Chapter 2
Elias drove through the sprawling city of Arbatic. Towering buildings scraped the pale morning sky.
The tang of exhaust fumes hung heavy in the cool air as he crossed a bridge choked with crawling cars. Horns blared occasionally. Below, sidewalks teemed with people bundled against the February chill.
He navigated the dense traffic towards the mall's parking lot, his current workplace.
The mall was a three-story concrete giant, identical to others found nationwide. He parked his red car, the engine ticking as it cooled, and walked towards the employee entrance.
Inside, the vast space felt hollow and quiet, still mostly dark. Overhead, lights flickered on one by one.
No customers had wandered in yet.
Inside the employee room, Elias pulled on his stiff yellow apron, the rough fabric scratchy against his neck.
He began arranging boxes of cereal on a shelf in the grocery section.
Co-workers passed by him, and some greeted him with good morning.
"Morning," a passing co-worker mumbled, their footsteps echoing slightly.
"Good morning," Elias responded softly.
They were walking around the giant mall, working their part of the job. Suddenly, someone came beside him.
"Hey Elias, how's your day going?" Martin, another stock clerk, paused nearby, pushing an empty cart. The wheels squeaked faintly.
"Morning, Martin. Nothing much, just the usual stuff," Elias replied, shifting a heavy box. He kept his eyes on the shelf.
"Hey, Elias, look over there," Martin said, his voice dropping to a whisper. His gaze fixed on a customer entering the now-brighter aisles.
Elias glanced around. The mall was fully open, and a steady stream of customers flowed in, their murmurs and footsteps creating a low background hum.
Then he spotted a woman Martin was looking at: beautiful, wearing a sharp navy gray business suit with a short skirt, long black stockings, and heels that clicked decisively on the tile. She had a noticeably curvy figure and was examining cans of soup, her long hair falling over one shoulder.
Martin openly admired her. "Hey, Elias, what do you think? Should I shoot my shot?" He didn't look away from her. He was captivated by the beautiful woman's charm.
'This is going to be fun to watch.' He looks at Martin with a mischievous look.
"Sure, why not?" Elias answered, a faint smile touching his lips. He leaned back against the cool metal shelf, expecting an amusing show that might happen.
"You think so, huh? Thanks, man, for the advice." Martin puffed out his chest and walked towards the woman, but his steps suddenly went stiff.
Elias watched. Martin awkwardly scratches his head, looking awkward at first. But as they talked, the woman's serious expression softened slowly, and then she smiled, a bright flash of white teeth. Elias raised his eyebrows with genuinely surprised.
Martin walked back, practically bouncing, holding a small slip of paper. He waved it triumphantly in front of Elias, grinning ear to ear. "I got her number!" The paper fluttered in his excited hand.
'How?' Elias was flabbergasted by Martin's unexpected success.
The morning went on like any other: customers browsing and purchasing, workers stocking shelves and assisting. But Elias had no idea a danger was approaching, one that would shake the entire world.
Morning, noon. Elias sat alone in his red car in the parking lot. Only a handful of other vehicles were in the parking lot.
It was his break time. He much preferred the quiet solitude in the car.
He unwrapped a slightly squashed ham and cheese sandwich he had bought from the store inside the mall.
He turned on the radio, tuning to a familiar station. Upbeat reggae filled the car:
"Don't worry~~~ About a thing~~~ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright~~~"
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music, taking a bite of the cool sandwich. Then, a harsh burst of static shattered the song, loud and grating in the confined space.
Suddenly, a sharp woman's voice interrupted it:
"WARNING: CATASTROPHIC GROUND MOTION DETECTED. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. AVOID STRUCTURAL DEBRIS. MONITOR FOR AFTERSHOCKS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WARNI---"
The transmission cut off abruptly, plunging the car into silence except for the fading crackle of static. Elias froze; the half-eaten sandwich was forgotten in his hand, a cold prickle running down his spine.
Then, it hit. A deep, groaning rumble rose from the earth itself. The car began to shudder violently.
The world outside the windshield seemed to ripple and sway.