The further we walked the more normalcy returned. Not just how I felt, but everything. The roads seemed solid and the buildings were still standing. Maybe it was just a tremor, just an isolated shift and nothing to worry about. Something I'd be looking at on Monday, trying to figure out why the hell Atlanta was having any kind of noticeable seismic activity.
"We might be able to take the train at Lindbergh Center," Brent said as if he could read my mind. "It seems stable around here."
"No!" Jake replied sharply. "I'm not getting on that damn thing, no matter how it looks. The last place I want to be is underground."
"You're such a pussy."
"Call me what you want. I'm not getting trapped in a damn tin can. I'll take my chances up here."
With that, Brent gave up on his plan. So, we just kept on walking. I was holding Cindy, nearly carrying her as we trotted down the street. My mind was a tornado and no matter how much I tried to write it off, I knew something was wrong.
We'd survived a catastrophe. Walked right out of the front door of what ended up being a coffin for most and we barely had a scratch. I wanted to say I was in shock, but I wasn't sure. The longer we walked the more things popped into my mind that I should've done or been concerned with. But when we came out of the club the only thing I cared about was getting as far away as I could.
I stopped walking and patted my pockets then looked around. "Does anyone have their phone?"
"My purse," Cindy grunted. "Shit...I left my purse in there."
Her face immediately morphed into a painful frown and I knew she was judging herself. She did that a lot, and complaining about a purse when people died in that building was certain to put her on her own shit list.
"It's not your fault," I said and rubbed her back.
She nodded and continued to sulk.
"Got mine," Brent said and held up his silver IPhone.
"Mine is...not here," Jake laughed. "I wanted an upgrade anyway, but we don't need to call anyone. There were tons of people there already."
"I don't have service anyway," Brent replied. "What about you, Max?"
Shrugging, I held my hands up in defeat. “I think I dropped my phone in the toilet."
"Great...let's just keep going."
We turned back down the sidewalk, but stopped as a loud high-pitched tone echoed down the street. It was a metallic screech like bad brakes, grinding on rotors. I covered my ears and squinted.
"What the hell?" Brent shouted.
The noise droned on like nails on a chalkboard. It was getting louder and louder, squeezing my ear drums like cotton balls. Cindy fell to the ground, clutching her head and Brent and Jake were nearly in tears.
As the sound continued, the sidewalk started to shake and I looked up ahead to the Arts Center Transit station. The ground near it started to buckle and it felt like I was trying to balance on a soccer ball. A bulge appeared in the asphalt just to the right of the station and cracks spiraled across the sidewalk, shooting into the road.
"Argh!!" I yelled as the pressure in my ears reached a pinnacle.
For the first time that I could remember I felt real fear, down to the core of my soul. The kind of fear that haunted the dark before man discovered fire. The kind that children felt when they looked into a closet at night.
It wasn’t like inside of the club, it was different. I could hear the piercing sound of fate and there was nowhere to hide. I could hear death coming, but I couldn’t see it and that twisted my stomach inside out.
The high-pitched shrill continued. I thought my head was going to erupt and right when I couldn't take another second, the sound exploded just as a train ripped through the ground and burst into the air like a flaming arrow. It smashed into the station, sending burning pieces of shrapnel in every direction.
“Jesus!” Brent snapped.
Like a manic snake, the train lurched from the Earth, flames and body parts spewing from the sides. Screams of horror and death replaced the screeching and the smell of cooking flesh permeated the air.
The ground shook and the concrete splintered. A crack ran down the middle, shredding the road in half. The asphalt in front of me shuddered then crumbled into a black abyss. Everything was falling apart and the Earth was hell bent on swallowing us all.
I shifted to one side and grabbed Cindy by the arm. We fell back into the grass then scuttled away as the gap widened like the ground was taking a deep breath.
With a grunt, Brent jumped and landed on the curb. He stumbled onto the grass next to us then whipped around, looking for Jake who for reasons only he knew, hadn’t moved.
The asphalt below him caved in and in slow motion Jake fell backward. The ground was a hungry mouth opening to greet him, waiting to devour him like one of those meat eating plants. With his arms swinging recklessly, and his eyes screaming for help, Jake tumbled and vanished beneath the road.
CHAPTER 4
HOME SICK
Cindy unleashed a wailing, cry and fell to the ground. My jaw dropped and I felt my knees buckling underneath me. Before I could move Brent was already on his feet, rushing toward the massive gap.
The road was ripped apart. The two sides were split down the middle and slowly crumbling away like a cigarette bud.
"Jake!" Brent yelled. "Jake...where are you?"
Suddenly, a hand shot up from the depths and grabbed the side of the road. Another hand slapped at the pavement beside it then a dirt covered face peeked out.
"Brent! Get me the fuck out of here!" Jake screeched.
His voice was pained and quivered with fear. I'd never heard him like that, I'd never heard anyone like that. It was like he'd seen death face to face.
"Stay here!" I told Cindy.
I followed after Brent and ran into the road. Together we grabbed Jake's arms and pulled him up. All three of us fell back onto the curb as a rush of steam whooshed behind him.
