ALLUSIVE AFTERSHOCK

by Susan Griscom

  My breath caught in my throat as I took in the scene around us.

  I glanced up expecting to see dangling mobiles swaying from the ceiling, only to see blue sky through clouds of gray dust. There was nothing for the mobiles to hang from anymore. The entire roof collapsed, leaving brown and gray grit shrouding everything. Pieces of the ceiling lay over most of my classmates, arms, fingers, and legs peeking out from some of the debris. Guilt swamped me as I recognized a blue sweater worn by one of the girls I’d considered a “Max groupie” sticking out from under a pile of concrete The arm in the sweater seemed lifeless and the girl attached to it was probably dead. Court could just as easily have picked her or anyone of the others to save, but he saved me. In my stunned state, something clicked in my brain and I went to the girl who wore the blue sweater. I placed my fingers on the inside of her wrist, hoping to find some sign of life. I’d never felt for someone’s pulse before, but I knew the instant I touched her that she wouldn’t have one.

  “Mr. Montgomery?” Court shouted, but Mr. Montgomery didn’t answer.

  On the other side of the room Max stood up, shaking his head and I breathed in a huge sigh of relief to see him. Several other students got up and they all tiptoed around and over pieces of drywall, books, backpacks, and bodies. Everyone’s eyes stayed glued to the floor, searching for movement from others who might have survived.

  Max made his way over and grabbed my hand as Court stepped a few feet away, searching and moving debris off someone. Max’s grip on my hand was tight, suddenly very possessive, and he held on as we searched the room. I didn’t think I’d be able to move if he let go ... maybe he knew that. I followed him around the room as if attached to his hip, afraid to move without him. There were so many dead students and most of the ones that lived were bloody and crying.

  I checked myself and glanced at Court. We weren’t hurt at all. Max had a small cut on his forehead but nothing that wouldn’t heal quickly. “Let’s go outside. Maybe we can help out there,” Max said, pulling me out of my stunned state.

  I looked up at what used to be the ceiling, and seeing a small patch of clouds in an otherwise totally blue sky, wanting to say we were already outside. I glanced over at Courtland, who continued searching the room. I wanted to thank him, but Max tugged and before I knew it, my feet followed Max as he guided me away from the crumbled classroom.

  Most of the exterior walls of the school had collapsed, leaving the roof crumbled in piles or leaning at a slant against other debris. Loose brick, shattered glass, and broken window frames lay scattered around the asphalt.

  Like several other kids, we walked around outside like zombies, not really knowing which way to go or what to do. Several minutes later, a shriek came from some place near where the cafeteria was supposed to be and Max let go of my hand, jogging toward the scream. I froze, taking in the devastation around me. Visions of bombed cities in Iraq and the crumbled countries of Haiti and Japan after the destruction from their earthquakes entered my mind. I remembered thinking how horrible it must have been for those people, and I imagined myself along with the entire world watching my town on the news. The idea seemed so surreal; this couldn’t have actually happened here.

  After standing around alone and half dazed for what seemed like an eternity, my heart skipped a beat or two as huge flames billowed from the area where Max had just gone and I found it impossible to make my legs move. A crouched figure to my right caught my eye and I stared motionless as Courtland Reese clutched Shiloh to his chest, his head buried against her fur, gently rocking her back and forth. I couldn’t tell if the dog was dead or not. For Court’s sake, I hoped she was only injured. Shiloh had waited outside in the same spot for him every day since I could remember. Stroking her fur, he looked up at me. Dirt filled-tears streaked down his cheeks as we held each other’s gaze.

  A jerk on my arm jolted my attention and drew me away.

  “Come on, Adela. I nearly got my ass toasted over there when something in the cafeteria exploded. We need to get out of here and go home.” Max tugged, clutching my arm tightly in his hand, pulling me along with him, his grip so tight I couldn’t break loose. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go with him and leave Courtland there, but I didn’t seem to have much control over my own legs or the ability to tell Max to wait. I ran but my eyes remain fixed on Courtland until I could no longer make out his face.

