Seattle Quake 9.2 Read Online Free
intentionally raised her voice, "The last thing I'd do right now is get in an elevator." But the couple only stared at her, waited for the door to open, and then stepped inside. Seely closed her eyes and listened as the elevator wined its way down six floors. Endless seconds later it stopped and the door opened.
The man across the hall shook his head. "You can't tell them. People just don't understand until they've been in a bad one."
"I know, I've got a daughter and son-in-law who think I'm a whacked out alarmist for making them keep their earthquake kit up to date."
"Good for you. Speaking of family, I better see if my wife's okay." He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and stepped back inside his apartment.
Cautiously, Seely slipped through her foyer and grabbed the phone off an end table next to her pastel peach sofa. Untangling the long cord, she quickly walked back to the open door, dialed the number and listened.
In the suburb of Crown Hill, ninety-seven blocks north of Queen Ann Hill, the familiar voice of her son-in-law answered, "Yes?" Theo Wesley held the phone in one hand and a TV remote in the other with his tall, thin frame sprawled out on the living room sofa.
Seely tried desperately to control the quiver in her voice, "You guys alright?"
Theo quickly sat up, "Why, what's happening?"
"We just had an earthquake."
He frowned and abruptly turned the volume down on the television, "Ah Ma, are you sure? I didn't feel anything."
"Lucky you."
"Hang on, Ma, there's the other line."
Seely listened to the familiar nothingness of hold, took another deep breath and cautiously made her way across the living room. Careful not to get too close, she peeked out her picture window. The older, brick apartment buildings below looked undamaged, the water of the Bay seemed calm and the chopper hovering above it didn't seem alarmed. Even so, she quickly went back to the hallway.
"That was Michelle…Ma, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here."
Theo turned the television off, set the remote down and absentmindedly toyed with the phone cord. "She's downtown shopping and scared out of her wits. She says they're evacuating so she's coming home."
"Good. Have her call me when she gets there."
"Dang, I never feel anything. How big this time?"
Seely thought for a moment, "A Four."
"Four it is then, you haven't been wrong yet. Dang, I'd like to feel it just once."
"Careful what you wish, son."
"Are you okay?" Theo paused for a long moment before he continued, "Ma, I gotta tell you, we worry more about your heart than we do about earthquakes. You get so scared."
"One bad quake and you'll be just like me…scared the rest of your life. Have Michelle call me, okay?"
"Okay. You sure you're all right?"
"I'm sure." Seely hung up the phone, and then cautiously went back inside. She sat down on the edge of her easy chair and concentrated on calming her nerves. On the opposite wall, a landscape painting hung askew. Above and below it, jagged new cracks stretched through the plaster. With her eyes, she followed the upper one to the ceiling where it turned toward the windows and stopped. Behind her, both sides of the door to her bedroom displayed angled, hairline cracks four to six inches long. Still unnerved, she lifted her hands and rubbed her forehead -- exposing a half-inch, pear shaped birthmark midway down her right forearm. Finally, Seely relaxed and turned to gaze out the window. Only then did she realize the radio was still on. Collin Slater's deep rich voice was comforting, but the female caller was near hysterics.
"No kidding?" Collin asked.
"I'm telling you, a man fell off the Aurora Bridge. I was watching him when the earthquake hit and now he's gone…oh wait, there he is. I guess he just fell down. Maybe he sat down to keep from falling. I…”
For nearly five hours, all ten lines on Collin's console lit up repeatedly. Firsthand accounts reported only slight damage. Cans fell off shelves, a few
The man across the hall shook his head. "You can't tell them. People just don't understand until they've been in a bad one."
"I know, I've got a daughter and son-in-law who think I'm a whacked out alarmist for making them keep their earthquake kit up to date."
"Good for you. Speaking of family, I better see if my wife's okay." He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and stepped back inside his apartment.
Cautiously, Seely slipped through her foyer and grabbed the phone off an end table next to her pastel peach sofa. Untangling the long cord, she quickly walked back to the open door, dialed the number and listened.
In the suburb of Crown Hill, ninety-seven blocks north of Queen Ann Hill, the familiar voice of her son-in-law answered, "Yes?" Theo Wesley held the phone in one hand and a TV remote in the other with his tall, thin frame sprawled out on the living room sofa.
Seely tried desperately to control the quiver in her voice, "You guys alright?"
Theo quickly sat up, "Why, what's happening?"
"We just had an earthquake."
He frowned and abruptly turned the volume down on the television, "Ah Ma, are you sure? I didn't feel anything."
"Lucky you."
"Hang on, Ma, there's the other line."
Seely listened to the familiar nothingness of hold, took another deep breath and cautiously made her way across the living room. Careful not to get too close, she peeked out her picture window. The older, brick apartment buildings below looked undamaged, the water of the Bay seemed calm and the chopper hovering above it didn't seem alarmed. Even so, she quickly went back to the hallway.
"That was Michelle…Ma, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here."
Theo turned the television off, set the remote down and absentmindedly toyed with the phone cord. "She's downtown shopping and scared out of her wits. She says they're evacuating so she's coming home."
"Good. Have her call me when she gets there."
"Dang, I never feel anything. How big this time?"
Seely thought for a moment, "A Four."
"Four it is then, you haven't been wrong yet. Dang, I'd like to feel it just once."
"Careful what you wish, son."
"Are you okay?" Theo paused for a long moment before he continued, "Ma, I gotta tell you, we worry more about your heart than we do about earthquakes. You get so scared."
"One bad quake and you'll be just like me…scared the rest of your life. Have Michelle call me, okay?"
"Okay. You sure you're all right?"
"I'm sure." Seely hung up the phone, and then cautiously went back inside. She sat down on the edge of her easy chair and concentrated on calming her nerves. On the opposite wall, a landscape painting hung askew. Above and below it, jagged new cracks stretched through the plaster. With her eyes, she followed the upper one to the ceiling where it turned toward the windows and stopped. Behind her, both sides of the door to her bedroom displayed angled, hairline cracks four to six inches long. Still unnerved, she lifted her hands and rubbed her forehead -- exposing a half-inch, pear shaped birthmark midway down her right forearm. Finally, Seely relaxed and turned to gaze out the window. Only then did she realize the radio was still on. Collin Slater's deep rich voice was comforting, but the female caller was near hysterics.
"No kidding?" Collin asked.
"I'm telling you, a man fell off the Aurora Bridge. I was watching him when the earthquake hit and now he's gone…oh wait, there he is. I guess he just fell down. Maybe he sat down to keep from falling. I…”
For nearly five hours, all ten lines on Collin's console lit up repeatedly. Firsthand accounts reported only slight damage. Cans fell off shelves, a few
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