Blowing The Top Off

Run! I have to get out of here! Did I get my pills? Oh and Andreas’ puffer. Wait! I still need to get all our documents!

Britney rushed upstairs and nearly tripped on the last step before rummaging through her office to get all her identification and important documents. She quickly glanced through the window, where she could already see the plumes of smoke rising from Mount Baker. A sense of dread fell over her, as she realized her life was quickly transforming into a nightmare.

***

About a week earlier, the residents of Bellingham had little reason to worry as the first snow began to fall gently ushering in the beginning of the holiday season. The backdrop of Mount Baker in the background made Britney and her son Andreas feel closer to nature. Indeed, they had hiked near the mountain several times now, following back roads and hiking trails that led to spectacular creeks and rivers. The image of Mount Baker seemed to come straight out of a postcard, something a tourist in Seattle might buy to send home or keep as a souvenir. They had even gone skiing at the Mount Baker Ski Resort when Andreas was two. Back then Drew and herself were still happily married and had just celebrated the birth of their second child. Unfortunately, as quick as their daughter came, she was taken away, due to complications with her heart. Utterly crushed, Britney would never forget hugging her deceased daughter, kissing her, hoping that she would be brought back to life. Now all she had were the baby pink toque and mittens as reminders, as well as a single photo of the family when Porcha was still alive.

Knocking gently on her son’s room, she was greeted with the sound of what appeared to be a yawn, and a soft grumbling half-sentence: “five more minutes—please.”

“Andreas, breakfast is ready soon, I want you downstairs washed and dressed in fifteen minutes. You hear me young man?”

Her stern ultimatum was met with a mumble and the sound of her son rolling over in his bed. Exactly like his father. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Britney thought.

Drew had never really recovered from the loss of his daughter. Soon after, he fell into the habit of drinking and smoking, much to Britney’s protests. He lost his job, got into fights and eventually was kicked out of the house as Britney could not stand for it anymore. He still visited from time to time, bringing stuffed animals or presents for Andreas.

Britney flipped over the sunny-side up eggs as her sleepy son stumbled down the stairs, stifling yet another yawn. “Morning Mom,” he said before turning on the TV.

He’s done it! Claudio has officially climbed Mount Baker in a solo expedition by himself! He did it in only an hour, shattering the old record of one hour and fourteen minutes!

The TV showcased the beauty of Mount Baker, with the climber Claudio at the summit posing for photographs. The soft white powder snow on the mountain made it look like cotton candy, or the fluff balls you put in your ear. The beauty of the mountain was majestic, and the large behemoth made them feel so small in the world they were living in. The snowcapped trees on its sides and gigantic boulders gave a raw, natural look to the landscape around Mount Baker. The air was pristine, the water crystal clear and the abundant wildlife, for lack of words, was stunning. Even from their small townhome in Bellingham, they couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the mountain, which was dozens of kilometres away. It stood like a silent guardian, dominating both land and sky as part of the vast Cascadia region.

As she laid out the plates of breakfast, Andreas gobbled down the fluffy, yellow scrambled eggs, taking large bites of bacon and sausage then washing it down with gulps of orange juice.

From the outside, their little home seemed warm, inviting, and hospitable, but there were signs that everything was not as great as it seemed. There was a patched hole in the wall where Drew had punched while drunk one night. The patching paint didn’t quite match the wall, making it all the more noticeable. Once in a while they’d find an empty beer can in the back yard, evidence of Drew’s drinking problem.

As Britney collected the empty plates, she asked Andreas if he would like to go snowshoeing on Mount Baker. She had promised to go somewhere special during the winter break and she figured now would be the time to fulfill that promise.

“Can Tanya come with us too?” asked Andreas eagerly. Tanya was their neighbour’s daughter and also Andreas’ best friend.

“I’ll give them a call to see if they’re free today. Meanwhile, I want you to tidy your room up a bit. It looks like a hurricane had gone through there.”

After confirming the time with Tanya’s father, Andreas and herself began preparing for the trip, putting on multiple layers of clothes, a scarf, mittens and heavy socks. Britney carried two sets of snowshoes into the trunk before walking over to Tanya’s dad who was also preparing for the trip.

“Robert, thanks so much for coming with us. That son of mine is inseparable from your daughter. They’re like two peas in a pod, haha.”

“Your right Britney, perhaps one day they might even get married!”

