Earthquake (Sweet Valley High)
Ken Matthews stumbled through the darkness of the Wakefields' ruined kitchen, coughing and gasping from the smoke and dust that filled the air.  He hadn't felt this clumsy and helpless since last fall, when a car accident had left him temporarily blind.  He'd feared then that he would never see again--and never play football again--but his vision had returned before the season ended, and he'd resumed his place in the starting lineup.  Football and other sports had once again become the most important thing in Ken's life until the day he met a sensitive, poetic girl named Freeverse in an Internet chat room."Olivia!" he hollered.  "Where are you?"He and Olivia had fallen in love on-line but for weeks had known each other only by their screen names, Quarter and Freeverse.  When they'd finally met in person, he'd been disappointed to learn that Freeverse was only Olivia Davidson, a girl he'd known since kindergarten without ever really knowing her.  He'd always thought she was a flaky artist, and she'd assumed he was a dumb jock.  But when they decided to give their relationship a shot despite their differences, he'd made the best decision of his life.Ken tossed aside a chair and stumbled on some broken glass.  He grappled with the countertop to keep himself from falling on the shards.  "Livvy! Please answer me!" he cried.He couldn't believe any of this was happening.  Ten minutes earlier he and Olivia had been chatting away, blissfully happy to have settled their differences after an argument that had lasted for nearly two weeks.  The familiar kitchen had been spacious and cheerful, with its bright lights and exposed oak ceiling beams.  Strains of music and laughter filtered in from the backyard, and Olivia's hazel eyes looked almost green, reflecting the colors of a flowery abstract print on her dress.  Her wild brown curls framed her round face, and her lips still shone softly from his last kiss.Now, as he searched for a glimpse of her, he wondered if he'd been transported to some science-fiction hellhole.  The electric lights were out, but a few dull orange flames now flickered at the far end of the room, casting eerie shadows over crumbling walls, splintered furniture, and crushed appliances.  Nothing else moved.The most frightening part was that he was all alone.  He had tried to keep hold of Olivia's hand, but they'd been separated in the earthquake.  Now he couldn't find her anywhere, couldn't find any of their classmates who'd been in the kitchen with them when the ground began to shake.  Part of the house had caved in, and the walls that remained standing emitted a constant chorus of creaks and groans that made it hard for Ken to hear anything else, hard for him to concentrate on listening for a cry or a moan from Olivia or the others."Can anybody hear me?" he yelled.  "Olivia!" He had to find her.  He just had to.  They had been together for only a short time, but already he couldn't imagine life without her."Olivia!" he called, his throat already sore from breathing the pungent smoke and from yelling her name.  A quick aftershock rumbled the floor beneath him.  Suddenly the room around him exploded in a torrent of sound and motion.  Chunks of plaster rained down around him.Ken covered his head with his arms and rode it out.  When the shaking stopped, he realized he was standing in front of what had been a hip-high bank of cabinets topped by a tiled counter.  A jumble of drywall, metal ductwork, and electrical wiring had fallen from the ceiling, nearly obscuring the counter beneath it.  The end of a thick wooden ceiling beam jutted out from the center of the pile, its other end buried in a pile of debris that covered much of the floor beyond the countertop.Ken's mind flashed back to the earthquake, back to a moment he'd managed not to think about.  In agonizing slow motion, he saw Olivia in the darkness, raising her slender arms in a futile effort to protect herself.  He saw her terror-filled eyes as the heavy oak beam crashed down.  He'd tried to run, tried to reach her in time, but there was too much debris in the way.  Olivia had disappeared in a rain of drywall, her scream cut short.  He'd lost her position in the succeeding aftershocks, had gotten turned around by the dark and confusion.But this was the same wooden ceiling beam that had fallen on her.  Ken was sure of it.  That meant Olivia was somewhere beyond the counter, probably lying helpless in the debris of the caved-in ceiling, just under that beam.  