English Summer

While it might be expected to choose the work of a well known or famous artist, the piece I have chosen for this prompt was drawn by a friend. A biro sketch on printer paper made 2 months into knowing him at university, this has been on various walls for the last 11 years. When I asked my friend why he was doing a business course and not art, he quite wisely and honestly replied, “Because I want to eat in the future.”

The rain continued to pound against the rooftop where Jean looked out in dismay. Clouds darker than the night rumbled across the sky, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning as the storm raged on across London. The city streets were flooded beyond recognition, wild rapids that washed away taxis and buses with terrifying ease. One misstep and you'd be out to sea before you knew it. The news had warned people to stay inside or get to higher ground. When the water came rushing into Jean’s apartment he knew staying inside wasn’t an option, and the only higher ground was the roof.

The building shook as a garbage van pushed along by the waves slammed into the side of it. Windows shattered as the van ripped away the side of the apartment block, Jean gripped the roof's ledge for support. There was no way out. He'd watched boats get washed away by the giant waves, rescue helicopters blown out of the sky by powerful winds. All he could do was wait it out and hope for the best.

Above the sound of heavy rain, destruction, and thunder, Jean could hear a low rumble slowly getting louder and louder. Looking to the west his eyes went wide and his jaw fell slack. An enormous wave was coming, rushing down the path of the Thames growing taller and taller by the second. Holding on to the roof's support rail, praying honestly for the first time in his life, Jean closed his eyes.

The sounds that came before now seemed like silence compared to the explosion that came as Tower Bridge was sundered, the Tower of London washing away like a sandcastle.

His eyes shut tight, Jean was helpless as the giant wall of water roared towards him.