Writing Exercise 031

Another week, another writing exercise. :D
This time you are going to witness something mysterious, something that could have happened somewhere sometime. As an homage to the Dead Pete Society I named one of the characters the way I did and sealed his fate. Also I challenged myself to write exactly 1k words.
Have fun reading.

2016/07/11 – mystery

It all started a few days ago. The deluge and the hot weather created the ideal breeding ground for the toads. When biologist Lauri Anderson went to check up on the animals and their spawn, however, she found them gone. She waded through the swamped area around the lake and searched for quite some time, but the toads where nowhere to be found.

“This is strange,” Lauri told her colleague Pete Simons on the phone, “they should be hopping around everywhere.”

“Don't worry,” Pete tried to calm her, “they have to be somewhere. Let's come back in a few days and have another look.”

Hesitantly Lauri agreed and returned home. But she worried nonetheless; all evening her thoughts were with the missing toads. Something was wrong, she was certain. Therefore the next day she returned to the lake. For hours she waded through the muddy waters until her trousers were soaking wet and she was exhausted. The toads were still missing; not a croak to be heard. Lauri decided to take samples of the water then flew back to the lab at the mountain top and examined them.

The findings were surprising. The water seemed to have reacted to something and turned into hydrogen peroxide. Shocked, Lauri instantly washed her legs and arms so the acid came off. Luckily she wore Wellingtons, but her skin started to bleach and sting already where the hydrogen peroxide had touched her. “So that's why the toads are gone,” she murmured as she treated her fingers. “But why did the water react? What's happening here?”

She decided to stay at the lab and research some more. Maybe the samples would reveal something.

It was almost sunrise when Lauri heard the noise. A light vibration, the clincking of glass which soon grew louder into an earth-shattering sound as the cupboards and machines began to tremble. Books and vials fell over, crashed to the ground. Lauri almost fell to her knees as everything shook and violently rocked back and forth. She fled the room and hurried outside as cupboards fell and almost buried her under them. As the earth continued to shake she clung to the rocks as if her dear life depended on it. Trees deracinated around her and crashed to the ground, the lab collapsed like a house of cards. Lauri realised, she was not safe here either. Then her glance fell on the helicopter. It was parked at the cliff and it was slowly sliding towards the edge. Lauri didn't hesitate long and started towards it, ripped the door open and got inside. “Come on, come on!” she repeated like a mantra as she flicked the switches. The helicopter shook, neared the edge and was about to fall. Lauri held her breath as panic seeped in. She didn't want to die.

But then the engine roared to life and the rotor blades accelerated. At last it lifted off and ascended into the air. Lauri sighed, relieved and steered around the falling trees.

From a distance the lake seemed to boil and the village houses shook and collapsed. Here and there she could see fires. She could imagine the people scream in fright and anguish. Never had Lauri witnessed such a devastating earthquake.

Steering the helicopter with one hand, she fumbled for her smartphone and dialled Pete's number. She worried for her colleague, knowing he lived at the village. For a long while the phone rang and rang and rang. “Come on, pick up your damn phone!” Finally it clicked, as Pete answered. But before he could say anything, she gushed: “Oh my god, Pete! Are you alright?”

“Lauri!” he exclaimed. She could hear the rumbling of the earthquake and the screaming people through the phone. “I'm ok, I'm ok. Barely made it out of the house. Oh god, what's happening? Where are you?”

“In the chopper. Suddenly the ground started shaking and the lab collapsed,” Lauri cried, relieved that Pete was alive. “I-I'll get you out of there, Pete – what's that?”

She suddenly saw a veil of mist spread from the lake and roll towards the village like a wave. Unstoppable, it crawled over the already ruined village. Lauri could only watch. There was a gasp from the other end, which alerted her to Pete's situation. “Pete? What happened?”

Again she heard a sharp intake of breath. “Can't...breathe...” he rasped and gurgled. Then there was a low thud and a clattering noise.

“Pete? Pete!” she exclaimed, panicked and with tears streaming down her face. No answer. “Pete!” she cried again. Lauri's instinct told her to steer the helicopter towards the village and make sure he was alright. But she remembered the mist from the lake and the hydrogen peroxide in the water. It wasn't safe to go down there. So she circled and circled above the village, calling for Pete. But he wouldn't answer.

Finally it sunk in, that he had to be dead. Lauri wept quietly. But only hours later – when the earth had ceased to tremble and the mist had evaporated – she dared land the helicopter and assess the damage. The houses were in ruins and as she climbed through the rubble she found all the villagers and animals lay dead on the ground. Some might have escaped the falling houses, but the mist had killed those who survived the earthquake. When Lauri found Pete's body just outside his ruined house she broke down. She cried long and hard; ugly tears swept down her cheeks as she sobbed and hiccuped beside his corpse. Finally she let out a shuddering sigh and stood then trudged back to her helicopter.

She flew to the next city, where there was a university, determined, knowing she would soon return with new equipment and people to help. As the only survivor of this disaster she vowed to solve the mystery of the earthquake and the mist. For Pete's sake, for the villagers' sake, but also for her own sake – to find a closure and start anew.