Page 5 of Aftershock

That’s weird. Am I so repulsive that she had to run away?

She seemed very shy and skittish. According to every true crime documentary I had seen, that was not a good sign. Was she being abused? I racked my brain trying to put the pieces together.

She was accompanied by two large, strange men. She had to ask for permission to use the bathroom. She was afraid to reveal her face.

The detective in me couldn’t help but investigate. The human in me couldn't help but worry for her safety.

“Hey, wait—” I called out before the words became stuck in my throat.

Ignoring me, she continued to walk away. Just before she reached the handle, the floor shook violently, and lights began to hiss as they flickered. The walls trembled, and one of the mirrors bolted to the wall shattered into large fragments, falling to the floor. I yelped as I tried to brace myself against the sink, only to be thrown in the opposite direction. Now clutching the stalls, I crouched down for more stability as the ground continued shaking. The girl across from me screamed and was hurled onto the floor. With her hands sprawled out in front of her, she frantically tried to push herself backward to keep from sliding near the broken pieces of glass that now littered the floor. The sound of light fixtures rattling, and ceramic tiles clanking were the only things I could manage hear. Then there was an audible pop on my right side as the all the sounds became muffled. My vision blurred as I tried to process what was happening. I didn't want to go to my dad's funeral, but this really wasn't what I pictured happening to stop me. If this was how it ended, I didn't want my last memory to be of a stressful trip across the country to see my dead dad. I clenched my fingers against the stall and tried to think of something—anything but this. But what if I never saw my mom again? What if I never fell in love? What if I never bought a house or owned a car? What if I never turned thirty? What if I never said goodbye to my dad? I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to remain level-headed. I was ripped from my thoughts by current reality as everything came back into focus. From outside the door, I could hear the panicked shouting of people in the airport.

The girl in the restroom yelled, “Earthquake!”

Not even a second later, a deafening bang rang out in the distance, followed by a metal clank and screeching against the door. The piercing noise tore right through me as I cupped my hands over my ears. Immediately following that, the sound of crumbling bricks knocked violently on the outside wall, causing the door hinges to rattle. The flickering lights, gave up there fight as darkness surrounded us.

Then, as if it were all just a bad dream, the shaking stopped. The room became still again.

A loud whirring noise kicked on, and the lights came back to life, but in a duller state than they were before. Backup generator, maybe?

“Holy fuck,” I muttered. I was hugging the stall as I slowly stood up, offering my hand to the stranger who had fallen in front of me.

“Thanks,” she said shakily while still keeping her head down. “But I got it.” She pushed herself up from the ground and dusted off her clothes.

I couldn’t help but wonder why her voice sounded so familiar. Before I could figure it out, a deep voice shouted from outside.

“Lexi? Are you okay? There’s something blocking the entrance to the door. I think it’s some kind of pillar. We can’t get it out of the way.” Frantically, he kept yelling, “Lexi, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you! I'm fine.” She held my gaze for the first time since being in here as she yanked off her hood, revealing her tousled hair. “We both are.”

That’s when I saw her face. It was Lexi Harlow.

OH MY GOD.

OH MY GOD.

OH. MY. GOD.

I’m going to faint. I’m actually going to faint in front of Lexi Harlow. Be cool, Autumn…

I tried to keep my composure as my eyes widened slightly and then returned back to normal. Without saying a word, I continued to stare at her in shock. It all made sense now. Those two men must’ve been her bodyguards. That also explained why she didn’t want me to see her face before. She wasn’t being kidnapped or abused; she was just a celebrity who didn’t want to attract any attention while going to the bathroom. Her bodyguards were just trying to protect her.

A different voice yelled from outside the bathroom this time. “I’m going to get someone to clear the debris, and we'll get you out of there. Brian will stay here in case you need anything. Are you sure you're okay?”

She laughed a bit, then turned back toward the door and responded, “Guys, really, I’m fine. Just get us the hell out of here.”

“We are on it!”

“Wow, an earthquake in New York,” I stated while flicking my eyes toward the ceiling. “That’s…rare.”

“Tell me about it,” Lexi mumbled as she walked toward the area opposite the stalls. Leaning her back against the wall, she slowly slid down tiles and came to a sitting position.

Out of all the days to experience an earthquake for the first time, why today? I rubbed my temples and sighed. We were trapped.

***

Lexi whipped out her phone and started tapping away at the screen. As I watched her type, I figured I should probably text my mom and let her know that I was okay. I began to pull out my phone, but before I did, I glanced up to see Lexi reach her arms above her head and rip off her black hoodie, then toss it to the side.

My mind began spinning. I was trapped in an airport bathroom with Lexi freaking Harlow!

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