“Ugh!” Athenilda groaned as she staggered.

Maybe I cried too much that I feel too dizzy. Athenilda thought as her vision keep swaying. She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself.

However, she heard people shouting and women screaming.

Athenilda gasped and immediately opened her eyes. It’s not her vision swaying.

It’s the ground.

And the shaking intensifies.

Her eyes opened wide as she realizes there’s an earthquake happening right at this moment.

As she heard the panic voices, she tried to move and kept stumbling. She clung to the walls and furniture to balance herself and to be able to keep standing as she made her way to the window and survey what was happening.

People kept coming out from their homes and buildings. Chaos ensued as people panic and running about. Amidst of them, Athenilda had her eyes singled out on a certain person who were going to the opposite direction amongst the huge surge of crowd in his way. A person that she just pushed away moments ago.

A person trying to go into the direction of her building.

Athenilda stumbled her way outside her room. Her mind filled with dread as she worried for the person and the possibility of him putting himself in danger.

Do not come here. Please don’t he dare come here. She desperately prayed.

You’re too kind, you know that? That’s what made my heart ensnared over and over again. That’s what made me selfish and demanding for something impossible.

Please. Just leave me and be happy, you Idiot. Her heart and mind despaired.

She clung to the walls as the shaking kept getting stronger. Huge cracks were forming at the walls and ceiling. The debris falling keep getting bigger. Athenilda hurriedly descend the stairs. As she finally got on the ground floor, a huge chunk of ceiling had fallen down in the middle of the lobby, blocking the way towards the doors.

Oh, God. Her face paled in a frightening shade of white. As she tried to look for the side, she saw a space big enough for her to crawl to the other side and escape through the door. As she was about to bend down and crawl, she heard a child crying.

“Uwaaahhh! M-mamaaa!” the young voice wailed.

Another huge crack fell down. The surroundings began to blur as the powdered debris began to disperse in the air.  

“H-help us…” a faint female voice croaked.

“Hnngg! No! Can’t leave Mama! Uwaaa!” a young voice wailed again.

She unconsciously went back and looked to where the voices came from.

I can’t leave them. There’s a child there.

Her mind and heart were in a struggle as she hastily looked around, aware how foolish she is for wasting the precious opportunity to get out alive.

But even at this critical moment, a certain image of person keeps popping in her mind. On how in this cold, bitter reality called life, was still keeping a kind heart and remains to be a good person.

She keeps walking deeper as she heard the sound of wailing louder in that direction. Finally, she found herself inside a wide room filled with big rubbles of cement from the ceiling and fallen walls. At one side, she saw a person leaning against the wall, her arms covering the head of a child, as if shielding him from the falling debris.

She run towards them. Athenilda crouched down and saw that the woman’s right foot was stuck under a big piece of rubble, seemingly a part of the wall that broke apart due to the earthquake. There were also traces of blood on the woman’s forehead.

“Hey! Do you hear me?” Athenilda spoke loudly, looking if the woman was still conscious.

The woman opened her eyes. Seeing another person, she pleaded desperately.

“Miss! P-Please save my child! I cannot move. My foot got stuck and I seemed to have sprained it. I-I cannot be able to take my son outside.” She sobbed, grabbing my arm.

The child kept crying.

“N-noooo. Don’t leave me, Mamaaaa!” the child cried desperately.

Around them pieces of ceiling keep falling. Athenilda quickly decided to take action.

“No, Madam. We’re going to get outside. All three of us. Got it? Come on, let’s lift up this rock and free your foot.”

“No, Miss. It’s alright, just go now and take the child to safety. Quickly, before you get trapped here!” the woman urged, groaning in pain.

Athenilda looked at the mother’s eyes and spoke in a rush.

“No, Ma’am. We must go outside together. All THREE of us. Just think about your child. Okay?”

The woman stared at her and nodded. Then with the strength of two adults, albeit one was injured, and a kid, they gradually freed the woman’s foot. Athenilda supported the woman up and the three of them rush in the center of the lobby as fast as possible.

Seeing that the hole was still there, Athenilda sighed in relief and urged her two companions to the hole.

They first supported the injured mother. As she supported the child next, a debris had fallen so closely beside her, just barely a foot away from where she is.

“Ida!”

A desperate voice shouted.

“Mister, stand back! It’s dangerous!”

A struggling voice followed.

“No! Ida, my wife! She’s still there!”

A familiar voice despaired.

“Big sister!” the boy called out to Athenilda, who paused from her crawl as she heard the voices.

Athenilda quickly crawled and made it to the other side. As she tried to keep standing, she saw that the doors were opened and people are huddled outside, faces pale as the ground keeps shaking.

“Let’s go! Look the doors are open. Hurry!” She urged as she supported the woman and the hold the child.

Almost there, Athenilda.

Out of nowhere, a great magnitude of tremble had them three staggered to the ground. Just then, a rain of wreckage had surrounded them. As a foreboding sense and great dread surged within Athenilda, she hastily grabbed and dragged the woman quickly on entrance.

