REM

Rooftop Devils

The fascination we all have with destruction can be quite dangerous. Thrill seekers travel from all over the world just see what mother nature has done, only to put themselves in harms way if things progress to a worse state. It's nothing compared to watching a car burn after a horrific accident, yet for some it is an addiction, an obligation to see firsthand the carnage that occurs in this world.

Right now, the hot spot is my city. We live near the ocean. An earthquake damaged roads, dams and rivers, causing severe flooding in the area. If you were to look out from where I sit now, you would see what remains of the roads in the valley. Two of them, badly broken and serving as a reminder that mother nature always wins in the end.

Photographers – daredevils – are perched on the far side of the valley. A female with red hair sits on a ledge with her camera, while a large man steps over a retaining wall to get a better shot. One wrong move and he could slip to his death.

I'm sitting on a slanted metal roof of an abandoned building. Old semi-trucks are scattered around. They are great for getting a good vantage point, but not much else. My friend watches me as I try to climb back up, but slip, causing me to slide over the edge. I dangle as she yells out to me, "Hey! You okay?"

"Yeah," I reply through gritted teeth, my fingertips barely keeping me alive. My feet touch a window frame, allowing me to side step across others to the side of the old building. The windows are covered in dust, but thankfully my shoes find grip on the peeling, painted edges.

Finally I am able to jump down on top of a rusted truck that will never see the open road again. It's ironic honestly, seeing the flooded road below – there is no need to restore the vehicle, even though I want to. I wave to my friend who has descended the back side of the building, safely and away from the valley.

Water continues to gush out of large holes in the ground, much like geysers would. At first glance it doesn't seem that bad, but the places where the water has settled over the remaining sections of road are deceiving.

Mother nature has won again as usual, and the daredevils are out in full force on the far side of the valley. The female photographer and the large man are still perched outside of the stone building, which I believe still houses a restaurant and some sleeping quarters. More people file out onto the balcony, catching my attention as I wonder if the old stone will crumble under the excessive weight. Let's hope it doesn't though. We've suffered enough tragedy recently, and all I can think about right now, is rebuilding what we lost.