"Pa!" "Pa!, Wake up!"
"What is it Pebbie?"
"Did you feel that? I think I felt the ground move"
"What?, no the ground did not move my dear child, you must have been dreaming it, now go back to sleep"
"But Pa!, what if it did move?"
"It didn't move my dear, I would have felt it"
"But you were asleep"
"Yes, but I would have felt the ground move, now you sleep"
"Are you sure Pa"
"Yes, yes my dear child, come close to me if you like, we'll sleep together"
"Okay, I just fel...(the ground shaking), Pa!!!! Did you feel that?"
"Yes, my child, now stay here, and be still, I will go check it out"
"But Pa, I want to come, I'm scared"
"No my child you stay here, I will go look out and see what's happening"
"But Pa we can't leave, we're caged in"
"I know, I'm just going to look about some, be still (ground shaking)
"Pa don't leave me, I'm scared, please can I come".
As Pa sets out to see what all is up, baby Pebbles stands about with her long legs and neck hoping to see over the trees that make up her bed. Her eyes show her a crowd of workers trying desperately to keep all the other animals in check and calm as once again the ground begins to stir. Fearful of her fathers safety she sets loose to help him feeling that it was her fault that he'd left. As she begins to call for him, she's quickly brought down by a thunderous roar of the ground below her. She is quickly hit by an array of branches and leaves from all the trees around her as all the earth begins to move and sway. Still calling for her beloved Pa, Pebbles tries desperately to break free from things but realizes that her efforts go nowhere once she notices that she has been caught by a fallen tree on her left leg. The earthquake which is now beginning to grow stronger, has taken to shaking all that were once tied down in the mighty zoo. As Pebbles continues to scream in terror for her father to return she is struck by a large rock a top her head, a blow that immediately puts her out.
Hours later, Pebbles awakens to find her surroundings totally destroyed, trees have been toppled, all the cages torn down and with most of the animals either dead or long gone. Still trapped by the rock on her left foot, Pebbles tries once again to release herself from her captor only to tire from the strain it puts on her. Having a monster size goose egg of a bump on her head Pebbles realizes that her chances of moving lie soley on the help of another. Crying desperately for her Pa, Pebbles begins to sadden and cry. As her tears fall from her long lashes she once again falls asleep.
Two days later.
"Hey there are you still alive?"
"Wha?"
"Are you okay?, you're the only one I can smell that seems to be alive"
"I think so"
"Well that's good, I was beginning to feel quite lonely"
"How long have you been like this?"
"I don't know, when was the earthquake?"
"Two days ago, I've been sniffing my way through all the debris and such, nothing was saved, I was lucky to have been so small that I was able to hide under a rock pile. My family is gone, I'm all alone, that is until I found you lying here. Were you alone too?"
"Yes, well no, my Pa was with me when the earthquake first began, but he left to check things out, I haven't seen him since. I need to get up and look for him"
"Can you move your leg?"
"No, no ouch! It's stuck"
"Hey I might be able to get under it and move it off you, let me see"
"Hey what is your name?"
"Gus, but my friends call me Gussie, you can call me whichever"
"Are you sure you can get under"
"I'm a basset hound, we're built to get under things, now stay still"
"Okay, just be careful"
"Ahh okay, now on the count of 3 I'm going to push, when I do you move your foot out as quick as you can okay"
"Okay"
"Okay, 1, 2, 3...(Gussie pushes up with her front legs and holds the rock just above Pebbles leg, just releasing her)...you out?"
"Yup"
"Good" (Gussie drops the rock down slowly and then gets out)
"Thank you Gussie, ohh but does it ache"
"Let me see it, maybe I can do something"
(Gussie proceeds to take a look at her leg, as she begins to sniff and get closer she realizes that Pebbles leg is cut but not broken.)
"Well how does it look, it sure feels bad"
"From what I can see, your leg was cut pretty badly but I don't think its broken, does this hurt?" (Gussie pushes her front paw on Pebbles leg)
"Ouch, yes a little. But I think you are right, I can feel and move it"
"We should cover it with something, stay here a minute while I try to find something to wrap it with"
"Okay but don't go too far"
"I wont"
As Gussie heads to find something to wrap Pebbles leg with, Pebbles tries her best to sit up without moving her leg. Her long 9 foot body can be burdensome at times. As she does this she begins to look out beyond. In doing so, she starts to see all the damage that had been caused by the earthquake, how the cages have either been torn apart or been totally sunken in. There's so much damage and so many bodies. As all this sinks in, Pebbles begins to cry for she can see her fathers body lying lifeless a top of two trees, his eyes still open. Immediately torn about by this sight, Pebbles jumps up on all four of her feet as she flees frantically towards her Pa. She feels no pain in her leg in doing so.
"Pa! Pa! Pa! Oh Pa! (standing above him), Pa!, Pa please wake up, please wake up (she tries to nudge him awake) Pa!!!!!"
to be continued...
