The Umbrella Academy

t w e n t y - t h r e e

The letters on the page started to shift like some sort of code and slowly started to delete. Weird. I felt my feet get cooler and noticed the water was rising into the building. I dropped the file. I leaned to pick it up and surprisingly it wasn't wet. I quickly shoved it back in its cabinet before running out of the building.

When I walked down the steps, the water was up to my knees. I headed toward the power building and opened the door. I rushed in, water quickly following behind. I ran up the stairs. The second floor was quickly going up and I ran to every cabinet opening ad closing them.

I made my way up to the third floor then the fourth. The water was quickly trailing. I made it up the the seventh floor and finally I found the most recent file. The water then started to flood 10x as fast as before. I ran up the stairs and the water came behind me. I could feel the waves sweeping me off my feet. It lifted me higher and higher to the roof.

The file slipped out of my hand. I could see it softly flowing downward. I took a deep breath of air before diving down and attempting to get it. My hair was waving in the water as I dove deeper and deeper. My ears started to hurt and my lungs were aching for air. I felt the paper against my finger and I clasp them shut. I pushed up, breaking the surface of the water. I gasped and coughed.

The water was at the door and almost filled the entire area. I pulled on the door. It was stuck. I pulled harder and harder but the space was getting smaller and smaller. I floated up to the ceiling and took one last deep breath before the water reached the top.

I got to the door and pulled as hard as the water could allow. I felt weak. Then I felt a sudden wave of energy. I pulled one last time on the door pressing my feet to the wall. I felt my body be propelled forward as the water sprung out the door. It quickly shut after my body fell out. It caught on my dress and tore my skirt on the side. I was soaked but the file was still safely in my hand. I was panting on the ground when I heard a loud rumble. I got up on my feet and walked to the edge. The whole city was flooding. I looked around at the other buildings; however, one caught my eye. It was labeled sleepers I could see through the windows, and it was mostly empty but then I saw five's body on the top floor.

I looked around for a way to get over there but no ideas came. The rumbling sound came back and I heard a loud crash behind and below me. The building beside had collapsed. I suddenly heard a loud crack underneath me. My body fell forward as the structure seemed to fall to the side. I ran as it fell. It was leaning towards the other building so I ran off to the end of the tower and jumped. I landed on the next building as the one I was just on fell into the water.

"Damn." I said.

I took a few steps back before running again. The building I was standing on was right next to the one containing Five. I backed up before running to the edge. I felt the air brush past me. I was sure I was going to make it. Until I wasn't. I reached the side of the building and almost grabbed the siding, but the slipperiness from the water made me lose grip and I felt myself falling.

My leg then caught on something. It scrapped on a ladder. I quickly grabbed a handle with my other hand not holding the file. I put it in my mouth before starting to climb the ladder with both hands. My leg hurt and I looked down to see it bleeding from the scrape. I ignored it and pushed to reach the top of the building.

When I reached the top I felt weak. My body burned and I felt overheated. I made my way down from the roof to the floor underneath. I entered the hallway and it was filled with water  up to my knees. I saw five's body and ran to him.