Jimmy opened his eyes and stared at the drop ceiling tiles overhead. Last year he couldn’t stay in bed from excitement as Christmas approached, today he just wanted it to be over and done. He squeezed his eyes shut and rolled over before opening them quickly, hoping it was all a dream. It wasn’t. Ed, his brother, was still deep asleep where they said goodnight, his leg and arm dangling from the cot.
Reaching quietly under his pillow, Jimmy retrieved a neatly folded scrap of paper and a pencil. The pencil’s red foil, covered in waving Santas, made his stomach drop. He slowly smoothed out the paper and marked his 7th “X”, and let out a sigh; it was Christmas Eve.
Eight days ago a massive earthquake ripped through Jimmy’s home town. Buildings were flattened, trees collapsed to the ground; thousands of people were hurt, or missing, including his parents. He knew from the hushed tones when he entered a room, that some people even died.
When the ground started shaking Jimmy and Ed were at school. His class had just started art and were making decorations for the Christmas pageant. Ms. Smith herded them under tables and chairs as children around him screamed. The shaking stopped after a rollercoaster ride that seemed to last for hours. Dust filled the room as the earth’s growls were replaced by children crying. Jimmy’s aunt picked him and Ed up from school and…
