As expected, Scott was through trying to stubbornly fight against the pain in his ankle about halfway through the day, and Avi and Mitch swapped their cargo- Scott for the bags- to which Mitch complained of getting the short end of the stick. “Would you like to carry the scarecrow?” The older man offered jokingly, to which the other vehemently shook his head and declined.
I would offer, but I’m too short. Launa mused silently, glancing the pair over as Scott was hoisted onto Avi’s back. Hell, Avi’s barely tall enough, and the guy is bent in half.
"How tall are you, Scott?" she asked aloud, almost startling the man in question.
He quirked an eyebrow, a small smile stretching across his face. “I’m 6’3”,” he answered simply, resting his chin on Avi’s shoulder, “What about you, shortstuff?”
She grumbled and resisted the urge to smack Avi in the shoulder for snickering. “5’4”,” she replied, lifting her head proudly, “Short and sturdy.”
Scott waggled his eyebrows at her. “Yeah, I’ll bet.” He wheezed a cough as Avi’s elbow connected with his ribs.
"Oops," he said, mockingly, fluttering his eyelashes innocently, "Sorry about that."
Launa took the opportunity to jab Scott in the stomach. “Ow!,” he cried, “Abuse! Abuse, I tell you!”
"Don’t make me come back there," Esther called over her shoulder, "I will turn this trip around, and don’t think I won’t."
Snickering, Mitch fell into step beside the other three. “What’s going on?” he asked, readjusting the straps of the bags on his shoulders, annoyed as they dragged on his faux-leather jacket.
"Scott’s making fun of my stature," Launa sniffed, faking being hurt.
The two boys shared a grin for a second before Scott shouted, practically into Avi’s ear. “A meter, 98!" The man carrying him cringed and scowled at the pair as they burst into giggles, and, upon seeing the redhead’s confused expression, told her the story of how they’d met a tall British man and asked him how tall he was.
"Needless to say," he sighed, shifting to accomodate Scott’s squirming and flailing, "The measurement didn’t translate correctly."
Esther shouted for them to pipe down, barely containing her laughter as Scott and Mitch continued to banter and snicker to themselves, leaving Avi and Launa to roll their eyes and try not to laugh. For the first time, she realized, she felt at peace with this group. Avi had begun to feel like a second home, and she was starting to feel it in the boys and Esther, too. She smiled to herself, scanning fondly over the group. Yeah. I could do this.
A low, rumbling sound met their ears, trembling the very air around them. “What are you grumbling about, beard man?” Scott asked, poking Avi in the shoulder.
Esther hesitated and turned to face them, frowning deeply as her brother looked around, mimicking her expression. “I’m not.”
The ground beneath them gave a violent heave, nearly throwing the five of them off their feet. Mitch swore aloud as he tipped over against the rolling of the earth, thrown off balance by the weighty packs on his back. “Let’s go!” Esther shouted ahead of them, gesturing away from the mountains they’d been walking near, waiting for the group to start moving.
Launa hauled Mitch to his feet, taking his hand and pulling him alongside Avi and Scott as they sprinted away, Esther joining them as they passed her. The earth gave a nauseating rolling motion, the tectonic plates beneath their feet shaking everything around them. A deafening cracking sound met their ears. Launa and Avi shared a panicked look before glancing around.
A split had started a ways off and was making its way straight for them.
"Run!" She shouted, tugging on Mitch’s hand and running from the crack as Esther herded them in the right direction. Scott clung tight to Avi’s shoulders, blue eyes wide as he watched the crack draw nearer.
"Uh, you should go fuckin’ faster! Mush!”
"I’m trying," Avi shouted back, his hand leaving Scott’s leg to push Esther along as they ran, "Shut up!"
They fled down the highway, chased by the increasing sound of the splitting of the earth’s skin, their boots pounding over the asphalt. The ground gave one last trembling heave, sending them all to the pavement before slowly ceasing. They shared panicked looks, not daring to move or breathe and bracing themselves against the aftershocks that followed.
The movement finally passed, leaving them quaking with adrenaline. “Is-,” Esther started, swallowing against the desert of her mouth, “Is everybody okay?”
"My ass hurts from Avi dropping me," Scott piped up, laughing from the stress as the accused shoved him in the shoulder, tipping him over onto the pavement. Mitch gave Launa a smile, murmuring his thanks as they pried apart their iron grip on each other’s hands.
They briefly checked in with each other, assuring that no one was hurt. Breathing a sigh of relief, Avi pulled Launa into a firm embrace, falling backwards onto the highway and holding her in place. “Dude,” she laughed, “Your sister-“
He shook his head and only wrapped his arms tighter around her. “I so don’t care if she sees,” he mumbled, “I’m just glad you’re alright.” They remained silent for a moment, grinning as Launa returned his hug as best as she could until wolf whistles sounded from the boys.
“Alright, kids,” Esther called, shoving her foot into Avi’s knee, “Keep that shit where I can’t see it. Or hear it. Or anything at all. I don’t want to know anything.”
______
After gathering themselves, again, and recovering from the shakiness the quake had instilled in each of them, they trudged on, quickly making their way down the highway, their ears straining for any aftershocks that might rumble toward them. They turned around the corner of the highway, around a small mountain, and, much to their relief, Cabazon was within sight.
"Almost there," Avi breathed, keeping his voice lowered as he readjusted the unconscious Scott on his back, who had fallen asleep an hour ago. Mitch yawned in response, ending in a high-pitched note. Everyone seemed to be exhausted after the earthquake.
We might not even need to make dinner. We’re probably all going to pass out as soon as we lay down. Launa sighed, hitching a bag further up on her aching shoulder. I know I will, anyway. She caught Esther turning to check over the group out of the corner of her eye, looking just as tired as she felt. It looks like she will, too.
They crept up on Cabazon, thankful for the residential housing on the edge of town. They piled into the first house that would fit the five of them, practically falling through the door. As soon as Scott was free of Avi’s back, he and Mitch sped toward one of the two bedrooms, claiming the bigger one as their own, leaving Esther to wish them a good night and join them, refusing to sleep on the couch.
Launa and Avi bid the three of them a good night and headed for the other room, collapsing onto the mattress as soon as they kicked their boots off, curled around each other with tangled limbs. Sleep claimed them almost instantly, their breath evening out and Avi snoring softly into her hair.
______
Mitch woke first, the next morning, surprising even himself- he was usually the last to wake up. Grumbling quietly, he pushed Scott’s lanky arms off of him, muttering about how everyone would think they’re a couple. The small-framed man wandered out into the living space of the house they’d settled in, stretching his arms upward and bending backward, yawning.
He heaved a quiet sigh, trying to keep silent so as to not disturb the others, and glanced out the window. The sun was still low in the sky- early morning, maybe 8am, he guessed. The others would be waking, soon. With a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, Mitch decided to take the opportunity to spend some time by himself and headed for the front door.
Pulling it open, he stopped short, his mouth falling open. A young man, no older than seventeen was crouching at the end of the walkway leading up to the house. His head snapped up, shocked by Mitch’s presence, and vice versa. Mitch gaped, searching for words.
"Hi, there," the boy greeted cheerfully, "I take it you’re a traveller?"
YOU ARE READING
Natural Disaster
FanfictionThe world was never meant for this. Not this quaking, freezing, splitting apart ruin of earth. And she didn't know why it was happening. All she knew is that she wanted out from under this damn building, and, by Gods, she would take all the help she...
