Morning Wave
It was still morning when it all happened. Buried in her pillows, Trina thought maybe the cat had merely jumped on the bed. The fifteen-pound tabby had a way of making the bed move like a plate of Jell-o.
“Gerroff, Mumkihn” she muttered. The cat sat up, suddenly alert. He had been quite asleep on her chest. Now, he jumped, and the force of his hind legs brought her to her senses.
“Mom! Dad! Sis?” muffled cries came from down the hall, followed by running footsteps.
“Mommy? Daddy?” the door opened. Trina’s sister, Lissa, burst through, eyes wide with terror. “Tri? What’s happening?”
The bed shook again, and Trina, still groggy, sat up and gazed to the window.
Earthquake? She thought.
The windows began to rattle. The ceiling fan, which normally made slow revolutions to circulate the air was swaying from side to side in a jerking fashion.
Earthquake.
“Ahh! I’m scared!” Lissa yelled.
Trina was now wide awake. Where were Mom and Dad? Not here, she recalled. They had said something the night before about a morning tournament downtown. As Trina’s brain tried to work through the fuzziness of sleep, it dawned on her that it was just the two of them.
“Earthquake!” Trina said. The walls began to groan, and the floor vibrated. “Definitely a quake. Come close, Lis!”
“I’m scared, Tri!” Lissa jumped on Trina’s bed as if she was terrified that the floor would fall away beneath her. Trina pulled her into a bear hug, and moved toward the center of the bed, while the earth below them, the walls and windows next to them, and the ceiling above rolled from side to side with the tectonic vibrations.
As the waves moved, power went out. The fans stopped, and the battery back up systems chirped violently. The absence of the warm white noise normally present throughout the house made the sounds of the quake deafening.
“What’s that?” Lissa asked. Beyond the sounds of the battery chirps, she could hear what sounded like a high C pulsing back and forth through the floor and walls. The rattling windows kept time, but began to slow like an unreliable metronome. As the C pulsed louder, Trina’s gaze strayed to the windows. Branches swayed gently.
“The Earth is singing, that’s all. ‘Sokay Lissa, she’s just singing. The quake is almost over.” As Trina spoke, the waves began to subside.
From the batteries, there was a click, and a final chirp. The fans began to hum its gentle low drone, the blades began to revolve in a lazy clockwise movement. With each revolution, Trina breathed. By the third revolution, Lissa began to take in air, and exhale. At first, Lissa’s breathing was ragged, but she began to relax as Trina’s breaths continued to flow steadily.
After about a minute of silence, Trina’s phone chirped.
“Bet that’s Mom and Dad,” Trina said.
“Where are they? I was so scared, and I thought I was alone,” Lissa said with a hint of panic.
Trina reached for her phone, and glanced at the screen.
The screen read: Earthquake. 5.3! Did you feel it? Downtown’s a mess. No one knows how to drive in a quake, lolol. We’re fine. Check in, pls?
Trina sighed, and showed the text to Lissa. “Tournament downtown. They’re fine. You gonna be okay?”
“No, I’m scared. Text them back and tell them.”
Trina nodded.
We r fine. Shaken, but ok. Lost power briefly. Lissa’s pissed that you left w/o saying bye. Goin 2 get coffee.
“I’m hungry,” Trina said. “Let’s go get some grub. I don’t feel like stayin’ inside anyway. Not after that quake.”
“Okay, just don’t leave me alone right now. Oh hi, Pumpkin!” The plump tabby jumped on the bed. He meowed to show his displeasure at the series of events. Trina hastily pet him, then rose from the bed to grab her jeans off the floor.
Not gonna bother with a shower til I get caffeine, she thought.
“Tri?” Lissa nodded toward the window. “Maybe we should open the window? You know, in case there’s an aftershock while we’re gone? It’ll give Pumpkin some air.”
“Honestly, that’s what the fan is for.” Trina sighed with exasperation. Pumpkin stretched and gave a little mew as if asking for Trina to reconsider. Trina glanced at the cat and caved.