  Chapter 5

  ~~ Courtland ~~

  As I stumbled out of the collapsed building, I stood outside looking for Adela to make sure she was safe. That damned Max tugged her away while I’d been preoccupied searching for survivors. Typical. Just like the freakin’ fourth grade.

  At almost the same time I spotted Adela standing in the middle of the courtyard, my eyes settled on dark fur. Shiloh’s black-brown body lay on its side surrounded by shattered glass. A large shard of glass stuck deep in her neck and blood pooled around her as I rushed to her side. She didn’t move, but stared at me with glassy eyes.

  “Ahhh, Shiloh. I’m so sorry. You’re gonna be okay, girl, hang in there.”

  I stroked her head and then pulled the glass from her neck. I tore off my sweatshirt, pressing it on the wound to stop the flow of blood. Her chest heaved up and down for a few seconds and then stopped. I was too late. Shiloh was gone. I hugged her limp body to my chest, crushing my face in her fur, and wept, rocking her body with mine. Oblivious to all the shouts and screams around me, I held her, breathing in her scent. I wanted to yell, “Why my dog? Why take my dog?” I stopped rocking when I sensed the sympathetic presence close by and looked up. Adela stood no more than ten feet away; our eyes locked.

  The sight of Adela brought a small twinge of ease to my broken heart. She almost hadn’t survived the quake. If I hadn’t pulled her to the wall with me … well, I hated to think what would have happened. The vision of her momentarily lulled me from my grief as I watched her standing stiffly, eyes wide and her hand fisted around her sweater as part of it hung on the ground. She took a step toward me, her mouth open as if she were about to speak when Maxen Wendell grabbed her arm and tugged her along with him—again—shouting that they needed to get home. It was clear she was in shock. Her eyes remained fixated on mine and her body appeared numb as she placed one leg in front of the other, dragging her sweater along in the dirt and swaying her arms like an old rag doll. I wanted to chase after them, to yank her from Max’s grasp and take possession, protect her. Instead, I released a sigh and stared after her.

  At least she was alive.

  Her eyes held mine while Max pulled her toward the parking lot until I could no longer make out her beautiful but frightened face.

  I looked down at Shiloh. I needed to get going, check if anyone needed help, but not one muscle in my body would move. As if frozen, my eyes stayed fixed on my dead best friend.

  ~~ Adela ~~

  Haunted by the vision of Courtland crouched amongst the debris, rocking Shiloh in his arms, and looking up at me with … God … wet teary eyes, my mind somehow just registered that my legs were moving. I needed to catch my breath because my heart broke for him.

  “Max, wait, please.” I tugged back, making him stop.

  I looked around; everything was in ruins. The hillside next to the student parking lot had collapsed into the asphalt, burying several cars, Max’s Tahoe included.

  “Great, just great.” Max ran his hand through his mess of blond curls. “We’re going to have to hoof it.”

  The hillside had also crashed into the Post Office next door to the parking lot, knocking down the back wall and filling the entire building with dirt and muck.

  Max grabbed my arm and pulled me along. We made it the half mile to Scully Road, which was still far from home. My ears resounded with screams and sobs from all around us. It seemed odd how some of the buildings remained standing, while others lay in shambles, some with cars crushed under them. Broken glass lay everywhere. A toppled over electrical pole had crushed a Prius down the center, killing the driver. My
stomach twisted and my head swam in nauseating circles.

  My legs rubbered out and I stopped running again. Max turned toward me. “What’s wrong? We need to go home!” His tone hummed with an irritating urgency. “Don’t you want to get to your mom and dad?”

  “Yes, but …” I leaned over and puked all over his sneakers.

  “Uhhh…” Max groaned, holding his hand over his mouth.

  “Sorry. I need a minute.” Too frightened to be embarrassed and unable to stand any longer, I sat in the middle of the street, one leg bent up. Resting my hands and forehead on my knee, I attempted to compose myself as a disgusting, rank odor like gasoline and burning rubber whizzed by my nose and I hurled again. At least this time I missed Max’s shoes.

