Natural Disaster

Prologue

This was not how it was supposed to be. This was not how it was supposed to end. Her life was meant to end either surrounded by people she loved, or in some grand adventure. She was not meant to die in some sort of natural disaster hundreds of miles from home.

The floor of her temporary apartment quavered beneath her feet, and she froze for a moment before diving for the nearest doorframe. She'd grown up with earthquakes. They were a normal occurence back up north, but she had been assured that the area near Colorado was not on a fault line. Someone had lied to her, or this was a cruel trick of fate.

The ground rocked the building, sending her off-balance and scrambling to grip the doorframe. 

Oh Gods, she thought as the structure swayed sickeningly, I'm going to die.

People outside shrieked as buildings began to collapse, her ceiling caving in, chunks falling through the floor above her. I need to get outside. Trying to keep her balance, she gathered what essentials she could get her hands on- medicine, canned goods, a change of clothes- threw them into a bag and sprinted in a wobbily fashion for the door. Please let me get out of this alive.

She made it out into the hallways of her apartment building, slipping and sliding along the slanting floor and she realized that the whole building was coming down.

Move move move!

She sprinted for the door, watching as others quickly made their way out the front entrance.

Almost there, you can make it.

She was halfway through the door when the building came down on her, a a chunk of wall hitting her on the head with enough force to knock her out.

Fuck. This is how it ends.

Her vision swam, her breath and heartbeat loud in her ears.

It was just one more step.

Just one.

Just.

One.

Step.

Black overcame her, and the screams of the people outside faded from her hearing.