AN: Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.
Godzilla (there's an app for that)
AlwaysPadfoot
If it hadn't been for Susan's sudden craving for Coco Pops, then she might not have noticed the fifty-foot lizard monster through her apartment window. Against all her good sense, instead of screaming and evacuating the building, Susan snatched up her camera. She attached a large lens, steadied her elbows on the windowsill, and took several pictures.
People would murder for photos of something as unexplainable as this. Whatever that creature was, it was so close to Susan's building now that the floor shook every time it took a heavy step forward.
Why was she like this?
This was breaking news at its peak. As she lifted her camera away from her face she realised the mistake she had made. The scaly creature let out a roar that made Susan jump back away from the window. The glass shattered inwards, showering her with shards. She froze — as still as a statue — as the large yellow eyes of the creature fixed on her. Susan felt the building jolt as it's taloned claws scraped against the outer walls. Plaster rained down from above and she spun on the spot, staggering away from the collapsing ceiling of her apartment. Blinking dust from her eyes, she didn't see the cabinet fall until it was too late.
The next thing Susan knew she was coming to on the floor.
Her lower body was trapped under the cabinet. She tried to slide free but part of the ceiling had collapsed and helped the cabinet to pin her to the floor.
"Fuck," she muttered. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
Her camera was lying out of reach. It looked okay through her cracked glasses; the screen was still on. Susan forced herself to focus on the situation at hand. How was she going to get out of here? She was vulnerable; pinned to the floor of the now unstable building, with no idea where that creature was. Bringing a hand to her head, which was aching, Susan's fingers came away slick with blood. She had no idea how long she would be stuck here, and she was too scared to call for help.
Her mind was racing, trying desperately to wriggle free despite the pain in one of her legs. Then she realised — there was something poking into her hip. It was her mobile. With a great deal of difficulty, she managed to pull it free, garnering friction burns against the carpet and a step towards freedom.
WIth plenty of battery left, Susan opened her contacts and scrolled straight to her wife's number. But then, she hesitated. Daphne would only worry; she probably was still on the plane home and leaving a message would probably distress her. Biting her lip, Susan deliberated her other options. There was Hannah, who was in the middle of the Amazon, studying endangered species of birds. Her remote location meant that the two girls hadn't talked in weeks so there was no point calling her. Fear shooting through her veins, Susan scrolled right to the bottom to find the name Zach Smith and hit call before she could question her decision.
It rang for a long moment and Susan was suddenly unsure whether he would pick up.
Finally, the ringing stopped and there was a weird rustling before Zach's voice came across the line. "Susan, It's Sunday; on Sunday I stay in bed all day."
"You're so sweet," Susan said, her voice slightly weak. "Well, rise and shine — I need your help."
"And your Daphne can't help you because…?"
Susan exhaled through gritted teeth. "Why do you always seem to bring my wife into everyday conversation?"
"I—I'm just a curious guy," Zach responded. "I am a reporter after all."
The two worked together so of course, she knew he was. Susan rolled her eyes, despite the fact he couldn't see her. "Well, I'll let you into a secret, since you're about to come save my life, it's better down where it's wetter — if you know what I mean."
Zach choked on the other end of the phone, caught off guard by Susan's lewd joke. RIght now, the blonde was probably changing from white to pink rapidly.
"I—Susan, why—I, wait, what?" Zach spluttered, making Susan smile slightly. "Why am I coming to save your life?"
"Are you kidding me? Has the news not reported it yet?"
"Reported what? Susan. I literally told you I don't get out of bed on a Sunday. My room is still pitch black."
"Zach, there's a giant lizard creature on the loose!"
There was a long stretch of silence and then eventually Zach sighed. "You know, I actually thought you were being serious for a moment."
"Zach, check the fucking news," Susan said. "Please, Zach. I'm trapped; I think my leg is broken. Just believe me, okay?"
"Okay, alright, it's okay," he said, the sound of movement coming through the line. "I'll check."
