Author's Notes: This is my first time submitting fanfiction, so please be brutally honest me with in all regards!
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January 9th
The lights of the city danced within the approaching darkness that threatened to consume them. A short while later, a thin dark gray layer of clouds moved above and began to let rain spill out onto the earth below.
closer...
Water splashed and covered buildings, roads, lawns and parks alike. It gathered into puddles and pools, some of it flooding into existing ponds and rivers as well. Cool air began to chill, quickly becoming freezing winds that howled between the spaces along the urban landscape.
closer...
Now the view was bereft of structures, a lazy pan that lingered over a group of traffic lanes that stretched forwards to a river, and bridge, a cluster of tall buildings beyond them.
closer...
Various cars moved on the freeway, though none of them were close to each other. In particular, a black BMW weaved amongst the lanes, hanging behind a white minivan before both were overlapped by an intersecting roadway above. Shortly thereafter, the BMW signaled it was going to the left and did so with minimal turning.
closer...
Looking into the passenger side window was difficult at this point, and the last clear spots were almost overtaken by the droplets, when a blast of fog appeared around the middle of the glass. It then slowly dissipated from inside out.
closer...
Nick sighed as quietly as he could into the window to his right. The heater was on full blast, and coupled with poor ventilation, made breathing somewhat difficult. However, cracking the window down for some fresh air would soak the interior, and fill it with biting cold.
Screwed either way.
He turned away from the now obscured view to face the driver. His cousin John sat there and softly bobbed his to the music that wafted through the car speakers. It was some new-age, indie, punk rock, reggae fusion band that Nick had never heard of, and could barely tolerate to take his mind off of his situation every now and again. He once more turned his view to the windshield, focusing on the occasional light in the distance.
Barely nineteen years old and barely past his first half of community college, he was beginning to tire of the surroundings. A few trips in the past to Canada and Omaha hardly counted, as he was never without family and likewise confined: only this time, to a hotel. To make matters worse, his parents and uncle's family had taken a trip over to south Europe shortly after the year began, leaving him to stew in his apartment, or occasionally visit people he barely considered friends.
How fortunate then that his older first cousin John could come up from Argentina to visit his home city and hang out with him. Glancing back again, Nick noticed his deeper tan and cut brown hair - which, along with a slight halting in his speech signified time out of the country. Looking for another distraction, he then attempted to crane his head forward and to the right to read the first of many billboards that began to crop up. Blazers coming back from defeat again? Oh joy!
"Hey cuz, everything going alright?"
John's voice cut through the warm air. There was a hint of caring, but much more boredom was evident in his tone.
Taking a moment to slide the chair back further, Nick leaned into it and replied,
"Yeah. I'm still deciding if I want to focus on writing courses or mechanics."
It was bullshit, he fully wanted to be a writer, but was still afraid of moving on beyond school into real life. Delaying his classes with "time off" wasn't going to work forever with his father, but he was content for the moment.
"Writing course or mechanics", John echoed, barely paying attention as he flicked on the right turn signal and glided the car across two lanes.
Trying to think up something else, anything else, Nick began to comment on the Blazers, but caught himself and stayed silent once again. He realized their quota for small talk was fulfilled for the next five or ten minutes.
---
One more lane change and road later, John took the curving road above ground level and stayed on the right lane: the only other lane now.
This time, Nick didn't hesitate to look outside the windshield, taking in the sight beyond.
"I haven't been here in nearly a year. Come to think of it, neither have you, huh?"
A little annoyed at his cousin's statement, but still anticipating what was about to show up, he brushed it off and braced his hands on the dashboard.
"But I never get tired of this..."
Nick could only nod in agreement as the river appeared in their sights. The Willamette. It was the waterway which spanned for miles, cutting a swath between the suburbs and downtown. Small ferries lined the river bank. Nick even thought he could make out a boat or two heading west. Asides from the Columbia to the north, this was the last major river before heading into Washington.
And then it was gone from their sights once again, the road ended and their short journey across the bridge began. Satisfied to catch a glimpse of the Willamette, even at night, Nick sat more comfortably now.
John spoke up again, taking a moment to glance at his cousin,
"So, what're you getting?"
"Ah, I dunno, I might stick with The Walter Chronicles, or try something new."
Something clicked in Nick's head, and he reached into the side pocket of his bulky blue coat to fetch his wallet. It was a gift from his mother: perfect for snowy mountaintops, not so much for oven cars.
In the next instant, he tallied up no less than one-hundred dollars. More than enough for a book or two, a dinner (if it came to it) and any parking fees. Usually a frugal spender, Nick liked to cut loose on occasion, and it only helped that the holidays were barely over.
The BMW rumbled off the bridge onto a ramp that took John and Nick past two parking lots at the foot of some very tall buildings, another illuminated Blazers billboard at the top of the left one.
Moving past various stores and cafes, a Chinese restaurant's bright red neon logo caught Nick's eye. The East Dragon. He licked his lips, all too aware that he had barely eaten all day.
