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“The raining rhyme, where the man bumps his head,” Stella explained. “It’s a cautionary tale to be aware of hitting your head and falling asleep. I read about where the rhyme came from a few days before the show started.”
“I see. Well, we’ll have to get you checked out for a concussion.” Avery sat back, looking around the bathroom. “I’m going to see if the others are all right. Stay right there for now. It looks like there might be some obstructions, and I don’t know how steady on your feet you’ll be.”
“Fair.” Stella leaned her head on the cool tub. She closed her eyes, listening to Avery move around the bathroom.
“Shit, we’re stuck.”
Avery’s words jolted her. “What did you just say?” Stella tried to stand, but the floor was littered with stuff that had fallen from the bathroom counters. Shuffling in the dark, she tried to find her way to the door. “Avery, what’s going on?”
“The door is blocked. I can’t get out. HELP!” She started pounding on something, yelling a few more times.
Stella followed the sound of Avery’s pounding to help guide her to where she was.
“What are you doing?” When she neared, Avery saw her, pulling her closer and tucking her under her arm. Stella rubbed Avery’s back when she felt her shaking in her arms.
“I wanted to see for myself.” Stella knew she had a stubborn streak but she couldn’t sit around while Avery freaked out. If anything, she could provide moral support as they tried to think of a way out of the situation.
“I don’t like that the room is closed in. I’m claustrophobic.” Avery’s breathing turned shallow as short puffs hit Stella’s cheek.
“Hey, take a deep breath in and hold it. Now release.” Stella tried to guide her into slowing her breaths, but so far, she was pretty sure she’d have better success herding cats.
When that didn’t work, Stella changed tactics. “There once was a girl who lived on a boat. The breeze flowed in her hair with wide open spaces as far as the eye can see.” The story flowed gently as she tried to time the words with helpful pauses. “The girl met a whale whose words came out slowly. The whale took in a deep breath before giving her directions to the nearest town.” Stella breathed in, showing what she meant.
The story ebbed and flowed. If someone were to write it down, it might not make any sense, but Avery’s breathing had slowed. She stood transfixed, listening intently.
When Stella trailed off at the end of the story, it took a few beats for Avery to rise from her stupor.
“Nobody has been able to pull me from a panic attack before. Thank you.” Avery leaned forward for a hug.
Stella felt a sense of peace settle over her while wrapped in each other's arms. Not since their first night together had she felt such contentment.
“Hello? Avery? Stella? Are you okay?”
A muffled voice came from the other side of the debris. Chiding herself for forgetting where they were, Stella pulled out from the embrace.
“Quinn? Is that you?” She walked closer to the door. Avery joined her, pounding on the wall. “Can you get to us? Something’s blocking our way.”
“I think so. Hold on.”
From their side, Avery started pushing debris away. “Careful, it’s not stable,” she shouted to the other side when things began tumbling down.
Work from both sides had them free in no time. Avery swiped her hand in front of her, allowing Stella to crawl through the hole first. She navigated the unsteady surface until she reached the other side, landing near Quinn, who wrapped her up in an embrace.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Quinn squeezed her before moving to help Avery traverse the opening. The rest of the contestants followed suit, hugging each other in the darkened hallway. Some things transcended a TV show, and going through an earthquake was one of those things.
“Oh shit, Stella, your face. Are you okay?” Quinn leaned in for a better look.
“Yeah, it stings, but I’m fine. How is everyone doing here?” She stepped away from Avery now that they were free of the bathroom. She wasn’t sure if the cameras still worked since they were separate from the regular power source. Either way, she didn’t want to give more of a hint at how close she and Avery were.
“We all have cuts and bruises.” Riley held out her arms as proof as they walked back to the living room.
The massive destruction was sobering as Stella took in the sight of the house. It was surprising nobody had gotten too hurt.
“This wasn’t part of the show, right?” Elizabeth asked skeptically.
“No!” Stella vehemently denied. “Does anyone have service?” She studied her phone, not seeing any bars.
“You and Quinn are the only ones allowed phones, remember? Let’s head outside. I don’t trust the walls aren’t going to crumble around us.” Avery started for the front door.
