just the beginning of earthquakes hitting areas that have never been touched by them before.
In national news that seems to coincide with odd occurrences happening in nature, there have been hundreds of reports across this vast nation of animals unprovoked attacking humans. From sharks at the shoreline to bears and mountain lions attacking people in their own homes. To top it off we are being told at this very moment that even household pets are turning on their owners.” My mouth falls open at this and I thank the stars above that my parents never let me get the dog I’d always wanted from a young age on.
Just as I move to stand up from the couch, Racheal places her hand on my arm stopping me from doing so. Creasing my brow in confusion, I look at her hand for a second before shifting my eyes to connect with hers. “Hey, what should we make for dinner?” And here I thought she was going to apologize for not listening to me this morning. So much for that thought!
With a shrug I respond, “I’m not really hungry at the moment. I’m going to go to my room and study for a bit. Are you going to be home?” She nods her head yes and tells me she doesn’t plan to leave the house for the rest of the day. Knowing this I turn from her and make my way down the hallway to my bedroom.