“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Have you gotten your snowshoe gear? We have an extra set if you need one.”

“We’re all good, thanks Britney. See you at the trailhead!” said Robert as he got in the car and drove off.

Britney followed suit and checked with Andreas before starting the car. “You got everything bud?” she asked.

“Ya, Mom, let’s go!” said Andreas, with a hint of unconcealed excitement in his voice.

As they drove closer to the mountain, the world around them seemed pristine, untouched by the pollution one expects from a city. But when they got out of the car and put their snowshoes on, something was amiss. They could feel it, tiny tremors in the ground, barely noticeable but unsettling still. Moreover, there was an unnerving silence on the mountain, with the usual chirping of birds strangely absent.

“Should we keep going? I don’t like the tremors underfoot. Something’s wrong Robert,” said Britney as she looked over to Andreas and Tanya throwing snowballs at each other.

“I think you’re right, better safe than sorry. Hey Tanya, let’s had back down the mountain, we’re going home.”

“Aw, Dad! We just got here!” complained Tanya

“Sorry dear, we’ll come again next time.”

“See you later Drea!” said Tanya as she waved to Andreas.

“Mom, what’s going on? Why are we leaving?” asked Andreas as he put away his snowshoes.

“There’s something wrong with the mountain dear. It shouldn’t be shaking like that,” explained Britney.

Andreas looked over as a clump of snow dropped off a pine tree, like a miniature avalanche falling. A couple seconds later, another clump fell.

“You got your puffer on you?” asked Britney as they strapped on their seat belts.

“Yeah Mom, got it right here,” said Andreas.

Britney made a U-turn in the parking lot and exited to the main road before turning on the radio to hear of any news on what was happening to Mount Baker.

Scientists have confirmed that over a hundred mini-earthquakes have occurred around Mount Baker in the last twenty-four hours. Some are suggesting that the government should evacuate the area in preparation of what might be a volcanic eruption event. Mount Baker is a large stratovolcano, and is considered active by experts in the field. The last volcano to erupt in the area was Mount Saint Helens, which caused massive damage and loss of life.

Britney looked in the rear-view mirror, half-expecting to see the mountain behind them burst it’s top and spew hundreds of tons of smoke into the sky. She could only imagine fleeing the pyroclastic flows, trying to avoid being buried alive in scalding hot volcanic steam, ash and rock. She wondered if their home in Bellingham was safe, only a couple dozen kilometers away from Mount Baker.

Thankfully, they arrived home safe and sound, under a bright sunny afternoon that did nothing to suggest a major catastrophe was about to unravel. They immediately turned on the news to see if evacuations had been ordered yet, but none had been given yet.

“Andreas, I need you to get your suitcase and pack as much clothes and things as you can. We’re leaving for Seattle as soon as possible,” said Britney quietly.

“But Mom, I don’t want to leave,” complained Andreas.

“I promise we’ll be back as soon as it’s safe Dear, alright? Now pack what you can, and we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

That night, Britney couldn’t sleep, checking her phone for the umpteenth time to see if any evacuations had been ordered. She stared at the ceiling, wondering if her house would still be standing if Mount Baker erupted. She had called Robert earlier to see if they wanted to stick together in the evacuation and he and his wife agreed it would be good to stay as a group. The digital clock seemed to take forever to pass a single minute, as midnight turned into early morning. Having finally dozed off in exhaustion, Britney was crudely awaken by a loud buzzing alarm on her phone.

Evacuation Alert! Evacuation Alert! All citizens of Bellingham and surrounding area are advised to leave the area! Once again this is an Evacuation Alert!

Bursting into Andreas’ room, she quickly grabbed him by the arm and told him to get his suitcase downstairs. She quickly packed all their medications and legal documents before heading to the kitchen to grab whatever food was nonperishable and easy to carry. Double checking to make sure they had everything, she made a last-minute decision and grabbed a map before bringing everything to the garage to load up their SUV. The drive to Seattle would take normally thirty to forty minutes, but given the traffic from everyone leaving at once, she could only guess as to how long the drive would be. She looked out the driver-side window to see the colossal giant mountain erupting, like a soda bottle shaken and with its top blown off from the pressure. Only, this wasn’t soda flowing out, it was boiling hot ash, toxic fumes and corrosive dust, all quicky moving towards them like a monster about to swallow its prey. Yes, this was no nightmare, it was real. The danger was real. The fear was real and the dread was unescapable.

The End