The ground shook again, and the screams grew louder.
Scott whipped around, aiming the camera behind them where most of the shouts
had come from. He walked backwards down the sidewalk, yet he picked up speed
as he moved. “We need to go faster,” he said with urgency in his tone.
Nikki spun to see what had him so concerned just as the ground shook again. She
twisted her ankle and nearly fell, but managed to see enough to terrify her as she
righted herself.
When the ground trembled, it shook nearby buildings enough that large pieces of
concrete were falling from the sky. Chunks of the buildings were cracking off from
over thirty stories up, falling to the earth with enough force to smash the roof of a
car. Glass shattered in the windows of the buildings from the force of the quaking
ground.
The sidewalk under her feet shook again and was followed by pebbles raining
down around them from the building that rose above their heads.
“Get into the street!” Scott hollered. “Get away from the building!” He gave Nikki a
less than gentle shove, causing her to stumble forward.
Tony and Pearson, who had been looking out into the chaos the streets had
become with its speeding vehicles and frantic people darting in between, turned to
see what the commotion was all about.
Upon seeing the falling brick and concrete smashing into the pavement, Tony
raced into the street. His eyes were completely on the buildings instead of the
traffic he’d just plunged into.
“Tony, look out!” Nikki cried, cringing as a car swerved around him, missing by
inches.
He spun around in surprise to face an oncoming motorcycle.
The man on the motorcycle waved a hand frantically at Tony. He screamed
something in Japanese as he motioned Tony to move out of his way. Though there
was plenty of time for the man to stop, he didn’t even slow down. He continued
yelling in Japanese, his arm waving in the air.
His eyes widening, Tony stumbled backwards, trying to get out of the way. He didn’
t get completely clear, and when the motorcycle zoomed past, it ran over his foot.
Tony gave a holler of pain and nearly collapsed to the ground. He lifted his left foot
and clutched it between his hands. “Asshole,” he seethed through clenched teeth.
Wanting to test the amount of damage that had been done, he gingerly lowered
his foot to the ground. This was followed by another growl of agony. “I think it’s
broken.”
Scott cursed under his breath, shooting the retreating motorcycle a glare. To
Tony, he said, “We’ll help you. Don’t worry about it.” Over his shoulder, he called,
“Pearson, give me a hand!” Moving quickly, he hefted one of Tony’s arms over his
shoulder, keeping the video camera in his free hand. After a moment of no
assistance, he said shortly, “Pearson! I said give me a hand!” When he received
no response, he turned toward the younger man with a look of impatience.
Pearson was still standing on the sidewalk, frozen in terror. He watched as the
buildings on the next street crumbled apart.
“Pearson!” Scott shouted in warning as the ground gave another violent shake.
“Pearson, get off the sidewalk!”
Pearson glanced up at Scott with wide eyes as if finally hearing him, but the
warning came too late. He was standing too close to the buildings.
As his friends watched in horror, a chunk of concrete the size of an end table
broke away from one of the upper floors of a nearby building. In the mere moments
it took to fall, it picked up speed. The concrete came down on Pearson’s head with
a sickening crack. It crushed him underneath it, snapping bones like twigs. They
saw blood gush a second before the stone hit the pavement. Then it connected
with sidewalk, sending chips of concrete and dust into the air.
Nikki screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed until she thought her
lungs might burst. While Scott and Tony coughed from the dust and rubble in the
air, still she screamed. And when the dust finally cleared, making it easy to see the
ruined, bloodied remains of their friend, she broke down into heaving sobs.
Scott whipped around, aiming the camera behind them where most of the shouts
had come from. He walked backwards down the sidewalk, yet he picked up speed
as he moved. “We need to go faster,” he said with urgency in his tone.
Nikki spun to see what had him so concerned just as the ground shook again. She
twisted her ankle and nearly fell, but managed to see enough to terrify her as she
righted herself.
When the ground trembled, it shook nearby buildings enough that large pieces of
concrete were falling from the sky. Chunks of the buildings were cracking off from
over thirty stories up, falling to the earth with enough force to smash the roof of a
car. Glass shattered in the windows of the buildings from the force of the quaking
ground.
The sidewalk under her feet shook again and was followed by pebbles raining
down around them from the building that rose above their heads.
“Get into the street!” Scott hollered. “Get away from the building!” He gave Nikki a
less than gentle shove, causing her to stumble forward.
Tony and Pearson, who had been looking out into the chaos the streets had
become with its speeding vehicles and frantic people darting in between, turned to
see what the commotion was all about.
Upon seeing the falling brick and concrete smashing into the pavement, Tony
raced into the street. His eyes were completely on the buildings instead of the
traffic he’d just plunged into.
“Tony, look out!” Nikki cried, cringing as a car swerved around him, missing by
inches.
He spun around in surprise to face an oncoming motorcycle.
