100 days. That's all it took to for it to locate me. What was "it", you might ask? I honestly have no clue. All I know is that it's after me.

            For what?

Beats me.

Why?

Ask somebody who knows, ‘cause I sure don't.

            For now, I run. I run for myself and the sake of all mankind because somehow, I feel like our meeting could change the world as we know it. Lord, help me...

--

            San Diego. Sunny, San Diego. With scorching hot summers and mildly cold winters, it was the place to be. Beautiful blue skies and warm rays of sun dressed the buzzing city while beaches were a hot spot to get that ideal, golden tan. People who lived there, never wanted to leave. Those who didn’t live there, wanted to be there. Yet, one person was about to run off from this paradise without a second glance.

            It was a beautiful day for a nice walk in the park or jog along the coast, and that was what she had planned on doing, but the second those tremors hit her, she knew those plans were a no go. The first wave was soft, soft enough to go unnoticed in her slumber, but the next one rocked her core, knocking her out of breath and into a state of panic. She scrambled over to her calendar and counted off the days, starting over several times from the shock waves that hit her.

            100 days. It was happening again. These oh so familiar symptoms are here for their visit. Every 100 days, they come to haunt me. Tease me. Warn me. I must move quick, or else.

--

            "Good morning, neighbour! How can I help you?" Mr. Johnson, her neighbour of 100 days greeted her with a smile. His face scrunched up in confusion as he caught sight of the state she was in. Her lips were chapped, tinted in a sickly blue shade while her fragile body trembled as if she were stuck in the cold Arctic. Despite the blistering heat from the sun, she was wearing sweats, a large cotton sweater, and a jacket. Not the ideal attire for the record high temperatures of the summer. Duffle bags lay by her feet as she bowed to him slightly, an old habit of her childhood. Before he could probe further, she spoke.

            "I don't have much time to explain. Here's the paperwork and here's a letter explaining everything. Go underground. There's going to be an earthquake hitting in the next few days, maybe even hours." Her watch beeped, counting down the hours she had left to get out of the city. She opened to continue, but a series of tremors shook her frame. Catching her breath, she looked up at him. "I must go. Warn the neighbours and remember to get under ground."

            Leaving him dumbfounded and mouth agape, she ran for the waiting taxi and scrambled in.

            “San Diego International Airport, please. And step on it.”

            Another round of vibrations rippled through her body, even stronger than the last.

            It’s moving quickly. Quicker than before. And it’s stronger too.She winced in pain, feeling her organs knotting up at the disturbance of another tremor. Her watched beeped yet again. Dammit, I need to get out of here, fast.

            Arriving at the airport, she stuffed some cash through the driver’s window and raced through the sliding doors.

            “I need a ticket for the next flight out. I don’t care where it’s going or how much it costs. Just get me out of here.”

            “U-Uh, okay, hold on just one second. I have a flight here for—”

            “I’ll take it.”

            “O-okay then. Cash or credit?”

--

            The plane raced down the tarmac, its speed accelerating fast enough to lift the large, metal mass up off the ground and gradually ascend into the clear skies. Its frame groaned, adjusting to the rapidly increasing altitudes, shaking a couple of times from the turbulence. The rearrangement of her organs sent a wave of nausea through her body. Her discomfort increased as another shock wave rippled down her spine. She curled up into her seat and winced at the painful vibrations.

            Even in the air, I can still feel it. What is it eating to make it so damn strong? I should get myself some of that stuff...

            “Good afternoon, passengers. This is the captain speaking. I hope that lift off wasn’t too shaky for you. Anyhow, the forecast shows clear skies for smooth sailing, in our case, flying. So, sit back, relax, grab a few drinks and I’ll see you in 6 hours. Enjoy the flight.”

            Smooth flying...dry...oh, so dry. Ugh, damn these pains. She flinched, waiting for the tremor to subside. They were weakening, a tell tale sign that her escape was successful, for now.

            Why couldn’t the last time be the lasttime? I liked San Diego. I liked the atmosphere, the weather, the people. Now I’m running again. Running from that thing. What is it? I want to find out, but at the same time, I don’t. I’m scared. What if it’s even more dangerous than I imagine it to be? What if it’s a mutant monster? Oh god, please don’t let it be one of those...

            Things grew calm. She felt calm. Her body felt calm. Finally, the tremors were gone. Her body didn’t feel like it was being ripped open, getting split into two like the ground at a fault line. The waves of vibrations stopped crashing through her bones, her flesh. Her internal earthquake finally ceased. But, she knew very well that this wasn’t going to be the last time.

            Maybe...maybe I should make this the last time...No, no, it’s too dangerous. Don’t try to be the hero. Just run. That’s the only way to be safe.

            Despite her self-reassurance, consoling her mind that she was safe if she ran, her body hated it. It despised the fact that she acted weak, always running in fear, never facing what’s after her head on. She knew she was strong, that she could probably hold her own ground if she just manned up and tackled the situation.

            But, I’m not a man. I’m a woman, a weak, pathetic woman. Women like me have to run in order to survive. We can’t try to save the world because in the end, we’ll lose.

--

            “Excuse me. Sorry. My bad,” she muttered apologies at the travellers in the airport, pushing past them in a hurry. Her flight had just landed and she needed to get on another plane. She couldn’t risk staying in one continent with whatever was after her.

            She burst into the flight center, startling the employees at their desks.

            “I need the next flight out. Today. Preferably one out of the country.”

            The workers fumbled with their paperwork and quickly scanned through the lists. Others jumped onto their computers and furiously typed away, skimming over available seats on the listings.

            “I’ve found one! For Paris.”

            “Good. I’ll take it.”

            I’m not going to let you find me, even though it kills me to run away....

So, here's the Chapter 1. Ah, I know this chapter and my foreword are both pretty abstract and ambiguous, but bear with me >_< I don't want to reveal too much and give away my plot. The story will reveal itself with time. Hopefully this interest you? >_<

See you in the next Chapter!

-greenninjapanda GNP-