Disclaimer: I don't own the OC
Deep within the crust of the earth, molten liquid spiraled up toward the surface desperate to break free and breathe some breath of air. As the liquid shifted under the hard plates, the earth started to stretch…the earth started to shift…the earth started to crumble. People were caught completely unprepared. Most individuals were at home hiding from the storm that raged around them mirroring the rage and anguish in their very own lives. Others that were stumbling though the woods in thinning fog looking for a little girl clung to the trees as the earth trembled at their feet. A little boy sat up in his bed shrieking as he clung to his plastic horse amidst the shaking earth. A mother struggled up the stairs clinging to each step as a life line with the only thought of getting to her little boy.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Dylan screamed as his bed rocked much like the boat his Daddy named after his Mommy.
"Dylan, oh baby…" Summer stumbled down the hallway banging into a door hard and falling. She crawled into her little boy's room and dragged him off the bed. The two clung together huddled underneath the doorframe. Dylan's eyes were squeezed shut tightly gripping Summer's hair between his pudgy fingers. Summer tried to close her eyes but found she couldn't. She kept staring at her little boy with the big chocolate eyes that now were tightly closed. Gathering him even possibly closer, she started to sing above the chaos. Windows were breaking as books thudded to the carpeted floor no longer muffled. "Sing with me baby; keep singing with me baby…"
Dylan managed to open his eyes and found himself staring into his Mom's eyes just like his. His tiny voice joined hers in a whisper as the world fell apart around them. Suddenly, just as it had started there was silence. The earth gave one great groan and rolled over ending its fit for now of living beneath the hard surface of the world. He didn't breathe and neither did his Mommy. They sat there holding their breaths.
"Summer! Dylan!" Seth yelled frantically into the destroyed house.
"Seth? Oh my gosh, SETH!" Screamed Summer as Dylan started to finally cry.
"Where are you guys…wait don't move!"
"We are upstairs outside Dylan's room…or least what is left," muttered Summer as an afterthought. Everything on the walls had tumbled down and story books were laid across the room creating beige waves.
"Mommy?" Dylan piped up from her lap.
"Yes honey? Mommy is so proud of you for being so calm." Summer placed a kiss on his furrowed brow and thanked God again for giving him to her.
"Do you think Gemma will come out now because of the shaking earth? She probably is very scared"
Summer looked into her son's troubled chocolate eyes and could only stare. She had no idea what to say.
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"Here we go ladies, two flashlights, a bag of Doritos, some candles, a blanket, and…of course bagels!" Sandy flourished his findings to the smile of his wife and the look of concern from Julie.
"Sandy, how soon do you think the power will be back? I'm worried about Ryan and Marissa…" she trailed off staring into space as thought after thought spun in her head.
"Julie," Kristen said kindly covering her hand, "I'm sure the two are safe and fine at home."
Julie looked at her hesitantly and then spoke, "I have this feeling. Something is wrong…I can just feel it. Call it a mother's intuition or something but something is wrong with my daughter."
Sandy looked at Kristen and signed. "Truth be told Julie, I wouldn't mind going to check on the two myself. How about we go over there and check it out." He smiled as Julie's face broke out in relief. He led the way through the tangle of sofas overturned and vases smashed into Picasso art. Driving through the wreaked streets of Newport, he hoped that everything was okay. That thought soon left him as the three arrived at the house and nobody answered from within its shadowy depths.
"No Dad, I have not heard from Ryan or Marissa. I don't know Dad…Dad, Dad stop! You are speaking way too fast. Almost sounded like me for a second, wait Seth you have to stay focus… but anyway I have not heard from either of them. Let me ask Summer." Seth turned to Summer who was trying to straighten up the kitchen. "Have you heard from Ryan or Marissa?"
"No, why? Is something wrong?" Summer looked up in alarm. She had thought they were at home waiting for word from the police. They all would have been there too, but decided to give the two some space.
"No Dad," Seth spoke carefully with concern coloring his words, "she has not heard from them either. You said they were not at home?" Seth listened to his Dad and tried to ignore Dylan that was yanking on his pants. "I'm not sure…Dylan please stop," Seth signed exasperatedly as Dylan started jumping up and down to get his attention. "What is it?"
"Maybe Aunt Marissa and Uncle Ryan went to find Gemma? Do you want to play hide-a-go-seek Daddy?"
Seth turned and stared right back into Summer's eyes that had widen with Dylan's words. "Dad, I think I know where they are."
