Earthquake

• Taylor Grant, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2012

I kneel on the hard, glass covered ground, my heart in my mouth as my family’s injured bodies collapse around me. I can hear my brother, Michael’s shallow breathing. I lay as still as possible, holding my breath. “Please let them be alive.” I whisper to myself, over the background noise of the buildings as they collapse into nothing. The ground underneath me gives another violent shake and rumble and the roof that once was starts to crack. I hold my breath. “This is how I meet my death”, I think to myself. “This is how my life ends, not conquering half as much as I wanted to.” I feel a rough hand grip my upper arm and yank me out of the doorway as the roof collapses burying my family. I fake death as I hear someone panting with the effort of pulling me out of the way.
“Georgia! Georgia, don’t give up on me please. Wake up! Georgia!”
My eyelids flutter open as the face leaning above me comes into sharp focus. Anxious, emerald eyes appear just centimetres from mine. What I really feel like doing is closing my eyes and falling into a deep sleep.
“Georgia! Open your eyes”, the voice commands again. I’m really getting annoyed now. My eyes snap open and the face is in the exact position as two seconds ago. I sit up. Whoops, too fast! A wave of nausea rushes to my head and green eyes is, of course, on his feet to stop me from falling over. I turn around and recognize the face immediately. It was Leon, the muso from homeroom at school. Normally, he would think he was too cool to hang out with me but under the circumstances I will permit it. “Where’s Michael? Where are Mum and Dad? Where’s Andi?” I ask him desperately. “I…………” He trails off. “What?” I urge him, tears running down my cheeks. “The roof collapsed on your parents and Michael before I could get to them but I managed to save Scout and Andi” he explained.
“Where are Scout and Andi?” I ask him tears running thickly. “Andi is in an ambulance and Scout is right here,” he said nodding towards an ambulance where a familiar cry is echoing around the ruined village. He picked up our Labrador, Scout, and pushed her towards me. I cradled her in my arms.
Looking around the disaster zone I see crumpled buildings sprawled across the paths and the red and blue police sirens appearing in sequence across walls. I wonder where Andi, Scout and I are going to go now that our parents are gone but I suppose that will be arranged later. Women are leaning on each other wrapped in blankets as their emotions visibly dominate their cheeks. I am guided to the ambulance where I see the remainder of my life before me. At least I have that life whatever it may hold, I wonder if Leon will be part of it?