After the Earthquake

Part 1

Hazel Anderson gasped in pain as her mother tightened her corset. "Mam, I can't possibly walk down the aisle like this. I'll faint because I won't be able to breathe."

Her mother, June, brushed Hazel's beautifully silky brown hair to the side to tighten the next lace. "I just think it would look prettier if you had it a little tighter! I'll let it out if you really want, but I think we both know that I'm the expert of fashion in this family." At a desperate nod from her daughter, she loosened the silk ties.

Within a few more moments, the dress had been completely tied and Hazel turned to face her mother, smiling. It was beautiful, in the shape of a ball gown, pulled in at the waist and puffed out into a wide skirt beneath. The top half had a beautiful sweetheart neckline with material just beneath her shoulders to keep it stable. This left her neck and shoulders bare, ready for the silver necklace Hazel was going to wear. It had been passed down for generations, and it was now her turn to take it from her mother. In time, she would pass it on to her own child.

As her mother finished the clasp at the back of it, Hazel slid her veil into her hair, which had been neatly done in a low up-do by her hairstylist. Finally, the outfit was finished, and Hazel felt ready to go out and face the people she loved. "Hazel, you're running late." Her younger brother, Dean, poked his head through the door to the room. "You're looking better than usual, at least," he teased. "Jordan won't wait for you forever. He'll move onto the next girl on his list if you wait too long."

Hazel gritted her teeth and resisted hitting her brother. "I know, I know. It's not my fault that the hotel just 'forgot' we had booked two rooms for the morning. They had to clean them quickly – what was I supposed to do? I'm coming in now, anyway."

Hazel hitched up her skirts to run as far as the doors leading into her wedding hall. She then pushed them open and put her arm in her brother's. He would be leading her down the aisle in place of her father, who had died just a few months earlier of a sudden heart attack.

With a deep breath, the two pushed the double doors open together. As the groom, Jordan, caught sight of his lovely bride, his eyes began to tear up. He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to marry this woman, and here she was looking so beautiful. A tear flew down his cheek before he was able to stop it.

Hazel noticed Jordan crying, and she had to take a deep breath to stop herself from crying, and instead focused all her efforts on her beaming smile. It was not hard to bring about a smile when everyone in the room was smiling at her so brightly. She made it to the front of the hall, and her hand was held tightly by her mother as she took one step closer to her soon-to-be-husband.

Jordan leaned forward to whisper something in Hazel's ear, but he lost his balance and fell to the floor suddenly. Hazel gasped in horror as she realised this would never be forgotten about. However, the worry did not plague her mind for long as she realised the cause of her fiancé's fall – the ground began to quake violently underneath her feet.

In their chairs, the guests began to raise a clamour, until everyone suddenly realised what was occurring. "Earthquake!" The horrifying word echoed through the room as everyone dived for shelter. A deafening crack rang through Hazel's ears, and before she made it to a nearby table, the roof crumbled above her head and the last thing she felt was the agonising crush of the roof, all on her. The world turned black.

***

Jordan laid his eyes upon his fiancée and his heart sunk at the image in front of him. The strongest person he had ever known was currently lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, and looked completely and utterly helpless. She had been out for over 24 hours now, but the doctors were confident she would be able to wake up as soon as her recovery began. Jordan knelt down by her side and clasped her fingers around his. Tears began to stream from his eyes before he felt a squeeze.