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"I had an idea..."
The Tale of the Mad Wizard of Imbroglio
By Pukaq
Chapter 5
Delighted screams from children playing were part of the daily aspects of life: the sounds blended into the background noise around us. When the screams became louder and carried the chill of terror, people took notice. Arms were pointed toward the sky - worried murmurs and cries rose from those who were there to witness a flaming ball silently streaking right toward our city. Panic ensued: people ran for their houses and bolted their doors - others ran out of the city trying to escape from the flaming death that was plummeting toward us.
A deafening boom shattered every window in town and it still had not crashed to earth. Seconds later it was clear that the town would be spared, but in the distance, a cloud like a billowing angry toadstool could be seen. Moments later still, as we all stared in wonder at this sight, a fierce wind came roaring up suddenly, knocking us to the ground. As we tried to stand after the wind had passed, the ground began to shake knocking us all down again.
People walked around aimlessly - some cried hysterically, others walked from place to place surveying the damage, trying to locate lost possessions. In mere seconds, our entire concept of life and normalcy had evaporated. Screams for help were quickly seen to in order to rescue people from bookcases or other objects that had fallen onto them. I helped where I could. The town's council members, though, organized a few people to investigate the explosion. They reported back later that it had created a great depression in the ground, nothing more.
When cries of alarm came from the direction of the cave, everyone took notice. An avalanche had blocked the entrance and it was known that people were in there. As a community who watches out for each other, so too were we there to help our friends and neighbors. Shovels, buckets, wheelbarrows and anything that could be used to haul away the snow blocking the mine entrance were brought to bear. Working tirelessly into the night gave most of us a sense of purpose and direction that was sorely needed after the events of the day.
It wasn't until later that we understood just how bad the situation was. The cave had collapsed with people inside and would have to be excavated. The focus on rescue became more intense as we worked through the night and into the next morning. Men and women working side by side broke up the larger stones so they could be carried away by the shovel and bucketfuls. When someone tired to the point of exhaustion, another man or woman took up their picks and changed places with them. All the while, time marched on and then ran out.
First a broken pick was uncovered and then a shattered and crushed hand could be seen, cold and blue. Now people worked with their bare hands not wanting to cause any additional hurt to whoever may still be awaiting rescue, but when all was said and done, it was too late. Cries from the back begged for the identities of the fallen: two names were whispered back - Akanie and Palui.
Those names - Anniu's parents' names - it could not be. I shoved and pushed people out of my way to the front of the line so I could see that it must have been some other Akanie and Palui. Reaching the front and gazing on the unmistakable sight of Anniu's parents was the last I saw for a time. Blackness came as I collapsed.
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