"Come on, get up, we've gotta get out of here before the whole place goes under," Geri exclaimed standing up.

"I guess your right, I mean, well it couldn't get any worse right," Tay asked as he looked around.

"I don't see how it could get much worse, but anything is possible," I remarked looking around at the rubble.

We walked down the roadway a while. Geri had told us we were to meet the choppers down at the largest intersection on Sunset Blvd. Walking was really the only way, we didn't want to risk getting caught in a car in an aftershock. On foot we could run, in a car it could just fall into a crack. Not too much further we saw the intersection. A large number of people had gathered there and it was truly a sight.

The crowd was mixed, celebrities and fans. Photographers and producers all helping one another. The cameras had not flashed once. It seemed as if everyone was simply trying to survive. Soon from above the helicopter engines could be heard whopping their way closer. The sky was filled with smoke and dust. A hazy glow was cast over the scene as the sun tried to push it's way down to the ground. In a blaze of dust and smoke two white choppers marked "UN" lowered themselves onto two white spray painted 'X's in the middle of the street. Armed guards got out and headed our way. At the same time we saw Taylor's family coming toward us.

"Taylor," Zac yelled out running toward his brother.

They all surrounded Taylor and hugged him. They spoke for a moment, then they waved at me and went to the other chopper. We boarded our chopper and the doors were closed behind us.

"Ms. Halliwell, we are to take you to the nearest available airport where you are to be flown directly to New York and UN head quarters," the pilot called to her over the roar of the blades above.

"Ok, that's fine," Geri replied looking at us.

"You boys ready for a go at New York?"

"Sure," we both smiled.

"Your parent's will be there when we get there," Geri smiled.

We felt the helicopter lift from the pavement and begin to rise up from the dust. Suddenly a loud explosion ripped beneath us and the next thing we knew we were getting tossed all over the inside of the helicopter.

Another aftershock had rocked through the area. This one much stronger than the others. As it rolled through it split Sunset Blvd. directly in half under us. This caused a gas main to rupture and a ball of fire wiped over the entire chopper. The blast it's self rocked the chopper over toward a power line and the bottom rudder caught the cable. As our rudder caught the cable the tail end swung around and swiped a palm tree snapping off the tail of the chopper.

With our chopper crippled we instantly began to spiral madly, wrapping our rudders up in the power and cable lines beneath us. Geri had screamed but was knocked out as her head collided with the ceiling. Taylor was yelling and grabbing for anything to keep from doing the same. I saw out the window as the grassy yard of a house came flying toward us. We were going down, and fast.

"Tay were going down!"

I opened my eyes. A searing pain went through my head. I lifted my head and saw grass beneath the window. My head had broken the window of the chopper. There was heavy pressure on top of me. Craning my head around I saw that Geri and Taylor were both on top of me, the chopper obviously on it's side. I was about to go under again when I smelled gasoline. In front of me the wiring from the radio and controls swung in the air. Every time they would pass sparks flew down on us. I knew we had to get out before the gas which was puddling in the window was ignited by the sparks.

I pushed and pulled and finally dislodged myself from under Tay and Geri. After some tricky maneuvering and over stepping so I would not step on either of them I was able to get a footing and work on the handle of the door above me. After some coaxing and prying I pushed the door up and it fell open with a bang.

We had crashed into the front yard of some celebrities home. Or should I say, what was left of it. I reached down and grabbed hold of Geri's arm and heaved her upwards toward myself. As much as I would have liked to have pulled Taylor up he was under Geri. Thank God she had lost weight. With some struggling and pulling I got her out of the door and down onto the grass where I drug her over behind a fallen statue of some kind.

I ran back to the chopper and leaned in. Taylor had started to come too.

"Tay, give me your hand, we gotta get out of here, it's about to blow," I yelled at him.

"Huh, I can't, where," he muttered as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed.

I grabbed his arms and pulled him up. I carried him over to where Geri was when the chopper blew up. The shock from the explosion knocked me down. I dropped Taylor onto the grass and fell over him. Smacking my head against the statue in front of me. I grabbed my head as I looked Tay over, he stirred and looked up at me, smiled and closed his eyes again. His pulse was steady and he seemed to be doing fine. I looked up toward the intersection. It was all gone. Nothing was there except a huge drop off into what looked like some kind of cavern. None of the people that had been there what seemed like moments ago were there. All I could think was that they had gone down with the last aftershock. I turned back around to Geri.

"Geri, are you ok," I asked her as she stirred.

"Oh, yeah I'll be, oh dear, I don't think I can move my, oh God, I can't move," she whispered.

"What do you mean," I asked suddenly very worried she had been paralyzed.

"I can't move, my arms my legs, I can barely breath," she gasped.

"God, Geri, I, what can I do?"

"I don't, I ... tell my mum I love her, tell the kids, tell them not to ever give up hope. It's funny, the one thing I thought I'd never loose is gone, I feel so weak," she whispered as her eyes slowly fluttered.

"Geri, don't do this, you can make it," I cried watching the Patron Saint of Girl Power slipping away before my eyes.

"Don't cry," she whispered.

"Viva, forever, Taylor," her eyes fluttered shut and Geri Halliwell left this earth.

I was crying over her like I thought I would have never done. I had watched her rise as a Spice Girl. Her splitting away from the group, moving up and even to the United Nations. Then right before my eyes, her light flickered out. I didn't know what to think, or say. Then I felt it, a warm hand on my back. A soft warm hand slid up my shoulder. I slowly turned my head and Taylor was looking right at me. A single tear hung from one of his light golden lashes.

