Before her disastrous entrance into the library lounge, Jules was already having a chaotic day. Jules and her friends stepped out of the subway car and into the brisk November weather just a few minutes ago.


    The girlfriends had just moved to New Adelaide and made it a recurring habit each week to meet somewhere fun for dinner and go to the Library Lounge to listen to stories on Storyteller Nights every other week.


    This week, they had Thai food all the way in Little Thailand, which made the ride to the Library Lounge a longer than usual. Thankfully, Fairview station''s main exit opened up a few storefronts away from Library Lounge.


    “Come on now!” Jules, “I want to get us a table!” She powered to the front of the group and exited the turnstile. Looking back to a few reassuring smiles


    The young women finished their bobas and fruit teas that they were sipping on and tossed them into a handy waste bin, following after Jules one after another. In their rush, one of the girls stepped in front of a hooded teen, who knocked her down on the floor. He apologized and helped her up before running off again.


    “The poor boy was almost in tears, he felt so bad…” she said afterwards, which was almost good enough for Jules, who was already in momma bear mode - she told her friend to check her pockets and purse - everything was still there.


    After dusting themselves off, they continued to make their way to Maria''s at one point making a quick penguin walk as they shuffled towards the bar. Not wanting to expose her hands, Jules turned around, using her butt to push the doors behind her.


    The first door opened just fine, and the gaggle of girls crowded into the covered waiting area set up outside the restaurant. Noticing an empty booth near the front, Jules excitedly turned around to tell her friends, as she eagerly backed into the second door, which… fell out from behind her.


    “OUCH” she heard from behind her, from the random person who broke her fall.


    It was an older black man who had caught her fall.


    Are you alright?’ He had a distinct Trinidadian accent. She could smell a little rum on his breath though he seemed all there. Dressed in a shirt and jeans, he looked younger than he probably was - his scruffy beard gave that away.


    He lifted her off of his lap and onto the ground beside them. Another bar patron helped him up, and he in turn offered his hand to Jules.


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    She reached up for his hand and grasped it. Pulled up onto her feet in a swift, yet gentle motion.


    Before she could say thanks, the building rumbled. A light murmur that made the lighting jingle and bottles of liquor jostled on the shelves - making ringing noises that bounced around the room.


    Everyone braced themselves - those who were standing rebalanced themselves. Jules, of course, fell down again. This time quickly getting back on her feet by herself, intuitively crouching down ever so slightly to lower her center of gravity.


    What was that? Someone from the back of the room yelled.


    Dozens of people brought out their phones, raising the bright blue lights to their faces. In a dark bar, it was as if each and everyone was shining a flashlight to their face.


    “It looks like there was a random earthquake, " one of the younger men yelled out. Nothing from the National Emergency Council - we should be fine. My discord is blowing up with people talking about it, so it''s not just us.”


    As everyone processed the information, they were comforted by the almost non-stop buzzing from friends and family sharing that they were all right.


    Jules checked her phone, nothing. She was with all her friends and couldn''t imagine anyone to…


    Bloop, bloop. Two messages came in after quick succession


    Mom: AN EARTHQUAKE IS DESTROYING OUR HOME, WE ALMOST DIED.


    Dad: All good hon, just a little shake. A few dishes fell onto the ground.


    Mom: ARE YOU SAFE?


    Normally, Jules would be annoyed, they were a quarter of a world away, why would they feel the same earthquake? But against all odds, her mother was right.


    Jules: With my friends outside, we are all good.


    She felt a tap on her shoulder. Her friend pulled her out of the building, sternly holding a corner of her jacket,


    “Let''s not stay inside the building,”


    They rushed out of the building, along with the majority of the other customers. They had to take a breath in order to process what just happened. It was a quick break, not longer than 5 or 6 minutes, but it was just long enough for the aftershock that rumbled the ground and shaked the buildings, knocking some of the people onto the ground. Alarms started to go off, it made Jules question how many loudhorns were installed in the city and where they were concealed.


    The blaring noise


    Standing outside in the Plaza, as far away from any building they could be, Jules, her friends looked up. She heard the chopping of a helicopter in the distance - the noise echoed through the city.


    “Let''s go into the station!” Juliette yelled at her friends, they didn’t know what was going on, but Juliette felt oddly exposed in the open air. She''d rather live longer covered in rubble, than to be pelted to death by the rubble of the skyscrapers that surrounded the plaza.