Weekly Short-Short Note: 'The Sinking Temple'

"Emergency air raid warning! Emergency air raid warning!"

I was casually enjoying a 'Chef's Special Carbonara' and coffee at a cafe when my smartphone suddenly started blaring.

It wasn't just me. The smartphones of the other customers and the staff all started ringing at once.

"Immediately take shelter in a nearby temple! I repeat. Emergency air raid warning! Immediately to a nearby..."

The news had said a day like this might come soon, but I never thought it would actually happen.
Just in case, I mentally simulate the route to the nearest temple that I had checked before entering the shop.

Alright! It's a five-minute jog from here!

When I stepped outside, it was overflowing with people heading toward the temple. I started to feel a little anxious about whether it could actually hold all these people.

Yes, because temples weren't burned down in the last great war, they serve as underground shelters in times of emergency.

Titled: 'The Sinking Temple (Teravator) Project'

In the end, I couldn't fight the flow of people and it took me ten minutes to reach the temple.

The temple that finally appeared before my eyes

was on fire.

"There's no way aliens would know what a temple is!"

(410 characters)

I am participating in Tarahakani-san's weekly short-short challenge again this week.

The theme is 'The Sinking Temple.' I wrote this starting from the idea that it would be interesting if a temple literally sank underground. After all, they say that in Ghibli films, even castles move.