The man on the motorcycle waved a hand frantically at Tony. He screamed
something in Japanese as he motioned Tony to move out of his way. Though there
was plenty of time for the man to stop, he didn’t even slow down. He continued
yelling in Japanese, his arm waving in the air.
His eyes widening, Tony stumbled backwards, trying to get out of the way. He didn’
t get completely clear, and when the motorcycle zoomed past, it ran over his foot.
Tony gave a holler of pain and nearly collapsed to the ground. He lifted his left foot
and clutched it between his hands. “Asshole,” he seethed through clenched teeth.
Wanting to test the amount of damage that had been done, he gingerly lowered
his foot to the ground. This was followed by another growl of agony. “I think it’s
broken.”
Scott cursed under his breath, shooting the retreating motorcycle a glare. To
Tony, he said, “We’ll help you. Don’t worry about it.” Over his shoulder, he called,
“Pearson, give me a hand!” Moving quickly, he hefted one of Tony’s arms over his
shoulder, keeping the video camera in his free hand. After a moment of no
assistance, he said shortly, “Pearson! I said give me a hand!” When he received
no response, he turned toward the younger man with a look of impatience.
Pearson was still standing on the sidewalk, frozen in terror. He watched as the
buildings on the next street crumbled apart.
“Pearson!” Scott shouted in warning as the ground gave another violent shake.
“Pearson, get off the sidewalk!”
Pearson glanced up at Scott with wide eyes as if finally hearing him, but the
warning came too late. He was standing too close to the buildings.
As his friends watched in horror, a chunk of concrete the size of an end table
broke away from one of the upper floors of a nearby building. In the mere moments
it took to fall, it picked up speed. The concrete came down on Pearson’s head with
a sickening crack. It crushed him underneath it, snapping bones like twigs. They
saw blood gush a second before the stone hit the pavement. Then it connected
with sidewalk, sending chips of concrete and dust into the air.
Nikki screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed until she thought her
lungs might burst. While Scott and Tony coughed from the dust and rubble in the
air, still she screamed. And when the dust finally cleared, making it easy to see the
ruined, bloodied remains of their friend, she broke down into heaving sobs.
It is December 2012 and the world is on edge about the foretold
end of humankind. 12 follows multiple characters through the
Mayan prediction of the end of the world. While battling for their
lives, these individuals come up against natural disasters of
every kind. Go on a thrill ride with Peyton, a teenaged babysitter
who suddenly finds herself protecting her charge amidst
devastating tornadoes. Join college student Lily Singh while she
struggles to survive earthquakes in a foreign country. Follow
scientist Kyle Phelps as he discovers the local volcano is about
to erupt and there is nothing he can do but try to outrun it. There’
s even the tale of an entire nation sinking to the bottom of the
Pacific Ocean, taking along its inhabitants and possibly the
American news crew sent to broadcast the events. Will humanity
be able to persevere as it always has? Or will they slip silently
into the night, returning earth to its original owner, Mother
Nature?
end of humankind. 12 follows multiple characters through the
Mayan prediction of the end of the world. While battling for their
lives, these individuals come up against natural disasters of
every kind. Go on a thrill ride with Peyton, a teenaged babysitter
who suddenly finds herself protecting her charge amidst
devastating tornadoes. Join college student Lily Singh while she
struggles to survive earthquakes in a foreign country. Follow
scientist Kyle Phelps as he discovers the local volcano is about
to erupt and there is nothing he can do but try to outrun it. There’
s even the tale of an entire nation sinking to the bottom of the
Pacific Ocean, taking along its inhabitants and possibly the
American news crew sent to broadcast the events. Will humanity
be able to persevere as it always has? Or will they slip silently
into the night, returning earth to its original owner, Mother
Nature?
| 12 Melissa Hosack |
| Book Reviews |
| Excerpt |
"A fast-paced work of fiction set in our world
that won't let you put it down. Gripping
characters and situations keep you turning the
pages. A Final Destination-type feel to the plot.
Loss and love, with a hint of rebirth to come."
-Carmen Wood
"The relationship dynamics between many of
the characters pulled at my heartstrings, and I
found myself hoping that they would all make it
through the terrifying disaster. It pulled me in
from page one and took me on an exhilarating
ride until the very end. A FANTASTIC read!"
-Marie
that won't let you put it down. Gripping
characters and situations keep you turning the
pages. A Final Destination-type feel to the plot.
Loss and love, with a hint of rebirth to come."
-Carmen Wood
"The relationship dynamics between many of
the characters pulled at my heartstrings, and I
found myself hoping that they would all make it
through the terrifying disaster. It pulled me in
from page one and took me on an exhilarating
ride until the very end. A FANTASTIC read!"
-Marie
Fiction-Action/Adventure
Available in Print & e-book
October 2012
$11.95 / $3.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-936167-79-1
Available in Print & e-book
October 2012
$11.95 / $3.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-936167-79-1
| Click on one of the links below to purchase this book |
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