The Day the World Shook

By Bobby Sharkey

It was a quiet day, but that’s how it always starts isn’t it? Everything is going perfectly and then it all goes to hell. The rumbling started around 3 in the afternoon. Earthquakes always terrified me, but this was different, this was like a god was angry.

Figuring it would pass, I went along with my day just as any other. As I cooked my breakfast it continued to lightly rumble, which was just annoying at a point. I found that there was no rhyme or rhythm to the ruble, seeing as it was going on for a few hours now. I could only hope that it subsided soon. Honestly, it was making me kind of tired, this constant rumble and grumble.

I woke up to a call; it was Piper. When I answered, she was frantic. She seemed as though she was running; she was out of breath and could barely get any words out. As I asked what was going on, I realized something, the rumbling had stopped. It was silent. But not just quiet, it was an eerily complete silence. The call cut out just as I was going to ask if she had the earthquakes by her too.

This was confusing, and although I was happy the rumbling stopped, I was also concerned. I couldn’t tell you why I was worried that it stopped, but I just felt that it wasn’t good.

My phone rang again, and again, it was Piper. I answered, and she was just screaming, screaming so loud that the microphone was cutting out. This time I actually got worried, she never calls me and hearing her scream like that gave me goosebumps. I grabbed my coat and rushed out the door, probably forgetting most of my stuff.

Piper lived about 10 minutes away, but with the traffic it would be a little longer. Racing through the suburbs into the city the traffic went away. It seemed as if everyone was leaving. Then, it started. The rumbling from earlier in the morning was back, and I knew it wasn’t an earthquake. This was a foreboding force, and I could almost feel its lust for killing. My adrenaline kept me driving forward even with this foreboding force.

Turning the corner, the rumbling got stronger and closer. I was in the city now, so it was nothing but skyscrapers and tall buildings. It was close. Whoever or whatever was causing it was getting closer, but I was determined to find Piper.

Turning another corner is when I saw it. Fire. Blood. Debris everywhere. What the hell did this? Buildings were crumbling and burning and there were people running. I could barely see anything with how must dust and smoke was in the air, but I kept pushing forward.

At this point the road was destroyed and covered in pieces of buildings. The rumbling was so close but with the dust I couldn’t see anything more than 10-feet away. I got out of my car and started running toward Piper’s apartment building, just hoping that it wasn’t destroyed like these other buildings.

That’s when I saw it. It was just the shadow of a creature through the clouds of dust. It was massive. It seemed to walk on four legs and had a head shaped like a human. This abomination had caused the ruble, the chaos. Piper was gone.

I dropped to my knees, unable to function at the sight of this creature in front of me. When I sat up and accepted my fate, I heard something in the distance. It was an engine, but not a car. I turned around and there was a tank heading towards me.

I was still confused, but I was grateful to see it. I got up and started walking towards it, waving my arms. I didn’t dare shout as to draw the creature’s attention to me. The tank rolled to a stop as it grew closer, and the hatch clicked open. A man in uniform covered in dust and blood popped out.

“What the hell are you still doing here kid?” he said.

I told him the truth, “I got a call from a friend, I was worried.”

“Well, if they were as dumb as you, I’m sure they’re gone.” He gestured towards the creature. “Now get the hell outta this city before you find the same fate.”

“What’s going on? What is that thing?” I asked

“I’m sure I know just as much as you.” He shrugged as he spoke. “It’s some sorta creature from hell, I reckon, sent to reign judgement across the land”

“Creature from hell? That’s crazy!”

“We know that it started with earthquakes this morning, that small rumbling, half the country felt that. Then, one big one hit the west coast and it all stopped.”

“This creature came from the ground, you mean?”

“At approximately 11:23 this morning it was spotted on satellite ripping through the earth and crawling out. This happened at the same time the big one hit.”

It was crazy. A creature from hell. A giant beast crawling out of the ground causing an earthquake so big the whole West Coast felt it.

The man waved me over, so I walked closer to the tank.

“I’ve been tasked with a mission,” he said. “Our last hope of not losing the whole city.”

“A mission?” I asked.

“Yep. We were wiped out when we confronted it; the beast simply walked over us, and we couldn’t do a thing. “

“Jesus…”

“So, being the last one left, they gave me a task. There’s a really big bomb on its way to blow that thing to hell right now.”

“What about the city?” I said a little too loud.

“That’s what my mission is. I’m supposed to get its attention and lead it out of the city. My best bet was Central Park, which is about three blocks away.”

“They’re sending you on a suicide mission,” I said quietly.

“Yep, now get moving I have a city to save,” he said proudly but with a sad tone.

“I’m coming with you,” I said.

“What the hell do you think this is?” He shouted, “I will not allow a civilian to throw his life away for no reason.”

I put on a cold face. “My life has no purpose now. Why not give it one,” I said as I climbed up onto the tank. “Now, move over.”

“You’re a brave kid, I’ll give you that,” he said moving over and patting the seat next to him.

He closed the tank and strapped into the driver’s seat. I buckled into the only seat with a good view of the outside.

He slammed the gas and we started moving straight for the creature, full speed over the debris. It was a bumpy ride, but no problem for this tank.

“Load that into the tank, we need to get its attention,” he stated handing me a shell.

I grabbed the shell and carefully put it into the chamber of the tank. He gestured toward the handle, so I yanked on it and closed the hatch.

“On my mark, take that rope and yank the hell out of it,” he explained. “That’s the trigger.”

“Got it”

As we pulled closer to the creature the Earth shook with every step it took. It was so big; I couldn’t believe it. It had skin like an elephant almost, but also looked scaly.

The man turned the tank to face the leg, and the creature stomped down in front of us.

“FIRE,” he yelled.

I yanked the cord and instantly my ears were ringing. It was so powerful it sent me back into my seat.

“Direct hit!”

“Did we get its attention?”

“Oh, we pissed it off that’s for sure.”

He slammed the gas and yanked the tank the other way towards the park. The creature stepped way too close to us and started to go a little faster, definitely ready for chase.

As we neared the park, it stomped right in front of us, and we slammed into it.

My driver flew forward and hit his head pretty hard. I knew this was the end.

He shook his head, looked at me and yelled, “Get out and run.”

After catching my breath for a second, I got up and opened the hatch.

He reached over and grabbed a gun, handing it to me. “Blast that thing to hell,” he said.

I grabbed the gun and jumped out of the tank. Running towards the park, I looked up and started shooting to try to get the creature’s attention. It looked at me and I was overcome with a horrible sense of dread.

Its head was a human’s head, huge and terrifying. I kept going, I kept running and shooting. I had to.

I got to the park, but I knew that wasn’t enough. As ran through the trees, the creature tried stepping on me, but I kept running and evaded death by a thread.

Then, it flashed before my eyes. My life was over. The shadow of its foot came crashing down on me. Was it enough? Did I make it far enough into the park?

The monster continued into the park. The bomb dropped, and again, the day was quiet.