A shower of sparks erupted from some wires nearby.  For a moment the sparks illuminated a small, delicate object sticking out of the pile.  It was the soft, heartbreaking shape of a shoe, one of the balletlike slippers that Olivia favored.  Ken's stomach shifted dangerously, bile rising in his throat."Olivia!" he screamed, his eyes desperately trained on the ceiling beam as he prayed that the next flash of light would reveal some movement.  "Livvy, can you hear me?"He couldn't get to her.  The row of cabinets blocked his path, and the debris from the ceiling was too unstable to climb over.  He'd have to move the chunks of wood, metal, and drywall, one by one, until he reached her."No, no, no, please, no .  .  ." A girl was sobbing, her terrified tone echoing the fear and confusion in Elizabeth's heart.  Elizabeth focused on the voice.  She couldn't help her family right now, but there were people all around her who were bewildered, lost, and terrified.She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to steel herself against despair.  She knew she'd be a lot braver with her sister, Jessica, at her side.  Jessica was usually the life of the party, flirting her way from one guy to the next without a second thought.  But when it came to emergency situations, Jessica always displayed a brave, rational side that never ceased to amaze Elizabeth.  Normally the organized, responsible one, Elizabeth often found that she needed her sister as a rock to lean on in times of trouble.  Elizabeth could always come up with a plan, but it took Jessica's guts to carry it out.Their strengths complemented one another.  It was their differences that made them an unbeatable team.But Jessica wasn't here.  A wave of loneliness swept over Elizabeth, and she tried not to let it consume her.  Keep calm, Liz.  You have to find your friends and make sure they're all right.  Somebody has to take control.  Elizabeth clenched her fists and looked around the patio area.Her gaze fell on Caroline Pearce, who sat shivering by the edge of the pool, staring in confusion at part of an uprooted tree that lay on the flagstones beside her.  Her pink dress clung wetly to her slender form, making her look as small and frail as a child.  Elizabeth crouched at her side."Caroline, are you hurt?" she asked.Caroline shook her head slowly, her dusty red curls reflecting glints of light from a nearby lantern."Caroline, it's me, Elizabeth.  You have to pull yourself together.  A lot of people need our help."The redheaded girl stared at Elizabeth, and her eyes seemed to clear.  Then she closed her mouth, nodded, and took a few deep breaths."I'm OK," Caroline said, her voice cracking.  "It's Ronnie.  He's--" Caroline broke off, gesturing limply at the tree.Elizabeth's heart leaped into her throat.  Slowly she turned to look at the fallen cedar.  What she saw made her blood run cold.  A lifeless body lay broken and battered underneath its branches."Ronnie Edwards?" Elizabeth whispered, tears springing to her eyes.  "Is he .  .  .  ?""I don't know, Liz.  I can't--" Caroline sobbed, and started rocking forward, holding her arm across her stomach and one hand over her mouth.Elizabeth stood on shaky legs.  She walked around the tree and saw his face--a face she'd known forever--white and chalky beneath the emerald green leaves.  His skin practically shone in the darkness.  Moving as if through molasses, Elizabeth crouched down and found his wrist.  She held her breath.  There was no pulse."No!" Elizabeth cried with a whimper.  Caroline's sobs grew louder as if in reply.  "He can't be .  .  ." Elizabeth gasped for breath and turned away.  She and Ronnie had never been exactly close, but he had dated her best friend, Enid, for a time, and he was so young.  He'd had his whole future ahead of him.  Elizabeth's entire body ached with despair.Someone stumbled into her side, and Elizabeth had to grab a tree branch to keep herself from tumbling over.  It was Amy Sutton, her straight blond hair streaked with dirt.  Her eyes were wide with terror.  Elizabeth rose, pulling Amy up with her.  She turned Amy away so that the obviously stricken girl wouldn't have to see Ronnie's body.Amy clutched at Elizabeth as Caroline rose to stand beside them, breathing slowly to calm her sobs."Barry? Have you seen him?" Amy demanded.  "He was right next to me, but now I can't find him.  God, Liz, what ...