Amanzi Sterben felt the earthquake before her family did. At first, she assumed the slight vibrations were being spawned by Olwandle, seeing as he somehow derived enjoyment from running around the cabin. Amanzi initially ignored it, reading the word “waitlisted” again and again through the soft glow of her phone’s screen. This had become a habit ever since she received the email.

“Amanzi, watch your brother!” The annoyed exclamation came from her father’s study. Amanzi let out a long sigh, set her phone on her nightstand and started to get out of her bed.

Her feet had just settled on the bloodwood floor when the slight vibrations turned into violent shudders. The entire house shook; the paintings and flowerpots of aloes crashed to the ground. Amanzi bounded out of her room, jumping over her newly scattered aloe plants.

She met her family in the dining room, seeing Olwandle and her father urgently signaling for Amanzi to join them under the dark, 12 foot long eating table. As she crawled to safety, the earthquake began to enter its death throes. While only seconds ago the entire world seemed to tremor, it now grew calm. The shaking lessened until everything, even time itself, seemed to still. Reality returned when Amanzi’s father, standing up from the shelter of the table, reached his hand out to Amanzi. She took it, pulling herself up.

“It doesn’t look like it got us too badly,” her father said while assessing the damages. A glass pitcher laid broken on the floor, its contents soaked into the red flooring. Pots, pans, and dinner plates decorated the floor like stepping-stones.

“But we are going to need cleaning supplies. I didn’t bring any with us from home.” He eyed Amanzi expectingly.

“What?”

“I was giving you a chance to volunteer and go buy some.”

“Why would I?” Amanzi asked.

“Because, I have to stay with Olwandle.” The 6-year-old’s laughter could already be heard from his room, along with the light thud of his playful footsteps. Her father sighed.

"Also, you can take this time to finally look around a bit. We might be staying here for a while.” Amanzi’s father digs up a key fob for an Infiniti QX50 out of his jeans' front pocket. “And I’ll even let you take the rental.” Amanzi rolled her eyes and grabbed the keys, although grinning the entire time.

“Fine,” said Amanzi as she made for the door.

Amanzi left the cabin as the sun was getting lower in the sky. As she looked about her surroundings, Amanzi admitted to herself that this was, in fact, the most ravishing work-related trip of her father's she had attended. The place given to them by the government was literally on the beach. Just by stepping off of the cabin steps, Amanzi strode through the white sandy shores of the South African coast. She gazed across the shore, allured by the still, deep blue of the endless sea. The sight was truly serene. Amanzi’s stressful thoughts of college and her uncertain future almost flowed out of her, blending into the idyllic ocean scene, only returning to the forefront of her mind when she realized her admission results would come that day. Her anxiety returned, dampening the surreal sight of the coast. The horizon seemed to be higher than usual, but Amanzi reasoned it to the large expanse of water connecting with the dying light. She figured variables like those can play tricks on your eyes.

The roads were extremely busy, taking Amanzi almost 30 minutes to reach the closest supermarket in town. Strangely, the actual supermarket was sparsely populated. By the time she finished buying the cleaning supplies, the sun was setting, casting a yellow-orange glow across the firmament. The streets somehow seemed even more lively with cars than before. Amanzi decided to check out the near stores until traffic lessened, or until she got bored. There was a vintage bookstore-florist combination alongside the supermarket, which intrigued Amanzi for its originality. She ended up buying a pot of begonias and monk’s heads there, finding them suitable replacements for her damaged aloe. Leaving the store, Amanzi was relieved that the roads cleared considerably, although she wondered if she had stayed too long. The original purpose of the trip had nearly escaped her.

Amanzi pulled into the sandy driveway of the cabin, puzzled by the warped appearance of the ocean’s horizon. A lump of water outlined the normally stagnant, flat coastline. From where Amanzi stood, it was akin to an oceanic speed bump. She got out of the car, beginning to unpack the items she purchased. Amanzi’s father briskly exited the cabin, Olwandle in tow. He was holding three suitcases.

“Amanzi, we’re leaving. Now.” Amanzi noticed that one of the them, a baby blue suitcase still adorned with airline-issued luggage tags, was actually her own.

“What's happening?” She was concerned now, worry creeping into her voice. Amanzi’s father practically threw the suitcases into the trunk, slamming it shut when everything was packed.

“There's no time! Get in,” said her father, grabbing the keys from Amanzi’s outstretched hand. They all piled in, Amanzi occupying the passenger seat. She watched their cabin door as it swayed gently in the soft breeze, the degree of her father’s hurry finally registering.

“Can someone tell me what's happening?" Her father answered by handing Amanzi’s phone to her. Amanzi, even more perplexed than before, took her cellphone. When it woke up, a single message was displayed on the lock screen. Amanzi mentally read it, understanding as well as horror coming to her immediately. The message read like so: “Emergency Alert. Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland. Listen to local news - NWS.” At the same time, almost wryly, Amanzi’s phone lit up with a notification of the college’s rejection letter.