Amy POV
I am still crouched down under the big conference room desk, my head down, my hands placed over my head, protecting it. The earthquake felt really strong. The room was now covered in dust, I could feel it as I was breathing in the dusty air. There was still only one thought on my mind at this moment - I was just hoping the police building was steady enough that it won't just collapse under my feet. And that I won't get buried under or trapped under the rubble or debris.
The ground shaking finally stops and I crawl out from under the desk. I finally was getting a look around the room I was in. It was all dusty, almost all of the suspended ceiling in the room had fallen down, some were just handing on one side, just waiting for another shake that will take them down. All the chairs, in the conference room, were now fallen over. The big TV screen was shattered as it had fallen down from the shelf it was on. Everything on the walls and shelves had fallen down. Nothing was left standing.
I looked up to the ceiling right above me. The suspended ceiling was hanging by one side. "Crap" I breathe out and quickly step away from the ceiling that could fall down on my head.
I was so lucky I did not get hurt. I praise myself mentally for reacting so fast when the earthquake hit. I was also lucky by the location I was in.
I step over some debris carefully and when I do, I felt a breeze of wind coming in all of a sudden. I glanced to the side of the room. One of the window was just cracked up but the other widow was shattered. Only sharp shards were left in the place of the window as pieces of glass were found all around the floor.
The only doors to this room looked bad– there was a big crack just above the doors in the wall, which just made me feel even more lucky, that I was not to buried under rubble.
I was debating with myself, if opening the doors will not cause the wall to just crumble down on top of me and that resulting - me being trapped in here. In fact, now that I look around the room once more, I notice that there was a crack going all around the top of the wall, just by the ceilings. All the way from the doors to the other side of the room.
I run my tongue over my dry lips, and I get back the taste of dust. I was probably covered in it. I wipe my lips with my hand and then, carefully stepping over the debris, I head over to the doors, because, even thou it looked bad, it was my only way out of here. Unless, of course I wanted to jump out of the 3rd floor window.
I slowly reach for the door nub, my hand shaking slightly as I do. My legs bent, ready to jump back or just sprint thought the doorway, if I have to.
My fingers finally touch the door nub, it was cold to touch. I heard my heart beating fast in my chest. I sucked in a shaky breath and turned the door nub, looking at the big crack above the door frame.
The thought I had before, about hoping that this building doesn't collapse with me in it, changed. It changed to a very simple thought, that came in the form of one person .It was the only thought on my mind the moment I turned the door nub. It was Callie.
Lena POV
Frankie was sitting in my lap. Jesus and Jude had both taken place in the armchairs. Jude, being all impatient, was opening and closing one of the snaps on his wrist splint. The sound was slowly getting to me, but I was determined to keep it to myself. Jesus was just bouncing his left leg up and down and biting on his left thumb nail. I, unknowingly, had held my breath as I was waiting for the person on the other end to pick up.
I felt trapped in my own imagination. Trapped in the horrible outcomes I was now imagining, that my brain was making up. All I needed, to make this feeling go away, is to find out where everyone was. I needed everyone home safe. I needed them to be okay, unhurt. I needed them home, with me.
All i knew was that Mariana was at her dance practice in the gym, but Brandon was at his music class, practicing some new songs.
When she finally did pick up, I exhaled loudly. That sent the message out to the three other kids, that Mariana was okay.
"Mom!" she finally had picked up the phone after what seemed like forever, but actually was some 10 rings
"Mari, baby…honey are you okay? Are you hurt?" I noticed how now Jesus, even thou he knew his twin sister had picked up, held his breath waiting for some more news
"I'm okay mom. I am not hurt." She doesn't hesitate to answer my question
"You are not hurt. Oh my gosh...i was so scared love" I repeat what she said out loud just to calm down Jesus and the two other kids. Frankie was holding tightly to my blouse, she was pressed against my chest
"Don't worry, mom, I am fine. Really." she repeated in the phone "Are you and the others okay? Where are you? Is Jesus with you? What about Frankie…or Jude!" she now asks me back, sounding very concerned about her family
"I am home with Jesus, Jude and Frankie. We all are okay. You were the first I called. I am calling B next-"
"Don't…"she interrupts me. I was a bit taken aback by her statement "He just run in the gym looking for me. He looks unharmed too...wait, I will put you on speaker" she says and I hear a click.
"B!? Honey, are you there? Are you hurt?"
"Hey, mom. No, I am not hurt. I am all right. What about you and the others?" Brandon was now the one speaking, I glanced over to the three other kids, that were home with me.
