My voice echoed through the pitch-black chamber, cascading of the earthen walls as well as what still remained of what I could only assume used to be a clothing store. Aside from the lonely sound of only my own voice coming back to me, I could make out the distant faint sound of small rocks rolling down piles to the floor. A continuous dripping noise was also prevalent, possibly a remnant of the water pipes bursting on the surface.

The sounds were all I could pay attention to, in the hopes that the searing pain I was in would dull. My body was almost entirely pinned under rock and brick, I would have been hungry for pancakes if I hadn’t become one myself. The worst of my pains was that of a burning sensation and tight pincer grip on my left arm, knowing it had been stabbed by either glass or wet rock, as whatever had lodged itself into my limb was ice cold.

My clothing was drenched in sweat as fears mounted in my head, would I get out? Would I survive? Is my arm even usable anymore? Shifting what parts of my body I could, I found that I had some wiggle room under the wreck of buildings. Whatever faith I had was now placed in whoever chose to pity me and grant me a safe exit.

Trying to free my left arm was a disastrous mistake as the shard within it was stabbed both into my limb and into the floor, it tore into my flesh as sinew was pulled apart. Yelling out in pain I knew I had to stop before the whole thing came off. My free right arm, comparatively, was also banged up from falling rocks. I placed my palm flat to the floor to see if what strength I had left would be enough to push myself upwards.

A desk job had not done my muscles any good, my arm shook as I tried to lift the combined weight of my body, minus too much blood, and the rocks that had piled on top of me. I meekly fell down again, the smaller rocks on my back flowing down to the floor to relieve maybe a couple of pounds of weight.

Coughing again, I assumed something had hit my back hard enough to hurt my lungs, but I was no doctor. The compression on my torso made it hard to breathe in deep, so short breaths were required and they did seem to help with the pain, but it also made me even more lightheaded.

That single shaft of light from above, bouncing off of wet surfaces, didn’t give the area enough luminescence to get a good scan, I couldn’t make out anything but the pile of rocks that held my ID and a small area around it. Is that all I would be remembered as? An ID covered in blood and a name. How long can a man bleed before he is lost to whatever vortex awaits when your body gives out?

No. I wouldn’t simply lay here, I did enough passive waiting at my job as it bled me dry, I won’t do the same with this fucking rock! I lean my forearm on the floor once more to push myself up, it works better this time, possibly due to adrenaline or the fact my anger blocked the pain shooting through me as I did so. Shifting my right leg up I am able to kneel slightly, forcing my hand quickly into my pocket and draw my phone.

Only one action was permitted it seemed, my body gave out again as I fell to the floor a third time. More rubble had been pushed off of my back, the weight of the world lessening as I fought back against its goal of burying my existence.

My right arm was still free, clenching my phone as if it were my lifeline rope. I grasped too tightly, however, as the phone had been damaged in the fall and in turn, the shattered glass had pierced my skin. Now was not the time to dread my phone plans, I thumbed the screen and pushed on the side buttons in the hopes it still worked.

While my thumb had its skin scraped off again and again as I tried to get my phone to work, I was finally able to give life to my device. I could barely make out the widgets and colours of the screen that had split into a hundred pieces. Muscle memory served me well as I fumbled around on the touchscreen to find the torch app. A triumphant press of the screen caused a heavenly light to shine from the other side.

I gave a wide toothy smile, stained in blood, and let out a hopeful chuckle. Placing my phone on its side, I used the light to investigate my immediate vicinity. It was definitely a clothing store. Rags and pieces of cloth, leather, and wool were strewn about the floor, combined with broken hangers and security tags.

Crawling my fingers across the floor, I am just able to grab at a nearby scarf and drag it closer to me. Using my mouth and my right hand, I fashion the scarf around my injured hand and wrist. Grabbing onto the clothes hangers I make a wide arc to my back, striking the topmost rocks in the hopes to lodge more weight off of me.

Swinging back and forth I hit both loose, light, rocks into the air as they smash into the nearby walls and glass. I also hit the larger, heavier, rocks that hurt my arm as I bend awkwardly to strike them. Each crack of my joints leads me to a lighter life, though I continue to lose strength as I do so.

Before it is all gone, I dare to make another escape attempt. I lean my forearm to the floor and push a third time. The third is indeed the charm as it is the easiest so far, sliding my right leg to a kneel I push evermore, the tugging on my left arm getting worse as I do so. Finding a stable position I grab my phone and use the light to inspect what is trapping my left side. My left leg wouldn’t be an issue, the left arm, however, would be.

A large shard of rock had found a new home in my forearm, just below my elbow. A large Earth-made shiv had dug into the floor and the rock above, with my arm making a lump of lovely meat for the killer sandwich. Thankfully, aided by my light, I saw the rocks were cracked all over, a good whack would probably separate them.

Looking around I find a nearby metal pole selection, possibly from the display areas of the trouser section. Rolling them closer with my foot, I shove them between the floor and the rock, making support columns for the rock. Using another pole I remove more rubble from my body, leaving only the part that trapped my left arm.

Grabbing a hold of the lower part of the rock shard, I twist and rotate my hand to snap it off, it was brittle enough, but I was too eager in the rescue of my arm. The supports were a good foresight, as snapping the rock caused a large portion of what was in my arm to snap with it. Wincing in pain I yell once again as I tear my arm out of the upper portion of the rock.

Kicking my leg and flailing my arm forwards, I scamper from my previous position and land beside the pile that held my ID. The movies always taught me to remove the thing impaling you, but movies are shit for facts and proper science or medical treatments. One thing I did learn in school though, was to wrap up bleeding wounds to slow them.

Grabbing onto more scarves, I use my mouth and right hand to bandage my left arm at the wound and tourniquet just about it at my elbow. It wasn’t the right pressure, probably too loose, but it would have to do. Breathing fully, I was able to fill my lungs and become elated that my arm was the worst part of the damage, dusty air filled my chest and I thanked whoever smiled upon me.

Picking my phone up, I shine it around the room. The store would have gone on for a while, if not for all the rock, brick, and glass that created hasty walls that blocked further traversal. In the distance, I could see the faint shimmering of the windows that would allow passing shoppers a glance at false bargains, the exit I needed.

Checking what I could of my screen, it showed I had no signal, no internet, and 21% battery remaining. Regardless I attempt to call the emergency services or load up a messaging app. A dull tone and an endlessly rotating circle, for fuck sake. The earthquakes and falling buildings must have hit more than just air and water pipes on their descent.

Thinking about the sheer size this underground shopping centre could have, I fumble around in my broken screen, fuzz from the scarf-glove catching on the serrated edges, until I find the flashlight app. The text “Warning, constant use can damage battery life” didn’t do much to assuage me from using it further, though I did turn down its brightness to hopefully grant it a few more moments of life.

Placing the phone in my chest pocket, I faced the light outwards so that it acted as a chest light. Standing up, I found my left leg had gone dead, so walking with it felt as if I were sinking into my own body. Each step breathed new life into my body, though I knew I didn’t have long with a bleeding wound.

Reaching the front entrance, all of my limbs were fully active, aside from my left arm. Placing my right hand on the doorframes, I looked around, though oddly, as I had to rotate my chest to move the light. At my guess I was on the first floor, the ground floor beneath me, as the glass barriers of the walkways bled into the darkness beneath them.

Shuffling to the barriers I grab hold, breathe in deep, and let out the loudest yell since I was a kid.

“Hello! Is anyone there?!”