The first thing I heard was screaming, but my eyes wouldn't adjust, so I listened harder. Sounds og stuff sliding and falling, people screaming in pain or calling for help, then the sound of gushing water hit me. I realized I felt water around my ankles, but I couldn't see why.
"Bret, are you ok?" I heard a faint voice emerging from the darkness. Why was it so dam dark?
"Jake!" I cried, reaching my hands out in all directions for him, hearing the weakness of his voice, which made me more frantic.
"Calm down, I'm lying down about a few feet in front of you, but your face is covered in something, so kneel and wash your face," Jake ordered calmly. He knew me too well and that I panic in dark and unknown areas. I did what he said, kneeling slowly until my knees hit the watery ground, submerged my hands, and started to wash my face. I felt chunks fall off my face, making me even more panicked. Was my face falling off?
"Bret, it's ok, calm down," Jake firmly stated. I guess seeing me panic.
"I can't see," I cried, shaking.
"Probably caked on."
"What happened?"
"I don't know, I just kind of came to. I can't remember anything."
"Same for me. Where are we?"
"In a large hole is all I can say," Jake replied, making my mind go a million miles a minute. Why were we in a hole? Why was I covered in blood? What happened to us? Did a gas line blow, or was the city being attacked?
"It's not coming off." I blurted, trying even harder to wash it off while I could feel my breathing getting faster. What if I were never able to see ever again?
"Bret! Calm down," Jake loudly but calmly stated, getting my attention, "It's ok. Slowly move toward my voice. We will get it off, just take deep breaths."
"Ok." I whimpered, crawling slowly toward him, doing my best to take deep breaths and not panic.
Crawling in the water for what felt like forever, I finally reached him when I felt his hand on my head. I could feel him touching my face, trying to clean it, but he stopped.
"Bret, we won't be able to get this."
"Why?"
"It's like cemented on your face."
"Try hitting it."
"This might hurt."
"Do it," I replied, readying myself for the impact. I felt him hit me, and a chunk fell away. He let me know he was going to hit it again, which I agreed. Another chunk fell off, and I could see cracks of light, so Jake hit it again and again until the rest fell off.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, but when they finally did, I wish they hadn't. We were at the bottom of what looked like a crater, with the surrounding buildings collapsing into it. People were lying on the sides or climbing out.
I looked at Jake, his usually blonde hair was covered in mud, blood, and other things, but his blue eyes were full of pain. I searched him for some kind of injury, finding a large gash in his right leg above the knee.
"What happened?" I cried looking at his leg reaching
"The same thing that happened to your face." He replied.
"But I don't know what happened to my face."
"Exactly." Jake snapped, biting his bottom lip.
"Let's get you out of here. I don't think this water is good for the wound," I suggested, to which he agreed. I pulled him up as slowly as I could, putting his full weight on me, then we started stumbling our way up. We weren't getting anywhere fast. The side was slick from water and mud, sending us back down.
About ten feet from the bottom, a golden blonde angel appeared with a German shepherd at the top of the hill, yelling my name and scanning the area. So, I waved at her, and she rushed down.
"You got a secret girlfriend I don't know about?" He whispered as she approached.
"I wish," I replied, staring at her like she had a golden light around her.
"Let me help you," she said, walking to the other side of Jake, putting his arm around her. I was thankful for her help. We moved much faster as if the sides were solid, not slick.
At the top, some people were lying down, with others helping them. Some ambulances were already at the scene, but there were too many injured people.
"Bret, give me your shirt." The girl demanded after we set Jake down away from the ledge, then held her hand out. I complied, wondering why, but she took the shirt, wrapping it tightly around Jake's leg as he grunted in pain. She then stood up, walking over to an ambulance driver, saying something to them, then pointing at Jake. One of the workers rushed over, pushing me to the side, and started working on Jake.
I backed away so as not to get in their way. They started to clean the wound before wrapping it, then took him to an ambulance. I went to go with them, but the girl grabbed my wrist, pulling me away from him and the crowd into one of the nearby alleys before I knew what was going on.
"Who are you?" I snapped, trying to stop, but she was stronger, pulling me along like I was a rag doll. She never responded to me, even when I demanded to know where we were going. She and the dog just ran, pulling me behind them. I noticed she kept to the alleys, staying out of sight of people, I guess cause I didn't have a shirt or cause she was kidnapping me.
After about ten minutes, I fell to the ground and started throwing up. The girl walked to my side, rubbing my back while telling me it was ok and to get it all out. I felt so weak she tried but couldn't pick me up, so she dragged me to the nearest wall setting me up against it, then turned to the dog.
"Stay with him, Thor" She ordered, and I swear for a minute the dog rolled his eyes, but he sat next to me as she ran off. I wondered where she was going, but I didn't have the energy to ask, so I just curled up with Thor, who I swear was growling.