Newport, OR: May 19, 3:03 p.m.

               The ground shuddered beneath the surface, a low, rumbling vibration like the distant growl of a train moving away. The few who noticed the disturbance hesitated, waiting for the movement to end. Then, as abruptly as it had started, the shaking stopped, leaving an unsettling calm behind.

Scattered over Newport, squirrels paused mid-scurry, tiny paws frozen on branches. Birds sat motionless on swaying limbs, feathers puffed, eyes wide, still as statues in the unsettled calm. On the cliffs near the coast, hikers exchanged quick, nervous glances, waiting to see if the tremor would be a prelude to something worse.

     Just a stone’s throw from Yaquina Bay sat the Oregon Coast Sea Sanctuary, overlooking the bay waters and the graceful arch of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. On the wet deck, part of the upper floor, Linda Jarvis and Rick Demotte suited up in their diving gear, preparing for their daily maintenance routine. Beneath them, the shark tunnel—affectionately called “Shark Alley” by locals—was calm, the water clear, and the creatures within it gliding like shadows beneath the surface.

Linda peered into the tank, her blue eyes following the dark silhouettes of sharks as they swam, their sleek bodies slicing through the water with effortless elegance. The slim marine biologist made a note to check the coral on the right side of the tank later. She liked to keep the vibrant colors in sharp contrast to the muted tones of the sharks. She also closely monitored the many types of feathery seaweed planted throughout the chamber, ensuring they were healthy and thriving in the controlled environment.

Rick gathered tools—microfiber cloths, algae scrapers, and plastic spatulas—to clean the tunnel’s curved acrylic walls. He moved with the confidence of a man who has done this hundreds of times, checking his equipment as Linda visually examined the coral. They exchanged a few casual words, their conversation light and easy.

Neither Linda nor Rick felt the first tremor. When the ground shifted again, dust motes danced in the light of the overhead LEDs. Linda laughed at one of Rick’s jokes, her fingers pulling her blonde hair back into a ponytail, her focus still on the task at hand. The room felt warm, the hum of the aquarium’s systems steady, and she was unaware of the subtle tightening of the space around them.

A third tremor, barely perceptible, rippled through the wooden beams of the aquarium, the faintest groan of the structure joining the sound of the water as it shifted. The framed pictures in the halls rattled gently, their glass surfaces catching light in the reflections.

Inside the tank, the fish were on alert.

The catfish and rays darted through the water with a sudden urgency. Sleek bodies cut through the currents fast, the bubbles rising in quick bursts behind them. The sharks, always so calm, glided restlessly. Their large bodies twisted and turned as they swam in erratic patterns.

There was tension in their movements, a kind of anxiety that flowed through the tank. Their bodies were tight and alert. They could sense even the slightest shifts in the water, even the tiny tremors caused by the foreshocks of an impending submarine earthquake. Each subtle oscillation made them dart and weave, an instinctive response to their growing unease.

Outside, leaves fluttered as if stirred by an unseen hand, and a small dog barked once, confused by the sudden shift. The distant hills to the south settled uneasily as cracks appeared in the earth, unnoticed by any except the few hikers out for the day. The forest fell silent, a heavy stillness settling over the landscape.

***

Miranda Smart and her younger sister Melinda had hiked these hills for years. The two girls, healthy outdoor types with long, russet brown braids down their backs and slender forms hoisting sizable backpacks, had noticed the tremors but dismissed any concern because they were so faint.

As they climbed along the winding trail in the cliffs off the Oregon coast, the scent of salt and pine rode the breeze, mingling with the earthy aroma of damp soil. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the path. Miranda paused to admire the breathtaking view of the rugged coastline, watching the waves crashing against the walls thirty feet below.

“Hey, Miranda. . .” Mel’s voice trailed off.

“Hmm?” Miranda was barely listening, hand over her brown eyes as she studied the sun glinting off the water. It was beautiful.

“Look at the ground off the trail. It looks like something smashed it. It’s all broken.”

