You can read minds but it 's too noisy in the city . You move to the mountains to learn what silence was . Then you heard something deep beneath the ground . [ WP ]

She had gone to the mountains to try and find some quiet. The noises and tastes of so many scrambled thoughts back in Denver had finally boiled over yesterday and Erica took the weekend off from her firm to go hike through the woods. Try and be alone for a bit and gather her thoughts. It had been a successful trip until the second day. 
 
 She had chosen a trail she didn ’ t often use and was beginning to hear the echos of other minds in the distance. They were far away so she just tasted distant rumblings, not clear thoughts coming through. But what she did hear worried her. It tasted dark with fear and soil, it was what thoughts felt like when someone feared death. Someone might be lost or trapped and as much as she wanted to be alone, she wouldn ’ t ignore a call for help. 
 
 As she approached the source the feeling of fear intensified. It was a group of people, twenty or thirty all stinking with various shades of fear. Erica ran towards the source. 
 
 She crested a hill and was finally close enough to hear thoughts and realized that she was as close as she could get to them. They must be underground? Straining her senses, she was able to grasp onto a trail of thought. 
 
 * “ It was right not to tell anyone. Right? Breaking the news would have just caused panic. It ’ s better this way. Ignorance is fucking bliss? Oh God, it ’ s coming. Is someone fucking counting down? A meteor is about to wipe out all life and all you want to do is count down from ten? ” * 
 
 Erica ’ s eyes widened and she broke out in a sweat. The stench of fear was pervasive, it filled her every sense. She looked up, hearing the thoughts below scream. 
 
 * “ Fuck, why?! Why?! ” * 
 
 * “ Momma! Momma! ” * 
 
 * “ Three! Two! One! ” * 
 
 The sky exploded above her.
