Warmth

Phone Calls

Smash!

I woke up with a start. Everything was shaking. The window's glass was banging on its hinges. The black ceiling fan atop our bed was swaying back & forth. Our hanged pictures fell to the floor & shattered. It took me a while to process what was going on. I screamed, fisting the sheets searching for my loved one. Our bedside lamps fell on its side, the somber yellow glow going out.

"Brian!" I cried. A whimper escaped my lips, my breath becoming uneven. I sat up on our bed, watching everything. Our stuff rattled around as the ground shook wildly. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Hide under the table or stay put? All I knew was that I needed Brian. Whimpering, I pressed myself against our headboard. The ceiling fan fell right by me with a thud, narrowly missing me. I squealed, recoiling from the heavy contraption. The fan landed on Brian's side of the bed. If Brian had been there, he would already be dead or severely injured, which, I did not need or want. Tears built up in my eyes as I let out a loud wail.

"Brian!" I choked on a sob & shut my eyes. It didn't occur to me then that he wasn't anywhere near me. It was just a habit of mine to call him when I was afraid. He'd wrap me up in those warm arms of his & everything would be okay. Yeah, that's right, I told myself. I cradled the big, fuzzy blanket by my chest. It still covered most of the bed, but I was starting to ball the blanket inside my hands & using it as a stress ball. My knuckles turned white from the hard grip I had. I quivered in fear, wanting nothing more but this earthquake to end.

The shaking felt endless. How long had it been? Five minutes? I was hyperventilating, the panicked voices just outside weren't any help. They sounded as if someone was hurt... & i felt as if I might've joined them. There were cracks on the walls growing bigger & bigger. It seemed like a sinister grin by the way it was curved. It was nearing the ceiling. The ceiling would collapse at any moment, I thought. It frightened me a bit more to be buried under the ceiling. They may never find me in time to save the baby & I. Poor kid wouldn't live to even breathe in some fresh air.

"Brian!!" I called even louder. I was frantic, not knowing what to do. There were no places I could hide under. No tables. Nothing. I screamed, more tears streaming down my cheeks. I didn't want to die yet. Trapped in rubble. I didn't want to die slowly, choking on dust particles. I didn't want to die alone... with only a pre-formed fetus. I wanted to be with Brian living or dead. Most specially now. We had too much ahead of us. I took several ragged breaths as I started counting. That always calmed me down. I knew Brian wasn't coming to save us, so I might as well been strong enough. I tried to conjure up all the courage & strength I knew I had & put it to use. I shut my eyes. Somehow the sticky tears seeped through my tightly shut eyelids. They were already sore from crying & having been shut so tightly. I knew my vision would be cloudy once I opened them. There was a cracking noise & some dust fell on my head. The ceiling was already falling apart around me. I had to get out of there!

I did not move.

I feared that if I opened my eyes, all hell would break loose & my death would be horrifyingly gruesome. I sobbed loudly, calling out his name once more. He wouldn't come save me & I knew it full well that if I stayed here any longer, I'd suffer a traumatic death. Either that or a deeply macabre experience.

Ring... ring... ring...

I sprung off the bed, nearly being hit by a large mass of ceiling. I pulled the now heavy door open & dashed outside. It was most likely a loved one. Who else would call? Death?

The corridor was littered with glass. I felt dizzy & my blurred vision wasn't any help. All I knew was that nearly every hanged picture of Brian & I had fallen & shattered onto the floor. I had to be careful picking my way through. It was easier said than done. I ran through the corridor, despite the fact that the broken glass was everywhere.