Reluctantly, Miranda turned her back on the view, her boots scuffing the path underneath her feet. “What are you talking about…” her voice died off as her eyes widened in confusion. As far as she could see right and left, the ground running along the trail was cracking, chunks of soil and rocks splitting right before her eyes.

***

Inside the Sea Sanctuary, Linda and Rick had slipped into the water, swimming down to the bottom of the tank. The tunnel, encased in thick acrylic, rose below them in an underwater world, surrounded by the shimmering blue of the ocean.

Above them, the surface rolled, tiny waves spilling over the deck, reflecting another disturbance. Agitated leopard sharks and rays shot back and forth, skimming off the walls and around again.

Finally, the marine biologists noticed their behavior. Puzzled, they watched the fish react.

***

Miranda squatted, trying to figure out what was going on. The wind whipped through her hair, carrying the salty suggestion of the sea.

Mel shook her hands anxiously. “Maybe we should head back down the trail?”

Without warning, a violent shudder jolted through the earth. The trail beneath them buckled, rocks tumbled, and a deep crack appeared, splitting the path in a jagged line. They each took a quick step back toward the ocean. Miranda’s heart raced as she watched in horror. The cracks exploded into wide fissures, dust choking them.

Melinda gripped her arm with a squeak of fear, and they clung to each other, confused, as the ground beneath their feet vibrated. Suddenly, a sharp snap split the air, as an irregular crevice snaked its way through the earth, widening with alarming speed. Small stones burst from the gap as pops of breaking rock echoed all around them.

The cliff shuddered violently. The crevice grew larger, splitting the ground apart in a three-foot gap. It ran the length of the path, as far as they could see in either direction. The girls fell backward, scrambling to get away. Too late, Miranda realized they had nowhere to go. The edge of the precipice blocked their retreat.

Panic set in as she grasped what was happening. “It’s a landslide! The cliff is shearing off,” she yelled as she struggled to maintain her footing. “We have to get off of here!”

She tried to gauge the width of the fracture in front of them but quickly recognized they couldn’t jump it. She pushed Melinda to the left, hoping they could outrun the slide.

Before they took three steps, the earth convulsed with the largest jolt. A deafening roar burst out as two thousand feet of the cliff sheared off, breaking free from the land.

In a heart-stopping instant, Miranda felt the solid rock giving way, and she was tumbling toward the tremor-fueled waves below. Melinda screamed, but it was too late. The force of the collapse sent them plunging into the churning ocean, swallowed by the chaos of water and rock.

The cliff’s remnants crashed into the depths. A towering spray erupted, momentarily veiling the face of the newly revealed bluff.

***

Linda scanned the tank, alert to trouble. On either side, vibrant schools of fish flashed by, their scales glinting like jewels against the backdrop of the deep blue walls. Colorful corals and rocky outcrops lined the bottom, providing a habitat for various marine creatures. While she watched, the coral trembled around her.

She turned toward Rick, surprised to see he was swimming toward her. He reached her in a second and, grasping her arm, pulled her up, his movements urgent. They broke the surface and swam to the deck, climbing out fast. A pack of spiny dogfish sharks, irritated and aggressive, were on their heels. They swerved just as Rick pulled his fins from the water.

“What’s going on?” she panted.

Before he could answer, the ground beneath them trembled. A low rumble escalated into a strong shake that rattled the structure, the deck creaking as the tank water sloshed up and over them. They tried to stand, realizing that this was no ordinary occurrence. Waves roiled and swirled, sending swells that sped across the surface.

“Earthquake!” he shouted.

As the quake intensified, a shudder swept through the aquarium, and the sound of crashing water grew louder. Screams rang through the building, thumps echoing up the halls. The biologists gripped the railing, eyes wide, watching as the sharks within the tank swam erratically, confused by the surrounding commotion.

LED lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows as equipment rattled. Waves rolled over the deck, and vibrations kicked up through the floor. The platform rocked, and suddenly, Rick wondered if it would hold. Massive tremors slammed through the building, knocking them both to their knees.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the quake peaked, a continuous juddering that snapped their necks, flinging them against the railing and holding them there while the tank water poured over them. Then it stopped.

