Wake Up Call

I jolted awake. Then I kept jolting. Trying to wrap my tired mind around what was happening, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t me that was shaking, it was everything around me. I could hear my bed, dresser, wardrobe, and various pottery pieces around my house bouncing along with the actual building itself. Earthquake. I realized what was happening fairly quickly for someone who had just been startled awake and for someone who had never experienced an earthquake before. Thoughts tumbled into my head more quickly than I could process them. Is the building going to fall down? Is my computer okay? Should I lay in a ditch? No. Maybe act bigger than the earthquake. No. Stupid. Should I stand in the doorway? No, there’s three floors above me, a doorway won’t help. When will it stop? Should I log into facebook? This would make a good status. Finally, the shaking stopped. The apartment quieted down. Nearly hyperventilating, I leaned over and yanke...