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The building that had housed so many happy memories, sparks of fire as connections were made, children growing, playful laughter…the building laid in ruins. The structure was destroyed. The front door stood untouched while the walls around it paid homage by bending over backwards. Classroom intermingled with each other as the multigrade school became one singular grade. The accelerated preschool room which used to be bright sunny yellow with turquoise chairs scattered around like clouds laid in ruins. The windows had shattered blowing inward with glass sticking to the dark dirty carpet. One of the walls had collapsed completely blocking entry to the room. And in the little closet that once housed a Snoopy backpack had collapsed on its self. One of the walls had completely slid down till it touched the other creating a little triangular space beneath the rumble. A very teeny tiny space. However, at the end of the closet and wooden beam had crashed into the wall leaving a gaping hole that revealed a small tunnel leading into the dark unknown.
Coming to, Marissa Atwood tried to push up from her stomach but was blocked by something applying pressure to her back. Blinking her eyes trying to keep them open, she tried to wiggle around the tiny little space. I can't feel by legs…where is Ryan? Oh, my gosh Ryan! Why can't I move…my head is throbbing…? Marissa tried to turn over but was again blocked by something on her back. Whimpering slightly, Marissa laid back down on her stomach feeling sick. Her vision was going blurry, but it didn't matter. She couldn't see anything anyway. The tiny closet had become like a dungeon around its occupants keeping them trapped as prisoners. Gasping for air, Marissa closed to eyes tightly trying to block everything out…just to give up…
"Mommy?"
"Yes kiddo?" Marissa brushed her daughter's hair from her tiny face as they lay perched in Gemma's fluffy bed.
"Where's Daddy?" Gemma peered up at her mother in the dark enclosed tightly in her arms. She had had a scary dream that a monster came and had taken away her Mommy and Daddy leaving her all by herself. She was scared.
"Remember honey, he is on a work trip for Grandma? He will be home bright and early to make pancakes for you!" Marissa bent down and placed a kiss on her daughter's pudgy little cheek.
"Mommy, I'm…I'm scared…" Gemma trembled as she stared out into the dark room trying to detect the big bad monster from her dream. "What if the monster comes back?" She buried her head into her Mom's shoulder.
"There are not any monsters in here Gemma," Marissa said patiently while her little girl sat up looking at her.
"But Mommy, I saw them! There are some good monsters and some bad monsters and some horrible terrible monsters! Some are green with bright red spots and other ones have two heads with long fangs!" With that said, Gemma peered again in the dark trying to look brave now that her Mommy was here.
"Well, Daddy and Mommy will always protect you from the monsters sweetie, I promise." Marissa knew it was better to go along with her imaginative child rather then argue about monsters.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"I love you Mommy…"
I promise, I promise, the words rang in Marissa's head as she wearily opened her eyes. She had to get to her little girl. She promised to protect her from the monsters, and she had not done that at all. Gathering her strength, Marissa ignored her blurry vision and throbbing head and turned over on her back without trying to move too much. Reaching up with her hands, she blindly put them out into the dark finally colliding with a wooden shaft that was trapping her underneath the ruble.
"Ump…"
Marissa stopped her movements and listened to the silence. A second later she heard it again, a moan followed by a groan. "Ryan?" She held her breath waiting. Suddenly, something overhead rumbled and debris rained down covering everything in white dust.
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A fine mist sprinkled down through the coming dawn. The heavy rains had vanished only to be replaced by an eerie calm slipping through the cracks of sidewalks and motionless pine branches. Summer Cohen gave a gasp and turned to her husband with eyes full of fear and frustration…but mostly hopelessness. The school lay in ruins right before her eyes. It looked like a three year old's work of destroying blocks with a swipe of his hand.
Seth, for once, was silent. He stared at the once solid structured that was sprawled across the grass. He took Summer's hand and continued to walk toward the remaining structure. Not paying attention, he almost fell as Summer stopped abruptly and reached down to pick something up from the sodden ground. It was a fragile bracelet made out of silver gently cradling a small footprint at the center. Seth watched questioningly as she gently ran her fingers through it and finally looked up at him with tears pooling at the ends of her eyes.
"It's Marissa's. She has had this since she was a baby. It was given to Julie from her Mom. Marissa planned on giving it to Gemma someday. They are here somewhere…"
To be continued! Thanks for reading---sorry it has taken so long to update!