*The events of the previous chapter are a synopsis (an overview) of what will occur in the next few chapters.
The man hadn't understood what had happened. At first, the day had been quiet and unassuming. The city was overcast and gloomy—but the atmosphere was pleasant. One could walk outside and feel the breeze through their clothes. The wind was steady, silently blowing through everything that it had touched. The man, wrapped up in bundles of scarfs, sweaters, and jackets, had made his way through the vast majority of the city. His feet walked slowly, one stepping forward, pausing, then slowly pulling backwards while the other moved forward. The man strolled along the roads of the small city, looking up at the sky. He frowned, unable to see any stars. The light pollution had covered the sky up, keeping any celestial bodies locked away from view.
His chin was still raised when he noticed that the buildings were starting to shake. The man took a small breath in, watching as miniscule pieces of buildings started to fall down from the sky.
Was it an earthquake?
The man was stuck. He was deathly afraid. The world had seemed to shift before his very eyes, and he was unable to do anything except watch. His eyelashes trembled, perhaps in fear, or perhaps due to the quaking of the ground.
The first thing he heard was screaming. The screaming of women, of men, of fathers and mothers, of children. They were all screaming. The second he tried to move, to look down, to escape, the road beneath him collapsed. The earth had turned dark and grey, all color zapped away from his eyes. He could only squint, barely able to make out objects.
The second thing he heard was wind. The intensity of the wind shocked his system, he was unable to hear anything. He had half-believed he had gone deaf, unable to understand or comprehend a single sound. A red liquid trickled out of his ears.
The last thing he heard was his own blood curdling scream.
-
"Sir?"
A woman's soft voice had roused the man. He wasn't sure if what he heard was real.
"Sir..?"
The voice grew increasingly louder and more anxious. He really, really wanted to sleep.
"Sir…!"
He opened his eyes, squinting, and waiting for light to blind his eyes. However, there was no light.
The man fumbled around, grasping at the ground. His fingertips gently pressed against the floor, feeling a rough sensation. The ground was covered in dust, and a liquid substance. The air smelled of Iron and blood.
"Miss, are you there..?" He whispered, his voice hoarse. "Miss…?"
"Ah, you're finally awake..!" The woman almost cried of relief, "Sir, do you have a phone on you?"
The man grunted, glancing at his pocket, but still unable to see anything. He moved his hands towards his legs, and felt a small block in his pants. He opened his mouth, silent for a second, "Yes, I do have one."
"Quick, bring it out and turn it on!" Her hands reached towards the man's pants, greedily grasping at the other.
"Miss, wait..! I can get it. I can…" He trailed off, watching as she slid her hands into his pocket and picked out his phone.
The light had turned on.
the man shrieked, instantly bolting backwards. Her scalp was half torn off, half bloody and full of dust. Her skin was broken, her bone showing up from underneath. The woman's legs were bent the wrong way, and blood pooled at the bottom of the floor. She barely even looked human anymore. The only thing revealing she was human was her tightly clasped arms. A small wail sounded from within her arms.
A baby?
The woman had jumped into action now that she could see, quickly relaxing her hold on the babe. With her protection, the baby had remained safe, save for a few scratches. It was a miracle she was alive, however, would she be able to survive much longer? The baby looked frail, as if it hadn't eaten in a few days.
The woman rocked the child back and forth gently, "I'm here." She repeated that phrase into the baby's ear every so often, sometimes differentiating by saying "I won't leave," or "I'm with you." the man was paid no mind to. He quietly watched as the woman cradled the child to sleep, feeling a soft sadness nip at his heart. The woman was dying. She would bleed to death before being able to see her child grow up.
The woman lay silent for a moment, holding the baby in her arms. She stroked the back of the child's head, silently weeping as she tried to hold on to her hand. Her muscles would no longer function properly and let out. The baby rested atop the woman's belly, curled into a ball. Her chest rose and fell with every passing breath.
The man had crawled his way over, wiping the tears off of the woman's face. She looked defeated. But, she wouldn't give up on her child yet.
"Sir…would you take care of my child for me..?" She smiled. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, but her sincerity was clearly seen.
"…what is her name..?" The man asked.
"Ah, her name." The woman repeated. She looked down at the baby resting in her chest. The woman could not remember. The name…
What was her name..?
The man shook the woman slightly. She was falling asleep…or perhaps she was dying. "Stay with me a little longer. What's her name..?"
The woman smiled, "Ah I remember. Her name…"
"Quickly! Tell me the name.."
"Her name is Marisol."