Earthquake Survival

• Adam Maurizi, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2016

As I took my first step into the deep, crackling, rough sand, I heard a rumbling noise that got louder by the second. The ground began to tremble and then it hit me, I was alone in an earthquake. It got worse by the second, the palm trees were falling down. ‘Boom!’ ‘Crack’. The land formation was changing rapidly and I was not safe wherever I go. My surroundings were closing down and blocking me as I overflowed with fear. It was getting dark, I had to get out of here and find people who would get me help. I screamed in fear, “I needed help!” I slipped and fell as a tree fell on my leg. “Aaahhhh! It hurts!” The rumbling stopped all of a sudden, I was amazed but in pain. The land was different, I couldn’t make my way back home and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get my leg out from the tree. I looked to the bushes as they were waving. I thought it was a search party, but I thought wrong. It was just a strong breeze that flew past.

Thoughts began to hit my mind. What if I die from starvation? What it my leg isn’t working anymore? I was demoralized. Then I remembered, I always leave a knife in case something bad was going to happen but I knew I didn’t have the guts to cut my leg off so I began to cut the tree. This was taking ages, but I am to far to stop. Overnight the pain was gone and my leg was completely numb. I almost cut through the tree and then I could explore. ‘Sssssip’ I cut through! I got up with only one leg working and I tried to find my way back to town.

2 hours later...

I found a building that was half destroyed and there was blood and bodies scattered around the ground. The land was destroyed, like my heart on the inside. The earthquake had killed almost everyone! I really was lucky to still be alive. It was becoming night and the bright glow of the moon lit the everything up. I heard screaming coming from a building that was collapsed. I looked around and saw a lady stuck under bricks and stones. I attempted to get her out, but it was way to hard. I told her that I would be back in a while and that she should not worry. I looked for the nearest fire station. A flash of light beamed into my face and there was a helicopter hovering above me. A ladder dropped and people came down and asked me if I was okay. I told them about my leg and asked them if they help the lady whose body was stuck in a collapsed building. I guided the people to the building in the helicopter. We eventually found the lady and we were both on our way to getting dropped of to a safe building with other people who had been saved in the earthquake.

I knew that I was finally safe.