Then it was out of sight, and the various people walking around caught both their eyes: very few of them stuck to the shadows, most were illuminated by the street lamps and signs. A performer here and there took up residence on the sidewalk. One even had on a green poncho and a played a harmonica.
Heading up the street, they came to a slope and slowly made progress upwards. Ahead, just beyond the intersection was a construction site surrounded by chain-link fencing. Nick took note of men moving around the gravel and muck and shook his head: they were both brave and crazy to work in this weather.
"We turn right here, right?", John said while looking towards Nick for confirmation.
Not wanting to look ignorant, he muttered "Mm hm" as they started to drive on a street surrounded by trees on both sidewalks. Surely enough, at the end of the street the sign Powell's Books came into view on the left across the corner. Many people milled around the entrance, and it appeared that a never ending stream of customers were coming and leaving. A man in dark clothing and a cap handed out pamphlets to the occasional person: most likely a religious nutcase.
Nick remarked, "I don't think we're going to get parking on the sidewalk" It was true, both sides of the streets along the west and south side were filled with trucks, minivans, sedans…every type of vehicle imaginable.
"Yeah, but I think I know a place that's close enough", John replied after scoping out the immediate area. They moved past the south side and turned left, a bark of laughter signaling that they had found the place he mentioned.
"Right there!"
Nick rolled down the window for the first time to take a glance at the building. Greener Pastures the sign said, a door on the corner of the building which showed the interior, as well as signs marked the place as some sort of grocer.
"But the street is filled, just like…", Nick began.
A sharp turn to the right before reaching the end of the street promptly shut him up – they were going down into a parking garage.
"Ah. I haven't been here before, or at least not in a while", he remarked while looking out the side window again. He mentally slapped himself.
He couldn't see it, but John was grinning widely and as they rolled up to the tollbooth, playfully punched his cousin in the side.
"That'll be $2.50 please"
John paid the woman, took a ticket and they continued into the depths of the garage. Wrapping around to the left, Nick noticed that while the areas that one navigated in were brightly lit, there wasn't much lighting in the actual parking spots.
---
After nearly five minutes of circling, they decided on a spot over in the northwest corner nestled in between a green Ford Tacoma and the wall. About to unbuckle their seatbelts, John stated,
"While I wouldn't mind browsing for a while, I still have other errands to run Try not to take too long, okay?"
Disappointed with his cousin's attitude, but aware that he really didn't intend on dwelling for more than a half hour, he put on a half-smile and nodded. Then, they both reached to their seatbelts to unclasp them.
That's when the shaking began.
Startled, but trying to remain calm, John gripped the door and dash while looking around.
"Did you feel that?"
"Yeah…from above I think"
Stillness and silence, except for their breathing. Motioning towards their seatbelts once again, the rumbling repeated itself, only this time it came from the wall ahead and above.
Realizing the implications of being underneath a building in an earthquake, John snapped his hand back to the keys and tried desperately to get the car started.
It would be the last thing he would ever do.
While staring at his cousin, Nick broke out of his shock and attempted to get the door open. A shadow out of the corner of his eye moved towards the windshield from the ceiling.
CRASH
"HOLY SHIT!", Nick screamed as the glass shattered inwards and across the front of the car. His vision was clouded by the shards which fell over him, voice almost consumed by the cacophony of sound.
In the next instant, he raised his head from the cushion of the seat and saw what happened – apparently a pipe from above had broken away and hit the windshield.
But how the hell could that happen?
"Can you believe that? I almost had a heart attack!", Nick exclaimed while turning to John.
What he saw froze him again.
"John?"
A section of piping had fallen onto his hand, crushing it beneath and the side had collided with John's head, leaving a reddish-brown haired mess on his forehead. He wasn't moving.
"JOHN?!"
"JOHN, ANSWER ME!"
Horrified at the corpse of his cousin, he began to follow instinct and get out of the car. When his hand felt something wet along his midsection, he looked up once more and noticed that his side of the windshield was broken in as well.
Then down, and he saw a small piece of blackish metal had embedded itself between his chest and stomach.
"Oh fuck…fuck!", Nick yelled while finally managing to push the door open. Instead of standing up, he instead pushed himself out of the tangled mess, landing hard on the floor.
Wincing, he tried to push himself up and found that pain stabbed him in the middle every time he bent. Keeping as straight as possible, he hobbled out of the shadowy section into the center of the parking spots.
Glancing back, he found that the front of the car was smashed up beyond belief, the pipe sticking out like some absurd chimney. It occurred to him to check out the ceiling, but turning didn't feel so hot either. "Awwww! Shit!", he exclaimed, not able to move faster than a man on crutches.
Then his legs started to grow numb. Not going to make it, not going to make it…,he thought as he cleared the first four cars on either side. Have to rest…, he told himself as the corner leading back to the main area came into sight.
Taking a quick look all around, he saw a red Jeep Cherokee along the opposite wall and decided it was as good as any place to rest.
He cleared the gap and barely managed to stop himself from falling, holding onto the hood and letting gravity do the rest. Then, he pulled along the passenger side and laid down in the patch of gloom, letting his feet stick out into the light.
Just…for a minute
And then, blackness beyond comprehension overtook him.