  “Jeez.” Max glanced around the area, as though looking for something. “Okay. Stay here a minute. I’ll be right back.” I waved him off, not wanting to look at him in my nauseated state. He headed toward a pile of wreckage, picked up some sort of rag, and brought it to me. “Here, it’s the best I could find.” I took the small piece of cloth and wiped the vomit from my chin and sweater before handing it back to him so he could clean up too. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die when I looked at the goop on his black high-tops.

  An explosion burst through the air and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned toward the noise and stared in horror at the sight of the Arco gas station completely engulfed in flames. The fire immediately spread into a clump of trees between the station and the half-demolished grocery store about six feet from where Max stood.

  “Max!” I screamed and leaped up forgetting about the clenching in my stomach.

  Max hurried back and grabbed my hand again. We ran, hopping over broken brick, concrete, glass, and wood from collapsed buildings, swerving between and around abandoned cars stopped or smashed along the road. Max never let go of my hand. Trees and buildings consumed in flames glowered around us, the heat almost too much to bear. The scent of gas permeated the air along with the muck of smoke and debris. Water spewed up from a broken fire hydrant, knocked it on its side by the delivery truck now perched on top of it and I gasped at the sight of a bloodied man’s head hanging out the window.

  I wanted to be home more than anything now. Did we even have a home? Were my mom and dad okay? The twins? What about Big Blue? I fought back tears, trying to convince myself they were all fine and probably wondering where I was. I squeezed my eyes shut to picture my mom pacing the living room, worrying and telling my dad they needed to find me.

  All of a sudden, we stopped running. I glanced up to see why and gaped with horror at the road in front of us. The broken asphalt had buckled into a pile about twelve feet high, obstructing our way. The crumbled debris from the buildings on both sides blocked the entire area. With the newly formed abyss in front of us and the out-of-control inferno behind us closing in fast, we were trapped.

  “We’re going to have to climb over. Can you make it?” Max yelled.

  “I think so.” I nodded, not sure he could hear me because I couldn’t hear myself—the noise around us drowned out my extremely hoarse voice.

  “Okay, follow me. Try to step where I step. Some of this stuff doesn’t look too sturdy and might collapse under us.”

  Max stepped up onto the pile where it formed a three-foot ledge, and stretched out his hand to me. Grabbing hold, he hoisted me up onto the block. After he released my hand, he continued to climb, slowly and gently tapping his foot and testing each piece of concrete before putting all of his weight onto it. Careful to place my foot exactly where his had been, I followed close behind until we reached the top.

  Max stopped suddenly, almost losing his balance and falling forward.

  “Oh God,” he sighed, bending over, clutching his knees.

  I’d seen a similar expression of defeat in Max once or twice on the soccer field after missing a goal, but this was much worse.

  “What? What’s wrong?” I placed my foot next to his at the top of the ledge and stared down as I realized what made Max recoil—a forty-foot drop about fifteen feet wide.

  Max crouched down, looked at me, and shook his head. “There’s nowhere to go.”

  Chapter 6

  ~~ Courtland ~~

  I finally let go of Shiloh, not wanting to leave her there on the ground, but what could I do? I willed my legs to straighten and stared at the rubble around me. So much damage. Cries and whimpers reverberated through the air from all directions. I glanced around, searching for anybody who needed help. From what I could make out, most of the whimpering came from kids standing around, looking dazed and confused as though they were extras in a D-rated zombie movie. I choked on fragments of dust clouds and stepped over fallen walls, searching for signs of anybody trapped. How could any of this be real?

  I headed toward the library. When I left it earlier, a few girls had been hanging out in there giving Mrs. Snow a hard time about not carrying their favorite paranormal book. With all those unsecured shelves full of heavy hardcover books, I thought it might be a good idea to check to make sure she was okay. Almost every bookshelf had tumbled over. Books lay scattered around the room. One of the books on earthquake preparedness I almost checked out before I decided on another lay open on the floor. I picked it up and shoved the small paperback in my jacket pocket. To my right I noticed a hand moving underneath one of the piles of books. I hurried to it, shoving the mess away to discover Mrs. Snow. Reddish bruises marked her arms and face, her eyes glistened with fear.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  Her entire body shook but she nodded. “You?”

