Earthquake

So public transport in Japan has always been advanced, and as a tourist, using it is a blessing. Therefore, it came as no surprise when my mum suggested we ride the train to the next city. The journey would only take a few hours but Rebecca insisted on unpacking all things she could possible need for the rest of her life from her suitcase before she would let us go to the buffet car.  

This meant I was staring longingly at the chicken and bacon sandwich cradled in a brown bag when the train started to rattle and groan as it shook violently on the tracks. The motion threw me into the wall and I ended up in a heap on the floor, the remains of my sandwich scattered around my head. Winded and trying not to cry I became aware of the devastation. I could hear screams and cries of pain all around me but, due to the awkward position I had landed in, I couldn't lift my head. I tried to see if I recognised any of the voices but I couldn't concentrate, let alone remember what my sister's scream was like. It was like every bone in my body was being clattered out of their sockets. As if I was driving along the bumpiest road in the world in a car with no suspension then being chucked in a tumble dryer on full speed.

In my peripheral vision, I watched as the overhead lockers popped open and luggage came crashing down. One man got thumped on the head by a suitcase as he tried to make his way down the carriage to his wife and kids. I yelped as he crumpled and made no attempt to get back up. Some of the baggage hit the seats and snapped open, spurting clothes and personal possessions everywhere. Toothbrushes and jewellery went flying and I ducked my head under the seats to avoid a airborne guide book which narrowly missed my left ear. Items which were once in pockets or on seat tables were raining down on to the floor, iPods, phones, books and newspapers all pelted the ground and got pushed under seats by the never ending vibrations. I wondered where mum and Bex were and if they were safe, if we were safe, but there was nothing I could do. I was trapped, wedged under a seat with my feet hanging into the aisle. I was jostled and shaken for what must have only been 5 minutes but felt like hours and when it finally stopped I was still unable to move.

I lay there for a minute, catching my breath and making sure it wasn't going to start again, I was terrified and I wondered if I shouldn't just stay still and wait for help. But I had to find mum and Rebecca, for all I knew they were in a worse state than I was. Wrenching my shoulder out from under the seat, I groaned in pain as I realised it must be dislocated or something, I got a similar injury falling out of the oak tree in our back garden. But I was used to pain, I'm a naturally clumsy and adventurous person-not a good mix- and I have fallen out of trees more times than I can count.

As I stood up, rubbing my shoulder, I realised the carriage was a mess, bags tipped everywhere, an assortment of objects scattered, broken on the floor and people lying in freakishly unnatural positions. I was one of the few people who had managed to stand up and realised I had got off lightly with my shoulder. The man nearest me was the one who had got knocked out by the suitcase and he was lying in the middle of the aisle with blood dripping from his head. I guessed he must have hit the edge of the seat as he fell. I looked around again and noticed a woman clutching her leg in pain and a man whose arm was sticking out at a weird angle. The crying and groaning hadn't stopped, if anything it had crescendoed because people were starting to realise the extent of their injuries.

Mum was a doctor, she would know what to do, well as long as she wasn't injured too or maybe even... No, don't think like that, I told myself, you have to keep positive. I started searching for mum and Rebecca, calling their names and standing precariously on the seat to get a better view. As we had been on our way back from the buffet car when the rumbling had started, we hadn't been in our seats. They could be anywhere. I started shouting for them hoping I would get some kind of response but I couldn't distinguish a reply from the background noise.

Then I heard a faint, fragile voice calling my name, it was strained and you could tell the person was in pain. Urgently, I stumbled over the debris towards the sound, urging the person to keep talking. When I got closer I realised it was my mum, trapped under a huge suitcase that was fashionably accessorised with metal, pointed studs. They had scraped down my mum's arms and front as it had landed on her leaving her with blood streaked down her top and cuts all down her torso.

I was paralysed at the sight of her in so much pain and it took me a few precious moments to recover. I then realised we needed to get the bag off her and looked around for help, a tall Japanese man was helping a lady further down the carriage and I called out in the desperate hope he would speak English. Luckily, he responded to my shout for help and I sighed in relief as he turned and made his way down the train.

As he came closer, I realised that he had sustained his own injuries. He walked with a limp, to avoid putting weight on his right ankle, which he had presumably broken or strained as he crashed into a seat at an awkward angle. Nevertheless, he was able to heave the large suitcase off my mother and place it out of the way.

As soon as the path was clear I set about tending to her wounds. Each cut was long but luckily not deep, I pulled of my jumper and tied it tightly around her stomach, the area with the most damage, to stem the bleeding.

"Darcey?" My mum whispered. 

"Hey mum. You're gonna be alright," I replied gently. 

"Yeah...What happened? Where's Rebecca?"

I realised with horror that I hadn't even looked for my sister. I immediately stood up and ran to the nearest seat. Sticking my foot in the gap under the armrest I hauled myself up and grabbed the overhead luggage rack. From this birdseye view I recognised my sister's conversed feet sticking out around halfway down the carriage. I leaped down and sprinted over, using my basic first aid to assess her injuries. I let out a breath I didn't even realise I was holding as I decided Bex was just unconscious and quickly put her in the recovery position. Even as I was doing so her eyes fluttered open and she let out a low groan. 

"Bex, are you okay?" 

Again she groaned then mumbled, "I'm good but I've got a massive headache." 

"You've got concussion, just sit still and don't fall asleep."

"Did it look like I was going to?" She asked sarcastically.