I stand motionless with my back against the wall. A wave of fear crashes over me as I realize that I might be killed. Someone nearby is sobbing in the darkness. Someone else panics and tries to get out of the building. There is a brief scuffle as the screaming airman is tackled and held down.
Water flows heavily down the stairwell and gushes in beneath the doors, flooding the lower level.
With a new rush of adrenaline we form a bucket brigade. For the next two hours, by flashlight, we pour countless buckets into the toilets and shower drains. The entire cement block building starts to throb rhythmically from the pounding wind, water, and flying debris. Expecting it to come crashing down at any moment, we drop the buckets and take shelter in the mattress tunnel. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the screaming stops.