Remembering Sept 4th: Judy Mohr
September the 4th, 2010: 4:35 am
Christchurch, New Zealand
Prose by Judy Mohr
The low rumble barely registered in her subconscious. The small shakes of the bed were enough to pull her from her sleep.
“Great,” she mumbled. “Gijs is having another asthma attack.”
With a sudden jolt, the bed jumped across the floor and banged into the wall. The teddy bears and dolls tumbled through the air.
Her eyes flew open, able to see clearly in the darkened room. The roar filled the ears and the walls moved sideways. Beside her, her husband snorted.
“My god, he’s still asleep!” She swung her arm out as hard as she could on the bucking bed and hit him in his stomach.
“What… What is—”
“It’s an earthquake!” she screamed. “Get Christabel. I’ll get Anthony.”
With the heart racing in her chest, she sprang out from under the covers, only to be tossed into the walls. Her husband disappeared into her daughter’s room; the door slammed behind him. Meanwhile, she braced herself in the doorway of her son’s room.
“Grab my hand!” She reached in as far as she could toward her screaming son. The floor continued to buck and roll. “Reach for my hand!”
His small fingers brushed against hers and she yanked him toward her. She crouched down with her feet pressed against one side of the door frame, her hand outstretched for support. Her back pressed against the other side, her nine-year-old son cradled against her chest.
A lull in the waves came and her daughter’s door flew open. Her husband braced himself just in time, her daughter in his arms.
Adrenaline pumped as the children continued to scream. From one roll and into the next, for fifteen minutes the world shook and it felt like it would never end.
Kiwi Judy L Mohr writes fantasy and science fiction filled with adventure, dark monsters, humour and romance. She is also a freelance editor, working on projects from writers around the world. Judy is currently the president of the Christchurch Writers’ Guild, but is also a member of SpecFic New Zealand and the Scribophile on-line writing community. Recently, she was appointed one of the NaNoWriMo Municipal Leaders for our region. You can visit her at http://judylmohr.com, or follow her on twitter (@JudyLMohr).
Christchurch Writers' Guild 