Suddenly, without any warning, the earth started to shake.  I lost the balance and almost fell to the floor. With an effort, I stood on the feet and tried to figure out what’s going on. But some kind of mysterious power pushed me again. It was so strong that I felt as if I would be thrown out of the window. Then I heard someone scream: “Earthquake, Run!” The water dispenser fell down with a huge Bang, and water spilled everywhere. The windows trembled like leaves in the wind with terrible squeaks. Panic had overwhelmed the whole office in a minute. Everyone start to run for their lives. Occasionally screams and weeps could be heard.

It must be a dream, I thought. Just funny to think about a serious earthquake would happen here. But the floor where I stood had become weird as if it were not the floor anymore but turned into a sinking boat. And I realized it was not a dream.

Everything came so quickly, now when I looked back, the following was just a blur to me. I remembered I rushed out of the door with the others, I remembered the elevator was full that we had to run down the stairs; I remembered Lucy took off her high heels and ran on her bare feet; I remembered the shock and fear in everyone’s face after we arrived at the parking yard. After the fact was registered, automatically and almost simultaneously, we took out the cell phones and tried to make calls. But the phone went dead, the communication was down. We dialed the numbers again and again but only got “Network Failed” on the phone. My nerves went on frayed when I thought that my elder parents were taking care of two babies---my son and my nephew—alone in home, and how scared they must have felt. I still didn’t believe the earthquake would bring any real damage, but I was afraid that some accident might arise when they were in panic. I must find a way to contact them, to make sure that they were OK. Without a second thought I went back into the building. Perhaps fixed telephone could do the trick, but there was no answer. Mike waved his hand frantically outside to ask me out. I felt another jolt, and the power went off. I let out a scream and rushed out of the building immediately.

My husband’s company is only a few blocks away from where I work. Usually he would pick me up when off duty. But I couldn’t contact him and I didn’t know how long he could reach here. To lighten the burden on the traffic, private cars were not allowed for this road any more. To wait another minute without any messages, it was a torture for me. I would feel better if I were on the way to the place where my parents and my son has lived.  Taxi was out of the option, so I squeezed myself into an overcrowded bus. On bus, many strangers talked about what they had just experienced, and the others continued to work on the dead cell phone. I tried to send out the messages, after failed many times, one message was successful sent to my husband: “I am on the way to my parent’s home, come there too if you are free.”  Ten minutes later, I received a message from my husband: “I’ve already on the way.” Relieved, I tried to send more messages, but “No Service.”

All of the hardships a person had to face none were more punishing than the simple act of unknowing. I found myself caught in a net of terrible thoughts. They fell to the floor, or something fell on them…My head rang and rang with these thoughts. Time stretched with my anxiety growing.  The traffic was terrible. I never thought that Chengdu could be so crowded at three o’clock in the afternoon. The street was packed with people. As soon as the bus pulled up the station, many people tried to squeeze themselves into the bus. There was no room any more. I heard a women crying: “Let me in, I have a baby at home!”  But she failed, the bus left her behind.

It took me three hours to reach my parents home. I had to go off the bus, and ran a long way to reach there because the bus was jammed and went dead in the long traffic flow. Then I saw my parents and my son, sitting in the yard, tired and scared---but safe! Tears welled-up, I rushed forward, hold my son tightly for a long time.