She looked up from her labors in the field and told him to slow down. Shifting on one foot, a very agitated Zimri took a deep breath and told her he was missing.....again.

Sighing, she gave a weak, tired smile and told her precious son, "Then we must look for him." The other women in the fields laughed and told her she spoiled her son, something she couldn't deny. Of her children, he was the only one who'd survived so she cherished every moment with him.

Kubaba took her son's hand and headed for the small hills. The kid goat had been running away quite frequently lately. The old woman who often took care of Zimri whispered that the animals knew things were changing. The ground had been trembling since yesterday and the boom from the heavens was getting louder. The elders said the gods were angry but they'd soon set things right. Whoever was right, little Zimri's goat always could be found high above the fields.

The sun was rising in the sky as Kubaba and her son began their climb. The land of their home was mostly flat but there was high ground here and there. Sure enough, they found the goat, bleating and eating grass on the highest hill around.

Slipping the rope over his neck, she turned to begin the walk back to their home. Her brow winkled. The horizon was suddenly brown and the noise was no longer from the heavens and was now louder and continuous. Then the realization hit and she grabbed Zimri and pushed him and the kid even higher.

It was just a matter of minutes before the crashing wall of water engulfed the valley. She closed her eyes and held her son close. She could hear the screams, one sounded so close. It was several minutes before she realized it was her screams she heard over the roar of the rushing water.

The water kept rising all day and through the night. When the dawn broke, they could see what was once their home, their village and their field were gone and in its place was a huge sea so vast they couldn't see to the other side. She walked down to the now calm water side and tasted.

Salty!