heard in the background, several people yelling “Earthquake!” and Sasha pressed her hand to her earpiece, her expression one of panic as she gripped Malcolm’s arm. A figure ran past in front of them, crying and shouting for emergency services.
“One moment please.” Sasha tried to compose herself, but her voice shook as she kept her hand to her ear for another second or two before saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve just been told we have an emergency report. We’ll try going back to Declan at the news desk.” The image switched to another camera showing several people crossing from one side of the desk to another and a young woman standing off to the side crying. All the while, the shouting continued as people either called for one another or went into a general panic.
Again, the image changed, and we were back to Sasha and Malcolm’s shot where a man with blood on his shirt entered the frame. Malcolm turned his attention to the man, helping him to a seat and inspecting his injury. Through all the chaos, though, Malcolm’s steady voice called for calm and instructed people to find shelter under a sturdy desk and hold tight. He was the calm in a sea of panic as he raised his voice in a clear and confident tone. “Step away from the windows and any heavy objects that might fall! If you can’t find a desk or table, find a sturdy doorway and hold on. There are likely to be aftershocks! Check one another for injuries once you find shelter.”
A second later, the screen went black until it was replaced with an “Emergency Alert” banner and a notice that instructions would follow.
By this point, I was gripping my tablet so hard I was surprised I hadn’t cracked it in two. Everything in me hoped I’d just imagined it all, but all hopes were dashed as the sound of shouts and loud gasps from some of my coworkers echoed outside my office.
My country, my family, my friends, and Malcolm were all in danger and I couldn’t do a single thing to help.
It was ages before I was able to reach anyone back home to check on their safety, and I felt as if I’d gone straight from being twenty-nine to eighty-nine in the time it took. All the Feldish employees either huddled together at the Triumph office switching from one news report to the next or went to their homes to be with family. We all felt helpless and at loose ends.
As new reports came in, we were able to piece together most of what had happened. An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale had hit Lebec, the northernmost region of the Feldlands around seven o’clock in the evening. The quake could be felt throughout the entirety of our small country as well as a few bordering neighbors. As Dunwall was located far to the south, that meant the scene I’d witnessed on my tablet was extremely mild in comparison to what transpired to the north.
Utter devastation.
Buildings and bridges collapsed, roadways and houses split in two, powerlines hung like broken puppet strings—all as the death toll mounted and families and emergency workers searched for the missing.
It was like watching the apocalypse unfold before our eyes, yet not one of us could look away.
The second I heard Tilly’s voice across the phone line, I burst into tears—as did she. Her report was as good as could be expected. A few broken items, alarms sounding everywhere, and the fright of their lives. Zaz even demanded to speak with me and kept asking if I was all right despite the fact that I was thousands of miles away in America.
Three hours after the initial earthquake, an aftershock hit, but was thankfully small. It was immediately following that that my phone rang and Sadie’s voice sounded over the line.
“Alice? Can you hear me?” She was shouting.
I stepped away from the group I’d been speaking with. “Yes. Why are you shouting?”
“Oh, thank God. Everyone’s been trying to reach you. Are you okay?”
“Well, I’m in a bit of shock, as you might expect.” I’d tried to reach Ruby with no success, so I was quick to ask, “Have you spoken to Ruby? Is everyone all right?” My heart clenched as I waited for her answer.
“All present and accounted for. Where are you? Are you in a safe place?”
It only dawned on me then that Sadie thought I was in Dunwall.
I covered my eyes with my free