There was an explosion, a thunderous outcry that rumbled the earth.
The ground shook with fear as the bombs erupted; destruction in its breath, fire in its veins, and death in its soul.
Screams and wails of sirens could be heard outside.
"What's happening?" Esme whispered in the darkness, her face filled with fear.
Before he could reply, several of the house servants enter the room raucously. The majority of the maids panicky, and anxiety-ridden at the sudden surge of bombs, their voices turning into cries as both Judith and Mr. O'Hara try their best to calm the waves of fear that has spread throughout the household.
"Its the end!" One maid cried out.
"They've come for us!" Another exclaimed.
"We've got to leave! We need to leave before they take us all!"
"Please, please, ladies control yourselves!" Mr. O'Hara says, his own aged face registered traces of trepidation and secret fears, but his duty called for him to remain calm at all costs. He turned to an equally beleaguered Judith who was also trying to placate the young maids, "Miss Judith would you kindly light candles, and our gas-jets? I think the explosion might have disrupted some of our electrical wiring..." Said Mr. O'Hara, surreptitiouly taking a deep breath.
"Very good, sir." Judith obliged, sounding relieved to be given another duty, and briskly exited the room to retrive matches and candle sticks.
Esme sat there a little confused with all the commotion the younger maids were creating. Then suddenly, and sharply, Carlisle's authorative voice broke through the noise.
"Silence!" He said, rising from his seat abruptly.
Instantaneously the rowdy shrieks and moans of horror eliciting from the small preponderance of maids ceased.
Mr. O'Hara looked greatly thankful for Carlisle's well-timed interception.
"Mr. O'Hara," Carlisle said, straightening the collar of his suit, "I belive Miss Judith might be needing your assistance in locating those candles and matches."
"Yes, sir." Mr. O'Hara replied, reading the subliminal message the Doctor hinted in his voice.
Just as Mr. O'Hara nearly left the room, he turned in the direction of the maids who were frightened into silence this time, more so of his present actions, they huddled closely together as they awaited his orders.
"This is no time for inexcusable behavior. War or no war, this is still a household! One musn't lose their necks in submission to fear with actions that belong only to belligerent poultry! I suggest you all go through your conducts with calmness and presence of mind or by God I will show you things more terrible than this war." He finished his speech with a deathly low timbre, his eyes hellish with anger.
Without needing permission from him, the maids quickly reverted back into the kitchen, no sound could be heard from them, not even the sound of their breathing.
Esme sat there in a stunned silence.
Before Carlisle could return to his seat. He could hear the thumping of a rigorous gait from afar. The kind of footfall one would assosiate with running, he could hear the heavy breathing that came with the action.
The personage seemed to be heading towards his home. He inhaled lightly and immediately knew who it was.
"Excuse me," He said quietly to Esme and left the room.
The young man was about to raise his knuckles to knock, when Carlisle's image emerged from the next door house.
"Yes, Tom what is it?" Said Carlisle in the darkness, making his way down the steps.
"Dr. Cullen," Replied the hospital orderly, surprised that the Doctor knew it was him. The young boy scrambled to the Doctor's side, "Doctor, you've got to come to the hospital, the bombs-"
"Yes, I've heard them Tom."
"No, Doctor. You don't understand, the whole building is on fire! We need your help in moving the remaning patients from the ground floor, I'm afraid several of the Doctors are wounded sir and the fire hasn't died down."
"What..." He uttered under his breath. It was then that a small fire from a far distance could be seen, Carlisle Cullen looked up to the sky and knew that those amorphous lights was not the dawn breaking in the heavens. From where he stood he could also see the outlines of several buildings that were pulverized into dust, nothing but parcels of concrete strewn into the streets.
Carlisle looked at him steadily, then said, "Go, I'll be there. There's something I must do first."
"Yes Doctor."
He watched the young lad run back into the black of night. Carlisle lingered there from where he stood for a long moment, as though coming to a conclusion of a very important decision. Then slowly went back inside Esme's home.
He stepped through the threshold and closed the door behind him. As he went inside, several of the rooms including the dining room have been lighted with candles. Several of the maids were busy lighting the gas-jets, and as he passed them by, none of them dare make eye-contact with him.
He entered the dining room and saw Judith wiping the long table with a ragged cloth. He noticed that Esme was no longer sitting there.
"Where is Miss Platt, Judith?" He asked, clasping his hands neatly behind him.
"I sent her to her room Doctor. I thought it best she should rest early, the sounds of those bombs seemed to have upset her." Answered the maid.
"I see. I shall check on her when I return. There are rather urgent matters I have to attend to."
"Yes, Doctor."
He watched as Judith complete her task and retreat into the kitchen once again. He was momentarily left alone when a hand from behind him gently tapped his shoulder.
"Doctor," Said Eugene from behind him. "How bad is it out there, truly?" He asked, the fear is much clearer in his eyes now, but it burned with a desire for the truth. Eugene O'Hara was a man of logic and reason. He needed to know if his fears had a validity - not an irrationality. Not like the ludicrous actions of the maids earlier of course, but he needed to be assured of the logic behind his fear. And that it was not fear, but rather his instinct. So that he could come with a plausible and reasonable judgement of mind and decision, " Is there anything we should be doing?"
"I"m afraid its only just begun. Several buildings are destroyed in the main town, and the hospital is burning as we speak. We cannot do anything except to keep our sanity. Panic can lead to haste, and it has consequences of its own. Mr. O'Hara I think it best if you and your staff should prepare yourselves to vacate in any case of an extreme emergency. All of you cannot stay here for too long. Especially Miss Platt, I"m afraid arrangements must be made immediately - tonight if possible. It is of the most gravest importance."
"Of course sir." Said Eugene, the weight of Carlisle's words sinking into him like quicksand.
He handed a piece if paper to the old butler. "You will need to inform Mrs. Charlotte Evenson of these circumstances and that Esme will be transported to Sussex within three days."
The butler nodded slowly, and excused himself. His face pensive as he left.
As soon as he was gone, Carlisle quickly turned on his heel and walked hurriedly to the front door. He knew it was going to be a long night.
The hospital was on fire.
And he could hear it again, those voices calling out to him. Those voices of the dead.
A/N: Hey guys! Pardon for the late update I"ve been so busy with my other stories lately. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you again so much for all of your wonderful reviews. Love you guys! God Bless!