“Hurry!” Athenilda shouted.

“Ida!” A voice shouted.

Athenilda locked eyes with voice owner. She silently gave him a sweet smile, as if no argument happened between the two. Then she assisted the woman outside before turning her back away to the man.

“No! Ida! Stop! Don’t go back there!” the man shouted.

She tried to ran and made her way back to the wreckage and saw the child on the floor, crying. She rushed to the boy immediately.

“Shh. It’s alright kid. Let’s go, your mother is waiting for you outside.” She pacified the boy.

“Hnng.” The boy nodded, while sniffling.

As the two quickly made their steps, a creak was heard above them. Athenilda look up and saw a huge amount of debris was about to fall, together with a few huge size of metal beams sticking out in different directions. Her eyes widen in alarm as she realized that it was about to fall above their heads.

She recklessly made a decision.

“Kid, I’m sorry, but I’ll be pushing you. Hard.”

She grabbed the kid and push him with all her strength towards outside. The momentum had made the child’s staggered steps quicker. 

“Son! My son!” the mother shouted.

“Mamaaaaa!” the boy struggled, trying to rush towards his mother.

Athenilda tried to rush her steps as well but lost her balance and fell on the floor.

Creak! Tuk---

As she heard an ominous sound, she saw a silhouette at the entrance and a scream.

His scream.

Then everything became dark.

 

----------------

 

Everything hurts.

As she tried to move, she felt a fiery hot sensation that made her want to scream at the top of her lungs. She tried to move her hands but as if something is numbing her senses, she cannot feel if her hands or fingers were moving.

“Hngg…”

She groaned in a barely audible voice. Her eyes were seemed stuck by a glue as she struggled to open them. A faint sound had entered her ears as if it was in a faraway place. As if like a soft whisper tickling her hearing sense.

“Please…No…”

She felt like frowning as she was only able to get snippets and bits of words.

“Sister...Huwaahhh…”   

Somebody seems to be crying. Why, what happened?

“Ida…Please…Eyes…”

Ida? Are they calling her? That’s her pet name. Is it her parents? Brother? Why are they here?

As Athenilda got out of her disorientation, she recalled what happened before everything became blank.

Earthquake.

Mother and child.

Debris and metal beams.

The voice. His voice.

“Uhk!” she heard herself gasp.

“Wife! Ida!” Someone shouted beside her. She head turned to the direction of the voice.

“Huuhhh.” She weakly moaned, trying to open my eyes.

“Ida, stay with me please. Please.” The voice sobbed in an anguished voice.

Why do you sound in so much pain? Are you hurt? She thought, feeling distressed for him.

Athenilda tried again to open her eyes. Why does everything hurt? She internally complained as her senses gradually returned along with searing hot feeling, especially on her chest.

After a long struggle, she was able to slightly open her eyes into slits. As her vision adjusts to the blurred mass of lights and colors, something light and gentle caressed her cheeks. Feeling its tenderness and the comfort it offers, Athenilda leaned her face closer to source.

“You look like a cute cat, wife.” An affectionate and shaky voice remarked.

She blinked her eyes once more and tried to focus. As her sight cleared, she was met with a pair of tender eyes with tears silently flowing down on them.

“L-lowell…”  Anthenilda called out in a wispy voice.

“Shh… It’s alright, Ida. Everything will be fine. J-just hold on for me. Okay?” he cooed as he stroked my head so tenderly.

“I-it h-hurts, Lowell.” It hurts so very very much.

“Don’t worry, wife. The ambulance is about to arrive. They’ll take the pain away and we’ll get home after. You hear me? You haven’t tried my masterpiece yet.” He tried to reassure, his voice uneven and hoarse.

Ah, he’s crying. I made him cry. I want to touch him.

Despite her body screaming to stay still, Athenilda tried moving her fingers. Then her hands. And finally an arm.

She suddenly coughed as she keeps exerting herself. Something thick and metallic- tasting came out from her mouth.

Lowell’s eyes widen and he seemed to be horrified.

“H-hey, Ida. Stay with m-me. Don’t fall asleep as we wait the ambulance.” He said, panic-stricken, his eyes glistening with tears.

Athenilda slowly moved an arm, coming in contact to something protruding in her chest area.

Oh, I see.

She finally understands the excruciating pain.

She gathered her strength to slowly lift up her arm and delicately touch his face. Her hand was stained with something that’s bright red, which also stained her beloved’s face.

She smiled weakly at him and tried to convey her wishes for him through her eyes.

I’m so sorry. Don’t be sad. Be happy from now on.

Her strength completely left her and numbness began to take over her whole body. Her hand slowly became limp.

“No. Ida. Just hold on. Please. Don’t close your eyes!” He shouted at her, his hands tightly grabbing my hand that touched his cheek. She sense him trembling.

Just before Athenilda couldn’t ignore any longer the desire to close her eyes, her last vision was his heartbreaking face, his expression full of despair.

 I love you so much, Lowell. If fate allowed us to meet again, I’ll support you so that you can attain happiness.