I breathe out once again in relief that my kids are all fine and not hurt in this earthquake. "Your brothers and Frankie are with me. We are all okay. We haven't called mom yet. She is next on my call list. B, please take Mari and get home as fast as possible. Just—"
"Be careful. I know mom." There was a small pause and then they both spoke together.
"We love you"
"We all love you too. Please drive home safely." I hang up and look around the room, to my other kids.
I was so thankful that Mike managed to fix up my old Volvo. If he hadn't, I would have to drive back to school. Brandon now often was the third driver in our family, and I have never been more thankful about that fact, than I am now.
Next thing I do, in my mind I calculate when they could be home. I should see them both home in about 12 minutes or so, If the roads are all clear and there are no crashes or trees fallen over the roads.
"They are okay?" Jude asks first, Jesus sat up a bit
"They are okay. They are not hurt." I reply and kiss Frankie's head "B is taking Mariana home. They should be here soon"
"What about mom?" Jesus asks and the same worried look was now on Jude's face.
I try her phone next, but her phone is either off or she is out of zone, her phone doesn't have a signal. It just run the same old message – the phone you are trying to call is either off or out of- that's where I stopped listening to the message.
"No answer?" Jesus asks as I was looking at my phone screen
I nod back looking at the phone. My head was racing with all the possible outcomes. About places where she could be, things she could be doing, like saving or helping other people, or being trapped under some rubble herself, not able to call or text us.
I stand up with Frankie in my hands now. I walk over to Jesus and say to him "Stay with Frankie please" I place Frankie in Jesus lap and then head over to Jude.
"Keep trying mom's phone…" I say to him handing him my phone and then walk to kitchen.
"Where you going mom?" Jesus asked once I was by the kitchen doors
"I will check the fuse in the garage. Maybe the power outage is just in our home. Kicked out fuse or something…I will be right back." I tell him and then go look for the flashlight.
I find the flashlight after some 2 minutes of looking at every possible place it could be. Of course I find it in the last place I looked. It was in the drawer in the cabinet just next to the back doors. But the problem was that it wasn't working. I had pressed the buttons few times, the flashlight did not light up
I had to open the back – there were batteries in, but they were probably out. So I had to head up to our bedroom and look for new batteries in our desk.
Thankfully I find a new set that matches the size needed for the flashlight. I check if the batteries work after I replace them and once I see that they do, I place the lid back on.
Mental note to myself – need to buy new sets of batteries.
Finally I can head out back to check the fuse that was located in the garage, in the far way back. So I will have to get thought the mess that was in the garage. We did clean up a little a while ago, but it was still pretty hard to move around in there.
I don't know much of electricity and all the junctions. I have been hit with electricity, thankfully not a big charge, but I can clearly say, I do not want to repeat that. There's no way I could install electricity on my own. But I sure know how to check if the fuses are out.
When I get back from the garage the three kids I left at home are now waiting for me in the kitchen. All just standing by the table, marking time.
"The power outage is not just us. Probably the electrify is out for whole neighborhood" I inform all of my kids. I hadn't seen any lights in our neighbors homes.
My phone, in Jude's hands, buzzes. We all glance down to it "It is grandma!" he hands me back the phone. I open the text message from my mom
-Lena, honey, we just heard in the radio about the earthquake in SD. Is anyone hurt? Are the kids all okay? Are you all okay? Where are you? Is the house still standing? Text me back or call as soon as you can!
I had to text her back, otherwise she will worry and fly in all worried, thinking the worse possible outcome. When I finish writing the first draft for mom, the doors to home open. We all turn to the doors. I see Brandon and Mariana walk in. They got here faster than I thought they would. Or I was just slow when I went to check on the fuse. Either way, it didn't matter. They are both home, and that is all that matters right now.
They both hurry to us and then bunch of kisses and hugs go around. At least all of my kids were now safe, with me. Where I can look out for them.
"Is the electricity out?" Mariana asks us
"Yeah" Jude reply "It has been that way for some 15 minutes approximately"
"We saw that one of the electricity pole on the way here had fallen down and the wires had…snapped" Brandon inform us "That's why the power outage in our block. The city seemed to have electricity. At least we thought so…"
I delete the text after B was done talking and started to type a new message for mom, informing her of the events.
