The Flood | Teen Ink

The Flood

December 7, 2023
By Cylu728 PLATINUM, Miami, Florida
Cylu728 PLATINUM, Miami, Florida
23 articles 1 photo 5 comments

In the night, a boy slept. The pounding rain on the windows acting like a sweet lullaby to his ears. The streets were gone, replaced with a flowing river. Trees outside flew in the winds, their branches snapping off and falling into the waters below. The house sat on a hilltop, just out of reach of the scene around it. 

Completely oblivious to everything around him, the boy merely dreamed. Dreamed of animals and boats sailing off into the vast ocean. Dreamed of a beautiful sunset descending its colors onto the sea. He dreamed of a new world. 

The wooden planks the building was constructed from were rotting. The constant rain and humidity did not give it a break. The onslaught was never ending. 

The sky was void of a moon, even in the night. 

The house began to slide down the hill. First it was the framework that gave way, then the pillars, followed by the furniture. Crashing and tumbling, various items flew around the place. The bed's legs scratched the ground as it slid across the floor. Thrown back and forth the boy finally awoke. 

The walls collapsed around him, the roof soon to follow, but none of it hurt. In the bed he sat, watching the chaos unfold. His body, now exposed to the elements outside, became drenched in the downpour. Carried by the wind, splintered wood and broken furniture fell into the raging waters.

Wet grass and muddy dirt slowly moved the bed off the hill. A wave grabbed the frame, boy and all, and threw it into the river. Holding on for dear life, the kid rode the waves. The hilltop quickly disappeared from view, the only thing he could see was the rain. Lightning struck in the distance providing the only light in the area. 

The flash revealed that the river was opening up, its narrow path between the terrain becoming much wider. A second strike showed that the barriers of the river were no longer there, replaced with even more water. 

A sudden crash splashed water up the sides of the bed, some of it getting into the boy's face. But it wasn't fresh like the rest. Instead, it tasted of salt, the bits in his eyes, burning. He wasn't in a river anymore, but an ocean.

A light shone down penetrating the darkness. It illuminated the area giving the kid the ability to see. The light came from a large boat in the distance. It was constructed purely of wood and shaped to look like a floating cornucopia. As it came closer, the waves only became more rampant. 

The bed was ripped away from underneath him, throwing the boy into the ocean. Panic followed by terror flooded his mind. He tried to stay afloat, but the waters ripped him underneath. The light disappeared as the salt water forced his eyes shut. 

The boy felt something grab his arm. For a moment, he thought it might be a shark trying to eat him. But the grip did not feel like sharp teeth, instead, it felt like human fingers. He let the grasp guide him as it pulled him up above the surface. 

Dragged onto the wooden boat the boy looked around. Above stood a man. His hair was a light ginger color. He wore a bent over hat, and his skin was pale. Countless animals surrounded him, two of each kind. He closed his eyes, his dream being fulfilled, knowing the new world was close. 


The author's comments:

A fantastical retelling of Noah’s Ark 


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