I could feel the heat against my skin. It was like I’d stuck my head in an oven. Anyone caught in the direct blast would’ve been cooked alive.
“Damn that was close,” I yelped.
Jake struggled to catch his breath. His hands were pretty sliced up, but other than that he looked fine. He still had the look of terror etched on his face and I knew this nightmare would only get worse.
Brent looked back at the crumbling road and scampered further onto the sidewalk, pulling Jake along with him. As another chunk of asphalt broke away I scrambled to my feet and followed.
"You okay?" I asked and wrapped my arms around Cindy.
She didn't respond, she lifted her hand and pointed toward the station. The mangled remains of the train were intertwined with the building. Jagged metal strips wrapped around the iron framing like tinsel. Fire rolled across the surface like it was alive, melting the frame like wax.
"My God," I mumbled.
My heart pounded like a timpani drum, but through that I could hear the screams for help. People wailing in pain as they burned to death, trapped inside of the twisted train's compartments. It was no way to die.
Rancid, black smoke was starting to cloud the air. It covered the station as it floated through the night like a cloak. The Grim Reaper had been busy.
"We have to help," Brent said lowly.
How could we help? Even as I watched, small explosions went off from God knew what, pieces of the transit station crumbled to the ground and the groans from inside intensified. How could we help without needing someone to help us?
"It's too dangerous," I replied.
"What? Those people are dying, Max....we have to do something."
"We have to get the hell out of here. Brent, Jake almost died. Hell, we all did...in the club, just now, we just need to get home. We can call someone from there."
More of the building fell and another scream blared out. The ground started to shake again and I could feel the hairs on my arms spike. Cindy shivered and pulled her arms in tight. I grabbed her and started down the sidewalk.
"Come on," I
said. "We're going home."
CHAPTER 5
DOWNWARD SPIRAL
I don't know what I expected once we made it home, but it wasn't what I saw. Maybe complete chaos, maybe the outer walls burning or the entire complex engulfed in flames. But not this.
The lights outside were on, the ones on the street and around the building. Everything looked orderly and untouched by the clumsy hands of disaster. Even the automatic doors slid open as we walked into the lobby and soft tunes of classical piano greeted our ears.
Herman, the doorman, was standing near the front with an uninterested look on his face. He seemed bored, like he’d welcome a natural disaster or any kind of reprieve from his regular nightly duties.
"Rough night?" Herman asked as he gazed at us.
I looked down at my ripped, jeans covered in dirt and grime. Blood stained my hands and shirt and I could feel it drying like plaster in my hair. It had been a rough night and from the looks of it, he didn't even know the half.
"Is everything okay here?" I asked him.
"Um, yeah...just another day, living to serve," he replied sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes and continued, "What about the earthquake? You guys didn’t have to evacuate or anything?"
Herman smiled then started to laugh. He pointed at me then threw his hands into the air and shrugged his shoulders. With a red face, he doubled over. "You young people and your drugs."
"Dude are you--," Brent started, but I cut him off.
"Have a good night, Herman. We'll see you tomorrow."
“Yeah…looks like you potheads had enough fun for all of us. Try not empty out the vending machines in the clubhouse,” Herman snorted.
I nudged Brent forward and we headed to the elevators. Once we got inside Brent turned to me with a snarl.
"What the hell, man?" he growled.
"Jumping down the doorman's throat isn't gonna fix anything. Look around, obviously nothing happened here."
"Well shit, Max, I'm not a super scientist like you, but there's no way they didn't feel that over here."
"I don't know...we all just need to calm down."
Brent sighed and leaned back against the wall. He growled under his breath and rubbed his face. He was cracking and I didn’t blame him. This was more than anyone should have to handle.
With a ding, the doors slid open and we stepped into the hallway. The dim lighting and soft tones meant to put people at ease did nothing to calm my nerves. I scanned the shadowy corridor as my arms erupted in a field of goosebumps.
"What now?" Brent asked. “We just go to sleep like none of this ever happened?”
"I don’t know. We need to sit down somewhere and figure all of this out. You guys coming in?" I asked.
"I need to take a shower," Jake replied.
"Me too,” Brent added We'll run by our place then head over in a few.”
"Sounds like a plan."
With Cindy holding my arm, I headed to our apartment. She was still pretty shaken and hadn't said a word since the train station. She had me worried, but so did a lot of things.
"I'll get you some water," I said as she sat down onto the sofa.
She nodded and I made my way to the kitchen. I was still amazed that the lights worked, that anything worked. I expected more destruction, but nothing had happened here, it was just another day in Atlanta.
"Here, drink this."
Cindy took the glass and brought it to her lips. She drank a few sips then took a deep breath. "All of those people," she said in a low voice. "We left all of those people to die."
"We would've died with them," I replied. “There was nothing we could do, Cindy, but now, now we can call for help.”
I grabbed the house phone and turned it on. There was an optimistic dial tone so I punched in the numbers 9-1-1 and waited.
It felt like a lifetime, but eventually the busy signal started to beep. Grunting, I hung it up and tried again. The same thing.
"Lines are busy," I said lowly and took a seat next to Cindy.
“We left them,” she groaned again. “We didn’t do anything.”
“It’s not our fault, Cindy. Things happen and we can’t control that.”
"I'm scared, Max... real scared," she cried and leaned her face into my shoulder.
"It's gonna be okay. Look around, we’re safe here."
"I just...what if this is it? What if this is the end of the world?"
I laughed slightly then straightened my face. "Come on, Cindy. It's not the end of the world.
Everything is gonna be fine."
"But what if it is? What if this is just how it starts? I don’t want to be one of those people that thinks everything is okay until it’s too late to do anything about it.”
“Cindy, come on…it’s not, it’s not the end of the world. Alright?”
“I'm serious, Max. I 'm really scared...and, and there's something I need to tell you," she said as she turned to me with tears in her eyes and grabbed my hand.
"Yeah?"
"I don't want anything bad to happen and I never said anything. I just...I just have to tell you."
"Cindy, what are you talking about? Nothing bad is gonna happen. What's bothering you?"
Cindy took a deep breath. She bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists. Her face was pained and contorted. It was more than tonight that was bothering her.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and stuttered, "It's...it's just that--"
Suddenly, the door burst open. Cindy jumped back and let my hand fall. She turned to the door as Jake and Brent stormed in and rushed into the living room.
"Dude have you seen this shit?" Jake asked and grabbed the remote control for the TV.
He hit the power button then scrolled through a few channels. He stopped on the news then sat back onto the couch.
I stared at the TV in disbelief. A banner scrolled across the bottom, but the headline and what the anchor was ranting about caught my attention.
"Underground gas explosion claims the lives of 56 at Atlanta night club.”
The anchor was going on about how the explosion caused damage to the underground transit system and may have impacted pickup times for the train.
It was complete bullshit. They were covering it up. There was no way a gas explosion caused any of that damage. I saw the ground moving myself, I felt it shifting underneath my feet.
"Can you believe this crap they’re spewing?" Jake snapped.
I felt just as angry as he did. I couldn’t believe they weren’t warning people or evacuating the downtown area. If I hadn’t been down there first hand, it would’ve sounded crazy, but I knew there’d been an earthquake.
“Maybe they’re not trying to panic the whole city,” Brent said as he stared at the TV.
“By letting everyone die instead. This is the same shit they always do. Nothing to see here folks,” Jake replied. “Just move it along.”
“What’d you expect them to say? Get out of town now, run for your lives. Don’t go all conspiracy theory on me. Give them some time to figure it out.”
“Hey, at least we know they’re down there and someone’s helping the people at the train station,” I added.
Jake shrugged then let out a deep breath. For the next few hours we were glued to the television, watching update after update. The death toll at the club continued to climb and no one from the train survived. It was a sad day for the whole city.
I grabbed some extra blankets from the closet as the temperature dropped. No one wanted to go to sleep though, we were too invested in what was going on and what we might miss. At some point in the night however, we all caved into exhaustion and passed out.
CHAPTER 6
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
It wasn’t the quake that awoke me the next morning. It wasn’t the falling picture frames or dishes that crashed from the cabinets. Not the screeching of tires or the sounds of sirens and shouts for help. Not even the sound of our door cracking and falling into the apar
tment disturbed my slumber.
I slept right through every bit of the destruction, we all did. The combination of liquor and shock nearly put me into a coma. The adrenaline dump alone could’ve done it, but after seeing what we’d seen it wasn’t any wonder that a train crashing through the front door wouldn’t have awakened us.
You wouldn’t think it, but it was the quiet, the lack of sound, the lack of anything that sent an eerie chill through my unconscious mind. Something in my head screamed, “Wake up, dummy! The world is ending!” And only the uncomfortable feeling of silence could’ve carried that message.
I cracked my eyelids and swam through a sea of darkness. For a minute, I wasn’t even sure if my eyes were open. There was nothing, not a flicker, not a twinkle of light anywhere. It was complete, pitch-black darkness.
Groaning, I slowly sat up, making sure to keep my hands firmly planted on the sofa. It was my only reference point and without it I’d be lost in a nebulous sea, screaming for help like a toddler.
“Think,” I told myself. I knew I couldn’t stay there forever. The world was falling apart all around me and I wasn’t’ gonna die in my damn apartment.
Brent and Jake were somewhere on the floor and Cindy had slipped off to the room. I racked my brain for just how I could get to her without killing myself. If I called her she’d probably walk right out of the window, but I risked the same fate.
Out of options I rolled off of the sofa and crawled in the direction of our bedroom. I waved my hand out in front of me, sweeping it back and forth like a walking stick. It was a tense couple of minutes, but my memory and sense of direction served me well.
As I felt the mattress, of our bed I heard Cindy grunt and roll over. I grabbed her foot and slowly stood up.
“Cindy,” I called out. “Cindy, wake up.”
“No!” she suddenly shouted.
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