-We are okay. I and the kids are at home right now. No electricity, but the house is still standing, no big damage. Just few pictures, glasses and lamps fell down. We are not hurt. I think we were further away from the epicenter of the earthquake
I send out the text
"Is that mom!?" Mariana asks walking up to me, looking to my phone
"No, it is grandma and grandpa. They heard about the earthquake in the radio and are worried" I reply looking at the phone's screen. When I look up I see 5 scared look faces looking back at me
"Where is mom?" B asks me looking around "Her car was not up front. Has she called or texted to anyone?"
"Either her phone is shut off or she is out of signal" Jesus informs B. Another flash of fear comes over his face and Mariana's too
"W-what about…dad? Is he picking up?" B asks shifting in his stand
My phone buzzes in my hands, another text from mom. I look back to B "We haven't tried him yet. Go call him" I say and start to read the next message from mom
-At least you and the kids are okay. You can suffer without electricity for a day or too. Where is Stef? Have you heard anything from her?
With shaky fingers I type back
-We don't know. Neither of us has heard anything from her. Her phone is off
Mariana's phone buzzes. We all look to her in hope it is Stef "Grandma is calling" she says and picks up the call from Sharon
"Hi grandma…" she picks up and walks to the nook room to talk to her. Meanwhile I receive another text from mom
-Lena, honey, try not to worry okay. Stef is probably in some place with no signal. She will call or text soon. Think positive sweetheart and stay strong. We are both thinking about you all. We love you all. Everything will be okay, we believe that, you need to believe it too
I reply quickly and place the phone in my pocket
-Thanks mom. I will text you once I know something.
I look up to my scared looking kids. "Grandma and grandpa send their love to you" I walk up to Frankie, who was now standing next to Jesus, holding his hand. I lean down and pick her up to my arms as she looked the most scared.
"Everything will be okay, love. Mom will be back." I kiss her cheek. Jesus walks up to both of us and runs his hand over her hair "Mom is a tough cookie. No Earthquake can stand in her way!"
Brandon walks up to us after he had talked to Mike.
"Dad is okay. He said mom left the precinct around 5. He has no idea where she is or where she went" He inform us with partly relieved look, that was because his dad was fine. But he also looked scared, that was because of not knowing where his mom was
"Brandon, keep trying to call mom. Maybe she walks in a place where there is signal. Just keep trying okay" I say to the oldest and he raises his phone once again up to his ear as he tries her number
"What about Callie?" Jude asks scarred "She doesn't have her phone" He says with a slight panic tone in his voice.
There really was no way of knowing where she is or what has happened to her. The only way to her, is thought Amy. But what are the chances that she knows too? What if they were not together when the earthquake hit? What if they were separated?
I take my phone and start to look for Amy's name in the contact list
Stef POV
I turn fully to Callie, who now was slowly starting to get more and more anxious and had a panic look in her eyes.
I have never taken Callie for someone who scares easily, especially I never thought she would be afraid of small spaces. Okay- small, locked spaces with no way out. We were trapped here, so she has a valid reason to panic. I don't blame her.
Callie's breathing had become even more rapid, the look on her face told me that she was definitely scared.
I walked over to her and grabbed both of her hands, held them in my tightly "Callie, look at me"
Her eyes were darting around, not stopping in one place. It seemed like she wasn't even hearing me.
"Calm down, honey…calm down" I said very calmly to her trying to her attention to me "I pressed the emergency button, someone will come and get us out. You have to trust me…But Callie, baby, you need to try and stay calm, can you do that?"
She kept looking around the elevator, up to the ceiling, with a desperate look on her face. Sweat beads were now visible on her forehead. She pulled her right hand out of my hand. I didn't want to hurt her broken hand, so I didn't try to grab it back.
Then with her right hand, she pulled on the collar of her sweater around the neck, in hope that would get her more air, like the sweater was slowly suffocating her. It seemed to me her mind was telling her she couldn't breather, like she wasn't getting enough air to her lungs.
"Hey…" I placed my left hand on her shoulder, and then run my hand up and down her upper arm soothing her "It's okay, Callie. There is plenty of air for us. We are going to be fine. Rescuers will come and get us out of here. "
More sweat popped on her forehead. She pulled her left hand also out of my hold and once again Callie pulled on the collar of her shirt again, but now with both hands, pulling it away from her neck. Her breathing became more rapid, more shallow, her eyes were darting around the small space, not stopping on one spot for too long. It looked like she was looking through me, not seeing me right in front of her. Callie was having a small panic attack.
The first thing that popped in my mind, regarding this situation, was her being in Juvenile Detention. Being locked in a 3 by 4 grey and cold cell, with just a bed and a toilet in. There is plenty of air there. So being arrested was clearly not the trigger.
