Trapped.

"A deafening groan echoed through the air, vibrating their teeth as a massive section of the celling broke apart and slammed into the second floor, hitting the ground hard."

The captain's instincts kicked in, and he swiftly stepped back, shielding his family from the falling rubble. But the impact was too powerful, and the floor gave way, crumbling beneath their feet and threatening to swallow them up like a hungry maw.

 They sprinted backwards abandoning their escape route, as they desperately tried to avoid the crumbling floor. A fall from that height would be fatal, and they knew they had to get out of the way fast.

They backed away from the crumbling floor, heading towards the stairs to the third floor, but they didn't go far. A wall of rubble sealed their path, trapping them. With the floor collapsing behind them and closing in, they were stuck with no escape. It was the end.

With their back against the rubble, his wife and daughter squeezed their eyes shut in terror. But the captain braced himself to shield his daughter. He knew that if they fell, he could absorb the impact and give her a chance to survive.

Just us all hope felt lost, the floor suddenly stopped crumbling right before his terrified eyes, coming to a halt about ten meters away from them. His wife and daughter were frozen in terror, bracing for the fall that never came. They stood there, stunned.

"It's okay, open your eyes now", the captain said softly to his wife and daughter. They slowly opened their eyes to see a massive hole gapping before them, stretching from the second floor down to the first floor below. The chasm also blocked their path to the other staircase, cutting off their last hope for a safe escape.

The air was thick with dust, making it hard to see. The captain cautiously stepped forward, peering at the hole. He was hoping to find a way to jump across, but as he got closer and the dust settled, he saw that the gap was too wide; they'd never make it across. It was an impossible leap, even for him. They had no choice but to find another way out.

 Although the captain had managed to save his family by a hair's breadth, the people ahead of them were not so fortunate. They had been crushed to the ground floor, buried beneath the rubble. Their screams of pain and desperate cries for help echoing through the air, a haunting and heartbreaking sound that filled the captain's heart with sorrow and regret. 

 Karen's eyes widened in horror as she took in the devastating scene before her. The air was filled with wails of pain and despair, and she couldn't bear it anymore. She burst into tears, burying her face in her father's shoulder, seeking comfort and solace in his arms. The captain, still shocked, held his daughter tightly, his own heart heavy with grief. He was paralyzed by helplessness, aware of the countless lives lost and the desperate cries for help that surrounded him. But he was unable to do anything to save them and this reality was crushing him.

A faint glimmer of hope appeared as he spotted a narrow path around the edge of the hole. But he hesitated, unsure if it could support their weight. Determined to test its stability, he coughed through the dust as he picked up a nearby stone. He hurled it onto the path, watching anxiously to see if it would hold or collapse under the weight.

The rock hit the path with a loud 'Bam!' The captain held his breath, but his anxiety quickly turned to relief. The path held firm, showing no signs of crumbling or giving way. It was a small but crucial test, and the result gave him the confidence to lead his family across, hoping it would hold their weight just as it had held the rock's.

He led his family to the narrow path, explaining his plans in hushed tones. They listened intently and nodded in agreement. The path was precarious, only wide enough for one person to cross at a time. But it's closeness to the wall meant it could be possible to cross. The catain told his family to wait and observe how he crosses to the other side.

He positions himself on the wall on his left side, his body flattened against it like a gecko. Mimicking the way, a lizard moves along a vertical surface, he slowly and carefully inched his way sideways along the narrow path, his feet making precise, deliberate steps. The wall provided crucial support, allowing him to maintain his balance as he made his way through the treacherous narrow path.

By going first, he wanted to test the path's stability and ensure it could support the weight of his wife and daughter. If he, with his larger frame, could cross safely without the path crumbling, then it would be a good indication that it was safe for his loved ones to follow.

Ten meters away from his anxious family, the captain finally reached solid ground, relief washing over him as the path held firm. He turned to face his loved ones, shouting reassuringly across the chasm, "I'm okay! It's safe! Come on over, one at a time!"

 As planned, his daughter was next to make the precarious crossing. She carefully observed her father's technique and mimicked his movements, pressing her body against the wall as she sidestepped along the narrow path. She managed to make her way across, finally reaching her father's side safely. Now only one person remained: his wife, who braced herself to take the final crossing.

She carefully mimicked her daughter's and husband's movement, pressing herself against the wall as she sidestepped along the narrow path slowly and cautiously. But as she made her way across, she began to feel a sense of unease. The ground beneath her feet seemed to shift slightly, and she heard the faint sound of crumbling concrete. Her husband's voice cut through her growing panic. "Don't look down! Just keep coming!"

But his words only heightened her alarm. She knew something was terribly wrong. Fear threatened to overwhelm her, but her husband's reassuring voice anchored her. "Don't panic, I'm here for you. Just move towards me."

She quickened her pace as she strained to reach solid ground before the path gave way. "Yes, come on!" her husband urged, his voice ringing out across the chasm as she drew closer and closer to safety. But as she was within arm's reach, the ground beneath her began to disintegrate, the crumbling narrow path accelerating its deadly pace, closing in on her with terrifying speed.