Towering waves extending as far as the eye can see suddenly loomed over me. My neck was stretched as far back as possible, but I still couldn’t see the crest of the wave. Is my life going to end like this? Slowly battered to death by a giant wave?
This… was just too unreasonable.
… I’m screwed.
——————————
Hi, my name is Ju, surname Di Qi, a boy. It’s a pretty uncommon surname to be sure. But in this mass of plainness known as me, it is a defining feature. My only defining feature.
Due to my prodigious reading skills and examination techniques, I graduated high school at the tender age of 16. However, this doesn’t mean that I’m smart.
After I had my college entrance exams, my parents and I went on a trip during the following holiday. It was supposed to be a normal graduation trip; however, an unexpected disaster struck.
It truly felt like I was on a train that derailed in a mountain pass as the ground violently shook around me. With the way it was shaking, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Earth was shattering right this instant.
Who knew earthquakes were so violent.
Crawling out of the world’s most tragic ruins, my emotions were surprising bland as I stared at the quiet ocean in front of me. With the way these ruins looked, it could pass off as one giant grave. ;which was fortunate as my parents have disappeared. Last I checked they were still in that ruins so they were likely to be dead.
In the first few hours after the initial tremor, I only met a few survivors. I was able to count them with both hands at first, but soon I only required one hand, as a portion of them never made it to midnight.
The remaining survivors huddled together with tears in their eyes, encouraging each other. They told each other that help was coming and that they just had to survive till then. However, cold hard logic dictated that this atmosphere would not last long.
It was an obvious conclusion to draw. After all, there weren’t even any communications signals in this region.
With the chaotic state of this beach, a helicopter couldn’t land even if one actually came. There was sufficient food and water in the ruins but one ran the risk of dying in any subsequent tremors while scavenging.
The best everyone could do was pitch tents in the nearby forest, but then the chances of getting spotted by a rescue team were low. Spoiler alert, no one came.
A seaside city during the tourist season and the only survivors left after the violent shakes could be counted on a hand. How many people actually died in this natural disaster? Based on my knowledge of earthquakes, it wouldn’t be strange if over a hundred thousand people died.
On the third day, a foul smell started emanating from the ruins. Looks like our food and water are no longer dependable. By this time the atmosphere in the camp had started changing. I wonder how long before they start killing each other? The answer: the fifth day.
However, I had long since left their camp and made my own shelter in the forest. My rations consisted of rainwater and hearts of palm.
On the 9th day, while searching for signs of a rescue team, I came across several long dead bodies. They belonged to the people who had been crying together on the first day.
Di Qi Ju:What the heck…
Di Qi Ju: I’m the only one…left?
By now, I was physically and mentally drained.
Is the rescue team…coming?
Don’t tell the earthquake destroyed this vast nation? Or even the world?
I don’t want to die…I want to live…
The only death I can accept is one where I die while searching for my parents. But between survival and kinship, I had already chosen the cold logical choice of survival. If I died now, it would be the ultimate insult to my parents.
I DON’T WANT TO DIE, even if I’m the only one left…
Three days later I was woken up by an unusual tremor. Unlike the aftershocks, this was clearly a rapidly approaching tremor. Other than a helicopter, there was nothing else that came to mind. I excitedly dragged my fatigued body out of my makeshift shelter and raised my head——
…
This…was just too unreasonable.
Everything…Everything, from the moment I opened my eyes to the last scene I saw, was just too unreasonable.
As the giant waves swallowed my body, I curled up tightly.
The only remaining emotion left in this body was hatred.
Even if this was an unreasonable outcome…
I still…
Did not want to die.
…
…
.
Credits:
Special thanks to 7STARDARK BLADE! The first ever patron of Catato Patch Translations.
Footnotes:
