Page 29 - Oz Kids in Print, Issue 1, 2020

Ground Shatter

AMES!” Felix screamed at the top at the office. he runs to the office, as fast lines as a whole row fell, causing a power
of his voice, “Come, quick!”. James as he can, but the office is still kilometres outage. All of the phone boxes had no
“Jran to Felix’s office, wondering what away. As he gets closer, the small rumbles power, so he had to look for a smartphone.
the fuss was about. “What happened?”, turn into shakes, and when he arrives at his he found a phone store, which had the
James said. “There’s a massive earthquake car, the shakes are so bad it’s disorienting. SOS calling blocked, and he found a phone
right here in California!”, he said, pointing All the traffic jams had cleared, and with a cracked screen, which he started
at his monitor. “get help! Call everyone!” the only sounds were coming from the the call, but the call ended because the
“how big?” “really big, looks like an eight earthquake. phone died. It could still prove useful
and a half on the richter scale”, he said, anyway. When the sun started to set, he
with a little panic in his voice. “What do James starts his car and makes his way tried to find a place to sleep, and he chose
we do?” “Contact the Emergency Services”, out, until a massive ravine splits right a relatively intact house, as some of the
James decided, “and get them here”. Felix in front of him. The ground shudders roof had fallen off, but the bedroom was
runs to find the nearest phone, sliding terribly, causing it to be impossible to see fine and the door was unlocked. Inside he
across the slippery floor. temporarily. Buildings topple, falling like found a radio, which still had power left.
dominoes. It becomes hard to navigate he tuned in to a radio station from very far
The Emergency Services arrive, searching through the horrible debris and hard to see away, the signal delivered a sound which
the place like it’s a crime scene. One talks through the dust shot into the air. James was mostly static. Some words could be
to me, on his badge it says his name is found the golden gate Bridge, although heard, “California… Biggest ever… 9.4…
Marshall. “Show me the earthquake”, it was shaking uncontrollably, so much Tsunami going… Australia… The ground
he said in a voice so deep it sounded that it was a miracle that it stayed on. It moved 8…” Then it just returned to static.
fake. James shows him the seismograph, was the only escape from San Francisco,
and it didn’t change Marshall’s soulless as ravines and gaps had formed around Sleep didn’t come easily; he was woken up
expression. More workers crowd around, me, and many of the other bridges had frequently from an early aftershock that
most of them were calling someone. The fallen already. The safest points on the knocked down the house next door, so he
crowd disperses, and Marshall comes to bridge were the supports, as they were decided to get away from the house and
talk again. “I’ll have to bring you in for the only part that wasn’t swinging. James started searching for some way to get help.
questioning.” “Why?” James asks, but ventured forward, through a swinging James came across a petrol station that was
Marshall was already walking towards bridge, flooring it to make it as quick as very far out, so it ran on a diesel generator.
the exit. Later, at their headquarters, possible. James slid scarily close to the he poured diesel into a jerry can, then
when held in questioning, James starts edge of the bridge every time the bridge poured it into the generator, and started
paying less and less attention to Marshall’s swayed. James had reached the centre of it, which generated easily enough power
questions and focuses on the faint rumble the bridge in possibly the world’s quickest to charge the phone, which he used to call
from underneath his chair. he stands up, time. he had heard a massive crack ring SOS. They said they would help him escape
and tells Marshall, “Listen, do you hear through the bridge, and he looked back, to “within one day, make yourself visible”. he
the rumble of the earthquake?”. Everyone see that the first support had fallen, almost gathered as many different bright colours
in the room, James, Marshall, and a few pulling the next one with it. he managed as he could, high vis clothing, paint and
others stay completely silent. The lights to find a way to go faster than he already glow sticks, and formed the letters SOS
flicker, then everyone ran out of the room was. James was ridiculously close, as the on a port. he waited until he heard a
except James, in panic. They run for their next support broke, this time pulling the helicopter, and started flailing his arms
cars to try and get out of the area. Looking whole bridge down with it. he had made around hoping he saw him. The helicopter
out the window, James sees everyone in it, exasperated, but still had to keep going. dropped a ladder, James climbed it, and
their vehicles trying to leave, causing he was saved. A few days after, he was
massive traffic jams. he walks The earthquake had stopped just after. The taken into questioning once again, with
out, with his car still engine started to smoke, so he pulled over Marshall.
at Sausalito and looked for a way to call for
help. A big crack could be heard through By Nate Petty
the city and sparks flew Year 9, Notre Dame College
from power SHEPPARTON – VIC.
Teacher: Jacinta Cosgriff

Issue 1, 2020 29