For a few minutes, neither moved. Linda helped a dazed Rick to his feet. The goose egg on his forehead was hot and red, but a gash down the side of his face was bleeding freely. She wiped at it with the sleeve of her wetsuit. Helping the biologist to a chair, she unclipped and slid his arms out of the BCD, stopping quickly to do the same for herself. She left the equipment at their feet while she worked on Rick.

Suddenly, the afternoon filled with a shriek as tsunami sirens blared through Newport, a chilling warning echoing off the cliffs. Panic surged through the streets as those who were able raced to higher ground, eyes darting toward the ocean, where an ominous darkness swelled. The muffled screech pierced the walls of the Sea Sanctuary.

Then, from the horizon, a colossal curtain of water—sixty feet tall—rose, a monstrous wave cascading toward the shore with terrifying speed. Its surface glistened in the light, a blend of deep blues and frothy whites, reflecting the sun as it grew. The ocean roared, a deep, rumbling growl that drowned out all other sounds.

In the Sea Sanctuary, the lights flickered as staff scrambled to evacuate the guests up the stairs, the urgency palpable. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Linda tried to pull Rick up, but he was semi-conscious, and his dead weight was more than she could handle. With no idea how close or tall the wave was, she did the only thing she could think of.

She pulled Rick to the floor and wrestled him back into his BCD jacket. Pulling on his goggles, careful of the gash, she lightly smacked his face, trying to wake him up.

“Rick, there’s a tsunami coming. We have to stay in our equipment.” She pushed his regulator into his mouth, then snatched up her BCD.

He lifted a hand blearily, and she hoped he understood. She was pulling on her goggles when the wave crashed over the aquarium, engulfing it in a torrent of water. Seawater gushed through doors and windows, pouring in like a king tide. The pressure built rapidly, cracking several tanks and shattering walls as the building struggled against the deluge.

 The aquarium had hundreds of tanks of all sizes. Some of the acrylic fronts held, even the huge plates that made up Shark Alley. But water surged inside each habitat, flooding the exhibits and sweeping the marine life into the maelstrom. Thousands of fish swirled helplessly in the currents, the only color in the dark, tumultuous water.

As saltwater exploded up through the hall and onto the deck, Linda, sitting and bracing herself against the rail, hung onto Rick and the railing, her eyes wide with terror and her fingers white. The overhead lights flickered once and then went out, plunging them into darkness. None of the emergency lighting winked on.

The massive pressure of the onslaught anchored them both against the metal rails, and she gripped the regulator tight with her teeth, hoping Rick was doing the same. She couldn’t see anything but foam and bubbles as the water rushed past.

Abruptly, she felt the railing shift beneath her grip. A sense of dread shot through her as the metal fence gave, the bolts popping free against the force of the surging waves. Panic strafed her body, and she realized the railing was detaching from the deck floor.

The railing gave a final, desperate spasm, and suddenly, they were no longer tethered. The water swept them off the deck and into the tank, dragging them into a washing machine effect as the giant tank swirled with the force of the tsunami.

Linda lost her hold on Rick, and he spun away. Crashing against the acrylic tunnel, she glimpsed water surging through the lighted passageway, usually filled with happy tourists. Something that felt like a rip current pulled her in another direction. Grimly she sucked a puff from the regulator, grinding her teeth into the plastic and rubber piece.

The desperate marine biologist pressed one hand against her goggles, and the other held out to keep her from bouncing off coral and rocks in the display. A shape whipped by, and she realized it was one of the leopard sharks. Then she remembered the gash on Rick’s head. One of the aquarium’s strictest rules was staying out of the tanks if you had a wound.

Froth surrounded her as the water seemed to boil. Terrified for Rick, she started searching, bumping a ray and smaller fish as she tried to feel her way around. The lights in Shark Alley failed, and now she swam in total darkness. Finally, she found a wall. Sliding her hands along the slippery sides, she eventually came to the emergency box she knew was there.