  I helped her up and away from the debris. “I’m okay.” My voice trembled in my throat and I thought for sure I’d lose that burnt chocolate Pop Tart I wolfed down at breakfast. My dad wasn’t big on supplying the house with nutritious food. I supposed I should have been grateful for the fact that we even had Pop Tarts in the cupboard. Too bad the toaster had been set on high now the burnt edges of the pastry threatened to reappear. Squelching the thoughts of breakfast, my mind flashed on my dad and I hoped he was okay.

  Mrs. Snow and I stumbled out of what was left of the school library. The entire area looked like a bomb had gone off. Crumbled walls and ceilings, a ton of glass and brick lay all over the place. I helped her to settle down on the steps of the school entrance. They seemed to be the only thing left that escaped the wrath of the earthquake.

  A faint voice caught my attention and I stopped, realizing it was the sound of muffled shouts.

  “Please, help! Somebody, please help us!”

  I followed the sound of the cries to a pile of debris about eight feet high. This turned out to be the entrance to the school’s basement. Broken brick, large pieces of concrete, and shards of glass completely smothered the door.

  I tugged at the debris, tossing a large piece of drywall to the side. “Hello? Can you hear me?”

  “Yes, yes, we’re here. Help! We have no light and the door is jammed. Can you get to it from where you are?”

  It sounded like Coach Worthington and a couple of other voices I didn’t recognize. “Mr. Worthington? Coach?”

  “Yeah, is that you, Court?”

  “Yeah. How many are down there with you?”

  “Two—Pete Wilkins and Brad Harris. Can you get us out?”

  I looked around the area, swallowing the huge lump in my throat. “I’ll try. There’s a lot of concrete and brick to clear away, might take awhile. Most everyone left or is in shock, so I’m working alone.”

  “Okay. See what you can do.”

  I threw brick after brick over my shoulder. The temperature outside was cool, maybe near seventy degrees, but the sun quickly warmed up the chilly morning air and sweat poured out of me as I worked. I shrugged off my shirt and threw it toward Shiloh where my sweatshirt still lay before clearing the rest of the bricks away. The sight of my dog once again tugged at my heartstrings. My poor sweet Shiloh. I shook off my grief and went back to removing the debris. When I finished, I
stood staring at the large piece of cement still blocking the entrance. It looked like it weighed about the same as a VW bug. I yanked at the heavy slab but couldn’t budge it. Stopping to catch my breath, I searched around on the ground for something to pry it up with and spied a long strip of rebar.

  Perfect.

  I shoved the lower portion of the pole under the cement until only half of the thing stuck out. Sweat dripped into my eyes and I swiped it from my brow with my shirtsleeve. Leaning down and shoving on my makeshift lever, I pushed with all my weight until the cement rose. Taking a step forward, propping the heels of my feet against the side of the building, I pushed the shaft against the cement until my knuckles hit the ground. The block of cement flipped over, freeing the entrance to the basement. I tugged the door open and Coach, Brad and Pete came up the steps, shielding their eyes from the brightness of the sun.

  “Thanks, Court. I didn’t think we’d ever get out of —”

  The coach stopped talking and froze with his hand still above his eyes. “Holy Mother of God.” He slowly turned a complete circle, looking around at the ruins. “Do you know how many survived?”

  “No, sir. I don’t think too many, though. I saw a few come out from the school.” An image of Adela popped into my mind. I should have gotten up and grabbed her away from Max when she was still here. Maxen Wendell spent most of his time making wine. He wouldn’t know how to protect her, not as well as I could. I had to find her.

  “What about the teachers?”

  “I don’t know.” I slowly shook my head. “The only one I’ve seen is Mrs. Snow. I left her over by the library. I mean on the steps—the library’s pretty well demolished. I think she’s in shock. I pulled her out of some rubble and helped her to the steps.”