Leah Mitchell isn't the same shy, poor girl anymore. Now a college student, she is enjoying her life in the city and the freedom she longed for. She works hard and knows her worth. She has it all, but her heart aches for the only person from her pas...
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Alec and I lie on the ground outside our tent, arms covering our heads and our fear-stricken bodies immobile.
It all happened at breakneck speed. First, the barely-there vibration that rattled the cup, but then, as Alec ordered me to leave the tent and we threw ourselves onto the ground outside, the jolts came.
They weren't soft or gentle. The earth shook, and the ground shifted. The noises similar to claps of thunder echoed in the air around us, loud but not loud enough to muffle the screams of the people surprised by the earthquake.
It must have lasted barely a minute, but it felt like an eternity—a scary, hopeless eternity. With each jolt that made my heartbeat slower and my fear deeper, images of the people I loved flashed in front of my eyes. If it were the end, they wouldn't know that I loved them. I would go without saying goodbye to my brother, my parents, and Leah.
I trembled like the earth did, praying to have another shot at it. I wasn't ready to die.
Then, it stopped. Everything stilled, but we didn't move. Alec and I stayed in the same position, waiting for more tremors.
For the last fifteen minutes, we've been lying on the ground, breathing and trying to grapple with the situation.
"Holy shit," Alec mutters as he scrambles to his feet. "Brian, you okay?"
"Yeah." I run my shaky hand across my face and follow Alec's lead, trying to stand up. My legs wobble but I am unscathed, and, fortunately, so is he.
"Come on. Let's see the damage," Alec says. His tone is business-like and seemingly unaffected by the hell we've just been through. I assume it's because he's seen worse.
I trail behind him as he walks to the place where we'd been celebrating. A glance back at our tent tells me what I already suspected— it collapsed.
I spot Diego sitting by Lily's side. His panicked eyes flick over to Alec. It is then when I notice the blood covering Lily's arm.
"Fuck," Alec mutters and rushes to where Lily is. "Open fracture," he states.
Lily nods. She winces, trying not to cry, but she must be in lots of pain.
