r/interestingasfuck • u/Endolithic • Jun 06 '25
Homes are falling into the ocean in North Carolina's Outer Banks /r/all
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66.1k Upvotes
r/interestingasfuck • u/Endolithic • Jun 06 '25
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u/campionmusic51 Jun 06 '25 edited Jun 08 '25
it’s like the beginning of a children’s story. “late one night, when everyone was fast asleep, charlie’s house fell into the sea, and was swept far, far out beyond the shore and into the vast expanse of the ocean blue…”
EDIT: (next part)
charlie woke with a start and sat bolt upright in his bed. the curtains billowed languidly as a cool breeze wafted through the half-open window. at first, he thought his senses were playing tricks on him. “how is it i can feel the motion of the curtains in my body?” he pondered, confused. just then, harold, the family’s somewhat indolent british blue, hopped onto the window sill, looked out, and gave a constricted yelp of such consternation that it made charlie jump half out of his skin. the petrified cat scrabbled for purchase in a frenzied slashing of claws against the slick gloss of the sill, fell clumsily in a sort of awkward sideways roll, thudded heavily onto the floor, and, finally, finding the bedroom carpet a much more faithful medium for feline traction, bolted for the door. “what on earth is going on?” thought charlie, startled. he made a determined effort and gathered himself. pulling the covers back, he swung his feet out of bed, and, with great trepidation, began to make his way to the window. the curtain had blown across so as to temporarily obscure its view, and as it remained suspended for a couple of seconds, charlie braced himself for whatever calamity should meet his unready gaze. then, the curtain fell back: charlie gasped, and clutched at his mouth. “good gracious, harold! we’re at sea!”
EDIT 2: (i don’t know if anyone’s still reading! next part)
harold hadn’t heard him. he was having a very cat-shaped meltdown somewhere out in the rest of the house. meanwhile, charlie was in the midsts of his own panic. he ran to the side facing window to look out of that one. water. he ran out of his bedroom and to the landing window at the rear end of the hallway: water. he crossed into the upstairs study and sprinted to the right-facing window…water. he ran downstairs and opened the front door—good lord! there was the sea. at his doorstep. charlie hurriedly shut the door lest water begin gushing in. he turned round and faced the stairs, out of breath and panting, now ashen with fear. just then, the grandfather clock struck three. the thought flashed reflexively through his mind that he would be told off for being out of bed in the middle of the night, and in thinking it, he suddenly realised—his parents! how had he not thought of them till now? “mummy! daddy!” charlie scrambled upstairs, darted to their bedroom door, burst in and—no one! the bed was still made. empty. “mummy?” he muttered, starting to cry. “daddy?” he fell back against the wall and slumped to the floor. charlie began to weep. he’d never felt so alone. each new sway of the house to the mild rhythm of the sea made him cry harder than the last. but before despair could completely engulf him, he caught sight of a similarly distraught creature under the bed. it was harold. he turned and looked at charlie with the most doleful expression a cat can muster. charlie held out his arms and harold padded over to him. they curled up together in a sort cinnamon roll of sorrow, and fell asleep in a heap on the floor.