Letting Go | Bucky Barnes

33 | Wednesday, July 7th

I open my eyes hazily, confusion and fear pumping through me.

There's rubble in front of me. A mixture of cement and rock, rebar and pipes.

What happened.

I lift my head but it cracks against something hard and sharp and I let out a hiss that doesn't reach my ears.

All I can hear is a dull ringing.

I turn my head, seeing there's a large chunk of cement behind me and as I try to peer behind me, it scrapes my cheek painfully. I can't tell how much is around me. All I can see are chunks of cement and rock and rebar and pipes.

I feel more so than hear something explode to my left, and I let out another hiss as the debris shifts and pushes down on me.

Think—what happened?

There was a jet.

I was going to take control of the pilot.

Then I felt a missile coming towards us.

Holy shit.

I wiggle to test how much space I have when a piercing pain lances through my leg. My throat burns as I scream, panting as I squeeze my eyes shut and press my forehead against my left arm that's trapped in front of me.

Okay.

Just breathe.

When the pain subsides some, I reach out around me, trying to figure how bad of a spot I'm in.

Pretty bad.

Don't freak out.

There's at least five feet of debris atop me.

You can do it.

Just start moving stuff slowly.

Breathe.

Don't focus on the pain.

I grab onto some of the chunks further away, shifting them away slowly. Then I stop.

Is anyone else trapped?

I immediately reach out, searching through the surrounding area for anyone stuck. I don't know where anyone is, but I don't think they're trapped.

That's good.

Now get yourself out.

I feel a large beam and shift it slowly, careful not to knock it into anything as I move it as far away as possible. I toss some rock aside, hearing it clunk against another.

Oh, I can hear a little bit.

That's good.

I toss a few more aside when another boom shakes the ground. The debris drops again and another scream rips from my throat at the feeling of my leg being torn open and my body getting crushed further into the ground.

"No, no, no," I gasp, trying to alleviate the pressure on my body. "Get yourself out," I grunt, trying to keep myself calm. "Get yourself out."

Get yourself out.

I move a chunk to my right but more shifts into its place, crushing my arm. I feel my throat begin to burn as my breathing quickens. "Don't," I pant, "freak out. You can do it, you... can do it," I hiss, voice cracking.

Don't freak out.

Breathe.

I shift a few more pieces, but each time, the weight on me gets heavier and heavier. There are corners and edges shearing into my skin, my chest is constricted making it hard to take more than shallow breaths, and every moment my heart beats faster.