He was in History class, doodling in his book, when the shaking and screaming sounded. Insanely, the word 'earthquake,' simply passed across his mind a moment before one of his classmates screamed and pointed outside.

There were guisers of black, stinking water spurting upwards in a neat line across the car park.

"Can everyone please calm down?" shouted Mr Jones, only to be shoved aside by a stampede of students shoving past him in a desperate attempt to flee.

Andy simply watched the water get higher and higher out the window. There was something strangely beautiful about it, he thought.

"Calm down!" shouted Mr Jones. "We're evacuating to the hall!"

"Like hell we're staying in this deathtrap!" shrieked Bianca, tearing past him.

"Yeah, I'm out of here," grunted Thompson, a heavyset boy who liked to bully those smaller than him (often including Andy).

Slowly, Andy slid his book into his backpack and zipped it closed. The building continued to shake, plaster and dust falling from the ceiling. His phone screamed furiously. He fumbled for it, glancing at the screen before hitting answer. "Are you seeing this?"

"Of course I'm seeing this!" snapped Lauren. "Where are you?"

"History. Mr Jones'."

"Get to the bottom of the stairwell, I'm coming to you."

He swung his bag onto his back. "And then what?"

"And then I'll think of something!"

"Please leave the classroom in an orderly manner and proceed to the main hall-" Mr Jones tried to say as Andy slipped past him with his few remaining classmates.

The hallway was even worse. There was black sludge spraying from the ceiling and floors. He yanked his hoodie up and struggled towards the stairs, pushing and shoving in the crowd.

Lauren was already there when he made it to the bottom, grabbing his arm and pulling him into an empty space. He held onto her arm a little tighter than he normally would. She squeezed his wrist.

"Come on, we have to get out of here."

"To where?" he asked, glancing out the window at the sludge now running in a river down the street.

"Anywhere."

In the days, weeks, months and years to come, they would find out how true that offhand statement was.