Susan blinked, not realised that her vision was blurry with tears as she lay her head down on the floor. All she could hear was Zach rustling, moving around, and tapping on his phone screen. Susan exhaled, becoming more and more aware of the pain she was feeling as the time dragged on.
"Holy fuck, holy fuck," Zach said, panic evident in his voice. "Susan, shit, are you okay?"
"No, Zach. I am not," Susan retorted. "That being said, I do have some great photos."
"That's not funny."
He sounded like he was moving, his voice muffled by the noise. Rather breathlessly, he began to explain that the monster currently stomping around the city had just come up from the sea. The hypothesis was that the creature had been awakened by a recent unstable nuclear reaction one the south-west coast. The news was calling it Godzilla. Susan thought that was ridiculous; it sounded like an imaginary comic book character. Zach said the news was estimating that hundreds of people had been murdered by the creature, perhaps even thousands.
"Oh God, I'm going to die here," Susan suddenly said.
She didn't even realise she'd spoke aloud until Zach responded.
"No, not a fucking chance. The only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you. Not some psychopathic sea monster."
"I didn't know that cheesy motivational quotes existed in your vocabulary," Susan joked lightly.
"Why did you think I slammed my laptop shut the other day when you came into my office?" Zach responded. "I have motivational quotes as my background."
"I sort of figured you were watching porn, to be honest."
"Susan!"
She laughed and then winced as pain that shot through her when she did. "Zach, what do I do?"
"Stay where you are," he said as though it were simple. "I'm coming to get you."
"What if I fall through the ceiling or something?"
"It was like my mum always said: if you're afraid of falling, then don't look down."
"Zacharias Smith. That makes next to no sense."
"I know," he responded. "Isn't it great?"
Susan ignored him, looking around at the destruction that had swept through the apartment. Glass covered the floor, Daphne's decorative chess pieces from the cabinet were scattered across the rug. The chipped queen piece lay just out of reach. Daphne would be so upset; the set had belonged to her grandmother. Susan missed her wife — she longed for her to be here. She was desperate for Daphne's gentle caress, just a touch to feel safe.
"Susan? Susan? You conscious?"
"Nah," she joked.
"I'm coming to kick your door down, okay?"
"I'd rather you didn't break anything else just for the hell of it." Susan exhaled, blinking tiredly. "Just… just don't get eaten, alright?"
"Don't worry." Zach sounded like he was grinning. "I have the Godzilla Tracker App."
Comp/Challenge & Prompts:
Insane House Challenge: 896. Trait - Witty
365 House Challenge: 155. Item: Camera
Creativity Challenge: Godzilla!AU - Susan/Zach (Friends)
Library Lovers: Every Heart a Doorway: (word) statue, (colour) black, (PP) murder, "The only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you." (dialogue)
Lent Challenge: OBP4. Only Hufflepuffs
Coffee Appreciation: 7. Cafe Bombon - "You're so sweet." (dialogue)
Jewel Challenge: Verdite [Ring: Write about a Hufflepuff/Bracelet: Write about someone reaching a decision./Necklace: Write about someone sharing their knowledge.]
Writing Club [Character Appreciation]: 2. Item: Glasses
Writing Club [Disney Challenge]: 3. Song - Under the sea - "It's better down where it's wetter." (dialogue)
Writing Club [Book Club]: Charlie Ridgemont: (object) chess piece, (word) imaginary, (word) vocabulary
Writing Club [Showtime]: 12. Nowadays (Roxie) - "Isn't it great?" (dialogue)
Writing Club [CYB]: 2. Camera (object)
Writing Club [Lyric Alley]: 6. If you're afraid of falling, then don't look down
Writing Club [Liza's Loves]: 2. Mr Pigeon - Write about someone with a fondness for birds.
Writing Club [Sophie's Shelf]: 6. friction, peak, slide, caress, slick, vulnerable
Word Count: 1295 — not inc. notes, titles, or ANs.