So focused was she on blotting out the noise and confusion, it took her a while to realise the jolting had finally stopped and the bed was still. After that, a strange, tense silence descended on the house.
Ears pricked, Cleo remained exactly where she was, every sense on alert, dreading another shock but also listening for sounds of life. At last, she thought she heard someone calling out, the sound of feet stamping on broken glass and doors creaking.
‘Is everyone all right?’
Henrietta’s voice rang through the building like a welcoming bell, trembling but clear through the dust and echoes.
There were several cries of ‘Yes’ and Cleo found herself calling: ‘Is it safe to get up?’ She scarcely recognised her own weak, wobbly voice and was sure no one else would have heard, so she tried again.
This time, an answer came back. It was Henrietta again: ‘It’s OK to get up now. Make sure you wear shoes. There’s glass everywhere. And put on something warm. There may be aftershocks, so be careful. Protect your heads especially. We’ll gather on the landing then head for the garden.’
Cleo tentatively felt around for her trainers, which were somewhere near the bottom of the bed. She put them on with trembling fingers and stood up slowly, stretching out her arms for balance as her body was still shaking, even though the earth had stopped shifting.
She felt disorientated, as if she’d had too much wine, and as she padded carefully across the room, every crunch and crack made her jump, so fearful was she of another massive quake.
It felt like a huge achievement just to reach the door, which was half open. There were no lights on, but she could make out the bodies of a lot of people, huddling together at the top of the stairs.
Everyone was silent, struck dumb by the trauma of what they’d just experienced. Then, through the stillness, she heard another familiar voice.
‘Cleo? Are you all right?’
The sight of Maya, moving swiftly past the others to reach her, made Cleo cry. Hot, salty tears dribbled down her cheeks and she fell into Maya’s arms.
‘It’s OK, hun,’ Maya whispered, patting her friend’s back stiffly. She was evidently unused to giving comforting hugs. ‘Have you seen Tash?’
‘No,’ said Cleo, wiping away some snot with the back of her hand. Her eyes widened. ‘We have to find her. She gets panic attacks. She must be absolutely terrified.’
Mark, who was beside Henrietta, must have overheard. He had a stubbly chin, his hair was sticking up and he was wearing a crumpled, pale-coloured dressing gown.
‘We need to go downstairs – together,’ he insisted. ‘It’s not safe to stay here. We don’t know if the structure’s sound. We’ll do a proper headcount outside.’
But Maya was having none of it.
‘Tash is probably still in her room,’ she said, jostling past an angry-looking Lesley. Fran was quivering at Lesley’s side and Cleo followed close on Maya’s heels.
Tash’s room was further down the corridor and they saw Ingrid hugging Frida, who was angrily wiping away tears with a sleeve, perhaps annoyed with herself for weeping. Noreen, with her back against the wall, was chalk-white, her eyes wide with raw fear, and she suddenly looked very old and fragile.
‘Are you OK?’ Cleo asked, but Noreen didn’t seem to hear. She was somewhere else entirely.
‘She’s hurt her arm,’ said Ingrid, who seemed OK. She and Frida were both in stripy, baggy pyjamas.
It was only now Cleo noticed Noreen clutching an arm to her chest. Memories of her past life flashed through Cleo’s mind and she felt a familiar surge of responsibility – old instincts kicking in.
‘Henrietta? Mark?’ she called, spinning round on tiptoe and searching for them above the heads. ‘Can you bring a first aid kit? We’re going to need bandages, plasters, antiseptic wipes. Whatever you’ve got.’
She turned back to Noreen. ‘Don’t worry, I’m a nurse. You’re going to be OK. I’ll take a proper look in a minute. I just need to find Tash.’
Tash’s door was ajar and Maya spotted her first, curled up in a tight ball on the floor with her arms covering her head.
‘Tash?’ Maya said in a commanding voice. ‘The earthquake’s over. It’s finished. We have to go downstairs now.’
Cleo tiptoed over to Tash and squatted beside her with a hand on her back. She could feel Tash shaking like jelly. It was as if her body had no structure or firmness any more and her bones had turned to mush.
‘I’ll help you up,’ Cleo whispered. ‘You can lean on me.’
Tash let out a small, frightened cry. ‘I-I can’t move. I’ve tried. I don’t know what’s happened.’
Cleo paused and glanced at Maya, who mouthed, ‘We need to hurry.’
