There Was a Hush

There was a hush. There was a crack. Birds burst into the air, shrieking; water burst the dam, sweeping.

Nobody had told the poor to evacuate. Their kids wondered why no cars sped down the roads but they didn’t care – they’d never seen so much space to play. There was a hush, followed by children’ shrieks and sweeping water.

Given the distance to the disaster, the sunbathers thought themselves safe. Imagine their surprise when they found themselves trapped between ocean and onrushing water. They barely had time to scream and panic before they got swept away. There was a hush.

***

After struggling with vignettes yesterday, this one popped into my head immediately when I read today’s Story A Day prompt.