"Okay, deep breaths" I say calmly to her and she once more pulled on her sweater. Then i knew it, it had to come off.
"Let's get this off" I react quickly and first thing I do, is reach for the straps of her bag, and take it off her shoulders, I place it in the corner. Then I grab the end of the sweater and pull it over her head. She was now left in a simple black tank top on top. I placed the sweater down on her bag, after I folded it in half. I stand up straight and look at her features.
The panic look was still there, but she did look a slightly better. It looked like getting the sweater off helped her a bit. I place my hands on her shoulder "I need you to breath with me, okay. Take a deep breathe in…"
I take a breath in to demonstrate to her. At first she was not participating along with me, her breathing was still rapid and shallow. But after I do few rounds of it on myself, she starts to copy my breathing technique.
"And out" I exhale. She exhales out following my example. We repeat the technique till she has calmed down enough. Till the panic look in her eyes is slowly disappearing
"You feel better?" I ask placing my right hand on the side of her neck, looking to her eyes. She nods few times and then to my surprise she leans forward for a hug. She presses her head to my shoulder and her hands pull on my back of the shirt.
"It's okay, Callie. We are going to be okay. We will be out of here before you know it. We just need to hold on" I run my hand softly over her back to give her some more comfort
After some minutes in the hug, she leans out of it, now looking all embarrassed and ashamed "I'm sorry. I am sorry i freaked out" she says to me and with her left hand wipes off the sweat on her forehead
"Callie you have nothing to be sorry about. Don't apologize, you don't have to. It is okay to be scared" I say back gently placing my right hand on her shoulder
"I…I don't like-" she looks around the elevator "-being locked in small…spaces"
"You don't have to explain Callie" I say as I felt as thou she was going to share something from her past. I didn't want her to feel pressured, that she has to share. But she just shook her head and continues
"The second foster family…they…whenever I did something wrong or said something wrong, they locked me in this….small space that was under the stairs. It was just two steps wide. I couldn't even stretch out in there. It was dark and dusty, and stuffy in there. It could get hard to breathe. And there was just…there was nothing in there, just wood floor and walls, that were tightly sealed. I couldn't even hear what was happening outside. They would lock it and leave me there for hours if not for the whole night" she says clearly reliving the horrible moment of her foster life in her mind
My heart ached for this girl. Even 20 years being on force I still can't believe how cruel people can get. How cruel and violent, and aggressive people can be to their own kids. And not only to their kids, to any kid. To anyone for that matter. Some parents use cruel methods to teach their kids a lesson, to punish them. It was something I will never understand, how can you hurt another human being?
"Callie, I…" I got this warm feeling in my chest, I felt tears whelming up in my eyes "I'm so sorry that happened to you, honey" I could almost feel her pain
She no longer was looking to my eyes, the moment I said her name, her head hanged down and she was looking at the elevator floor
"It's fine" she said back quietly, she was slowly and lightly shaking her head. Her left hand went to her nose and she rubbed the bridge of it. She looked up back to me, with teary eyes now.
"No, it is not fine" I say back to her holding my own tears in "That should not have happened to you. To anyone for that matter. People like them…they should be locked up or at least not being given the right to foster kids. It is not right and it certainly is not fine"
Callie nods back few times, biting on her side of the lower lip, her eyes sad looking back at me. Those big brown eyes hold so much emotion. She may not express her feeling so much out loud, she may not voice them, but her eyes truly are the window to her soul. To her emotions at least.
I debated with myself for a moment whether or not I should do it. I decide for it, and just go for it. I pull her in another hug.
Callie wasn't much of a hugger. The only people I have seen her hug is Amy and Jude. But she does not protest and tightly hugs me back.
After a minute in the hug, I take Callie's hand as I leaned out "Let's sit down" I say to her and ,still holding her hand, I sit down first. Callie joins me on the ground after a second.
The hot air raises, while the colder air stays lower. And the colder air always seemed more fresh, more calming. That is exactly what Callie needed
I turn to look at her "Cat or a dog?" I start a 'Would you rather?' game with her. She looks to me with a confused look at first but answers me eventually "Dog"
"Beaches or mountains?" You could play this game for hours, and that is exactly what we needed, because we were both stuck here for unknown amount of time "Beach"
"Your turn. You can't repeat a question" I squeeze her hand softly and smile to her.
"Wine or beer?" She asks after a few second of thinking, looking already more relaxed, more calm as her mind was occupied becasue she had to think of an question