“Okay, fine!” Trina he reached over and opened the window just a little. Pumpkin stretched and went to sit next on the sill. Trina could swear he was smiling.
“Gerroff, Mumkihn” she muttered. The cat sat up, suddenly alert. He had been quite asleep on her chest. Now, he jumped, and the force of his hind legs brought her to her senses.
“Mom! Dad! Sis?” muffled cries came from down the hall, followed by running footsteps.
“Mommy? Daddy?” the door opened. Trina’s sister, Lissa, burst through, eyes wide with terror. “Tri? What’s happening?”
The bed shook again, and Trina, still groggy, sat up and gazed to the window.
Earthquake? She thought.
The windows began to rattle. The ceiling fan, which normally made slow revolutions to circulate the air was swaying from side to side in a jerking fashion.
Earthquake.
“Ahh! I’m scared!” Lissa yelled.
Trina was now wide awake. Where were Mom and Dad? Not here, she recalled. They had said something the night before about a morning tournament downtown. As Trina’s brain tried to work through the fuzziness of sleep, it dawned on her that it was just the two of them.
“Earthquake!” Trina said. The walls began to groan, and the floor vibrated. “Definitely a quake. Come close, Lis!”
“I’m scared, Tri!” Lissa jumped on Trina’s bed as if she was terrified that the floor would fall away beneath her. Trina pulled her into a bear hug, and moved toward the center of the bed, while the earth below them, the walls and windows next to them, and the ceiling above rolled from side to side with the tectonic vibrations.
As the waves moved, power went out. The fans stopped, and the battery back up systems chirped violently. The absence of the warm white noise normally present throughout the house made the sounds of the quake deafening.
“What’s that?” Lissa asked. Beyond the sounds of the battery chirps, she could hear what sounded like a high C pulsing back and forth through the floor and walls. The rattling windows kept time, but began to slow like an unreliable metronome. As the C pulsed louder, Trina’s gaze strayed to the windows. Branches swayed gently.
“The Earth is singing, that’s all. ‘Sokay Lissa, she’s just singing. The quake is almost over.” As Trina spoke, the waves began to subside.
From the batteries, there was a click, and a final chirp. The fans began to hum its gentle low drone, the blades began to revolve in a lazy clockwise movement. With each revolution, Trina breathed. By the third revolution, Lissa began to take in air, and exhale. At first, Lissa’s breathing was ragged, but she began to relax as Trina’s breaths continued to flow steadily.
After about a minute of silence, Trina’s phone chirped.
“Bet that’s Mom and Dad,” Trina said.
“Where are they? I was so scared, and I thought I was alone,” Lissa said with a hint of panic.
Trina reached for her phone, and glanced at the screen.
The screen read: Earthquake. 5.3! Did you feel it? Downtown’s a mess. No one knows how to drive in a quake, lolol. We’re fine. Check in, pls?
Trina sighed, and showed the text to Lissa. “Tournament downtown. They’re fine. You gonna be okay?”
“No, I’m scared. Text them back and tell them.”
Trina nodded.
We r fine. Shaken, but ok. Lost power briefly. Lissa’s pissed that you left w/o saying bye. Goin 2 get coffee.
“I’m hungry,” Trina said. “Let’s go get some grub. I don’t feel like stayin’ inside anyway. Not after that quake.”
“Okay, just don’t leave me alone right now. Oh hi, Pumpkin!” The plump tabby jumped on the bed. He meowed to show his displeasure at the series of events. Trina hastily pet him, then rose from the bed to grab her jeans off the floor.
Not gonna bother with a shower til I get caffeine, she thought.
“Tri?” Lissa nodded toward the window. “Maybe we should open the window? You know, in case there’s an aftershock while we’re gone? It’ll give Pumpkin some air.”
“Honestly, that’s what the fan is for.” Trina sighed with exasperation. Pumpkin stretched and gave a little mew as if asking for Trina to reconsider. Trina glanced at the cat and caved.
“Okay, fine!” Trina he reached over and opened the window just a little. Pumpkin stretched and went to sit next on the sill. Trina could swear he was smiling.