The current slowed as she worked on unclipping the door, and the water settled a bit. She was no longer fighting the flow. The door swung open, and she felt inside until she located a flashlight. She swept the tank with the torch and found Rick on the bottom against the coral. A dogfish shark, small and quick, passed over him.

She swam down, reaching him in seconds, and pulled him around. The regulator was in his mouth. He lay still in her arms, and with limited options, she gave him a shake. The flashlight illuminated his white face, and she pulled him close, trying to see his eyes. After a few breaths, he moved slightly. Relieved, she relaxed her hold. His brown eyes opened behind the goggles, blinking slowly. When he saw her, he tried to sit up, raising his fist in a thumbs-up. At least he had his wits about him.

Linda patted his shoulder, giving him a minute to orient. She hoped he didn’t have a concussion. But she was worried another tsunami wave would come through, and she hadn’t forgotten about the sharks. Rick’s wound wasn’t bleeding as far as she could see, but it looked raw. A glance told her they didn’t have oxygen to waste. Already, the gauge was under the halfway point.

Slipping herself under his arm, she swam up, pulling them both. The deck area was still flooded. She rose to the ceiling, stopping before they bumped. She hated the thought of trying to swim out of the building but couldn’t see any other option.

   With one hand pointing the flashlight and the other dug tightly into Rick’s collar, she moved across the deck and into the hall. Something bumped her, moving fast, and a leopard shark passed. Grateful the big fish didn’t care about her, she kept swimming.

 With only the beam of her flashlight cutting through the murky darkness, she navigated the flooded halls of the sanctuary. The water was icy, pressing against her wetsuit. She shivered, gliding silently through the remains. Shadows quivered along the walls, illuminating sights of destruction.

The glow revealed shattered tanks empty and bare, with acrylic shards strewn like fallen stars across the floor. Sadness clutched her chest as she swept the light across the ruins. Heartbreaking glimpses of twisted corals, piled on the floor in deformed piles made her want to cry. Their vibrant colors were now dulled under layers of silt and trash.

In the distance, she heard the faint sound of water moving, a reminder of the power that just surged through the building. The back exit leading into the outdoor exhibits was closest. She steered to what was once the aquarium’s centerpiece—Shark Alley—its acrylic walls dim and muddy as she swam hard for the doors. Fish shot in and out of the shadows, their scales glinting briefly in the flashlight's beam.

A soft thud broke the quiet as rubble shifted, and then the muted splashes of struggling creatures caught her ears. The light revealed more devastation: overturned benches, smashed displays, and the remnants of educational exhibits now submerged. A lone sea turtle, disoriented but determined, navigated the building's halls. And then, as she crossed into the back lobby, she saw the sight she had been dreading.

Human bodies floated together in the murk. The tsunami caught her colleagues and tourists climbing the steps, their eyes wide open and terror etched on their faces, as it tore the back doors from their hinges and poured in. She didn’t want to move forward and couldn’t stay where she was. Choking back a sob, she thrust herself forward, dragging Rick with her, ignoring the bodies that bumped her.

Rising through the gap left by the missing double doors, she ascended higher than the building, at least thirty feet. She broke the surface with a gasp, almost immediately pulled by a rogue current toward the bay. She floundered and then pulled Rick’s head up. He finally seemed to wake, sweeping his arms out to steady himself. They huddled together, trying to see through their goggles. There was no sign of the Sea Sanctuary above the waves.

She struggled, disoriented by the lack of familiar buildings, signs, and streets, until she caught sight of the Yaquina Bay Bridge still standing. Then, realizing the sun was at her back, she turned west. Her blood went cold.

A massive wall of water was rising in the distance, towering higher and higher—another wave. Her ears roared as her pulse raced.

“Rick!” She caught his shoulder and pointed. With a glance at her oxygen gauge, her hope faded. They clung together, respirators in their mouths, as the water crashed down and the swirling currents caught them.

Everything went dark until there was nothing.