The Heart-Shaped Box

Here's a story I finished a week or two ago....I like writing, as I think you've noticed:D. It's called 'Déjà Vu', and it's kindofish long. It's not a comedy, like 'Hired or Fired' was, it's more of an exciting type of story, not as dramatic as a drama ;), but about halfway, heh.

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Déjà Vu

Anna awoke with a start. She gazed fearfully about her, as if expecting a ghost or goblin to spring from the shadows at any moment and pounce her. Her pillow was drenched in sweat, and she was panting heavily. Apprehensively, she pulled back her covers and, gathering courage, leapt out of bed and switched on the light. Nothing there. She sighed as she dragged her feet back to her bed. As she lay back down, she pondered on the events of the previous night.

The dream—no, more like a nightmare—it had been so vivid, so unexplainably real. Anna clearly remembered the intense reality, and the premonition she had felt. For what, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she felt something dangerous was going to happen imminently—the dream! The events had been clear enough, but Anna struggled to find the meaning.

In the dream, she had been in some sort of natural disaster—she couldn’t remember whether it was an earthquake, flood, hurricane, or tornado—she just recalled it being something of the sort. People had been screaming and running in all directions, creating a general confusion. Suddenly all the people had vanished—except her. She had been standing alone at the top of a steep rocky precipice, peering into the seemingly unending abyss below. She had then turned around to see a strikingly handsome young man standing behind her. Then she had woken up.

All of a sudden, the significance hit Anna. Why else would she have dreamt this if not for a warning? She again jumped out of bed, only this time throwing on a set of clothes. She seized a duffel bag, which lay beside her bed, and tossed clothes and toiletries into it until it was about half full. Anna then hastily descended the flight of stairs, which led into the kitchen. She flung open the cupboard doors and heaped her duffel bag full of food. Zipping up her bag and grabbing her cat, she fled out of her front door.

The sun was just beginning to rise, and as Anna stood out on her driveway, she felt very foolish indeed. After waiting there fore several minutes and seeing nothing, she turned to go back inside. However, as soon as she laid her hand on the handle of her front door, she heard a loud rumble and several shrieks pierce the calm, quiet air of dawn.

Frightened, she looked in the direction of the piercing cries, only to behold a tidal wave coming from a nearby ocean. She screamed, clutched her bag and cat even tighter, and ran blindly in the direction of the catastrophe. It was a gigantic wave, towering over eighty feet high. Anna remembered when she had taken survival class at college, and also recalled the segment where they had said to move to higher ground during a flood.

Anna dashed to a nearby cliff and struggled to the top. Just as she reached the summit, the tidal wave broke and spilled out over the city below. Anna choked back her tears as she watched her home and those of her friends and neighbours being swallowed up by the ferocious wave. Soon all was all was still again, and Anna settled down for a lengthy wait until the water simmered down.

As she was climbing, Anna had seen a young blonde man rushing up the same hill, obviously trying to escape the flood as well. She reached the top before he did, and quietly watched him as she sat down. She also noticed he wore a small knapsack on his back. When he, panting and heaving, finally reached the vertex as well, he sat down beside Anna. “Hi there,” he smiled, extending a hand. “I know this may seem like an awkward time for introductions, but I’m Steve. And you are?” “Anna,” she responded, returning the smile. “By the way, would you do me a favour?” Depends on what it is,” replied Anna. “I’m a news reporter.” Whipping out a pencil and a pad of paper form his knapsack, which he had by now set on the ground beside him, he added, “Could you please tell me, in a few words, what you thought of this disaster?” Cracking a half-smile, Anna responded, “Déjà vu.”