They reached for their rifle, they would live another day. Every time they thought ‘now was the time’, the heaven hell question came to mind. Even though they were an atheist they couldn’t drive out the last nagging possibility that maybe there was something else unseen and unknown.

They stood up slung the rifle over their shoulder with one loaded magazine in their coat pocket. They were going to the guest bedroom they had converted into an armory.  As they started to move, the power went out.

Then it hit, the most powerful earthquake they had ever felt. The windows glowed with all the colors in the rainbow. Then things started to fall, books on the shelves, the computer monitor, an old framed movie poster, etc.

They decided to sit under the desk in case the roof collapsed. Even the Earthquake of 1994 paled compared to this one.

They wondered what caused the lighting effect. ‘Funny what you think of when you don’t panic in the face of disaster’ they thought as the world bounced and shock.

Then as quickly as it started everything flashed in blinding light and the world was calm.  They looked out from under the desk, everything was dark, they then reached into their coat and grabbed their cellphone and switched on the light.