"Don't cry, she's in a better place," he whispered to me.

"Oh God Taylor," I cried putting my head on his shoulder. My head throbbed, my body ached, I didn't know what to do. One of my favorite women had just died and I was sitting here in what was once known as Beverly Hills during the worst earthquake of recorded history. I didn't think there could have been anything in the world that could have eased my fears and pain. But then it happened.

I felt his soft hand on my chin. He slowly lifted my face toward his. His blue eyes shined and reflected with an inner light. I felt like I was looking into the deepest bluest pools of emotion I had never seen. Slowly he leaned down. I smelled his scent as his face came closer.

Sweet, gentle I felt as if everything horrible melted away. The crackling of the fires quieted, silence. His breath was on my mouth, slowly his lips pressed against mine. A tingle ran through me. A feeling I had never known possible. The simple touch of his full, soft warm lips against mine was intoxicating. I kissed him back. Sinking into his embrace his soft arm behind my head. His chest against my left cheek I could feel the pounding of his heart. Before I knew it he had slightly touched my lips with his tongue. In response my mouth had slightly opened and we had begun to explore each other's mouths. I mind lost all sense of time. It had been nearly a minute before I realized he had stopped kissing me.

"I've wanted to do that since this morning," he whispered.

"I've wanted to do that for at least a year," I replied with a dreamy smile.

He smiled back, I knew now that Taylor liked to take things slowly. I figured that the circumstances were helping move things along. Since it seemed that certain death was all around us I think we were thrusted towards each other with an urgency like never before. Fate was doing it's best to collide our worlds together, before they were snatched away. Tay leaned back against the fallen statue. I rested my head in his arms, tired. So tired, I wanted to sleep, even with the ground quaking beneath me, and the lifeless body of Geri Halliwell at my feet I wanted to rest. I had been fighting to stay alive, and to keep my friends alive. I had lost, I had lost one.

With Geri gone now I felt as if Taylor was my only responsibility. I couldn't let him down. I had let Geri down and now the world was smaller, even if by one vivacious female. My mind drifted, my eyes closed. I drifted into sleep, lulled by the steady rhythm of Taylor's heart beat. Little did I know the worst was yet to come.......

*          *          *          *          *

"This is CNN News, the quake has subsided. The aftershocks are still rolling through the San Andreas fault, but seismologist are positive the worst is over. We've taken stock of what we know to have happened. All of Los Angeles has completely been destroyed. The valley the city was built upon has been transformed into a large canyon. The outer areas have been completely leveled. The loss of life is currently unknown."

"SanFransisco is completely destroyed. The quake has completely collapsed the entire Golden Gate bridge. There is so much damage, it's hard to say what is still standing. This quake hit with no warning, and we are sad to say that the possibilities of survivors is very slim."

"On that note we have distressing news from The United Nations. At one fifty three PM Pacific Daylight time the UN lost communications with their helicopter carrying England's Good Will Ambassador, Geri Halliwell. It is also reported that two other passengers were in the helicopter with her. We know one to have been one third of the band Hanson, Taylor Hanson. The second we do not have a positive ID on. The UN had been receiving updates every minute and the last transmission they received was that the helicopter was lifting from the area. That was over nine hours ago. We are sad to report that there is no further news on the whereabouts of Miss Ambassador Halliwell or her companions. We will continue to bring you coverage of this disaster as it becomes available. Due to the massive destruction the National Guard has proclaimed California an national disaster area. This prohibits us from flying any aircraft into the airspace over the state..."

*          *          *          *          *

Heat, crackling, molten lava. Tremors, rumbling. Miles away the scales start to chatter lightly. Rumbling.

*          *          *          *          *

I was awakened with a start the area was quiet. Taylor was asleep. The night sky shown high above the clouds and smoke which strained to hide it. We had to get moving. Something was happening. Something very bad was coming. I looked around us. I heard a distant noise. Unsure of what I was hearing I stood up. Taylor stirred and stood up beside me.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, like nothing I've ever heard."

"That noise, it's it's coming from that way, like from the ocean."

"It's so weird, like screaming, or flapping or something," I said straining to hear.

Before we knew what was happening the most amazing and frightening thing happened. Over head what must have been thousands of birds soared in a frenzy. All of them calling and screaming in the highest pitches. I was immediately reminded of the Hitchcock movie 'The Birds.' But this was different, they were paying us no attention. They were flying madly inland. Away from the ocean. Then another frightening thing happened.

Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, dogs, cats, mice, rats, horses, and even what looked to be wolves and foxes began rushing in the same direction. All screaming their own calls.

"Holy shit, what's happening," Taylor asked looking even more frightened than before.

"God I'm not sure, it's like, like they are trying to get out of here," I said as I watched them in awe. None of the animals paid attention to each other. Dogs running along side cats, wolves and rabbits along side one another. This was the most sincere form of survival I had ever witnessed. They had put aside their differences, their places in the food chain and had gone into pure animal 'survival mode.' The land they were on was more of a threat than each other.

*          *          *          *          *

Trembling, cracking, lava. Steam, burning, quaking, distant rumbles closer. Miles away the scales start to bounce.

*          *          *          *          *

"I'm not sure what we," Tay started. A deep rumble started, a vibration. Everything was rattling.

"Oh God it's another one," Tay screamed.

"No, oh God no, it's worse. Tay I think we're about to go under," I screamed. Suddenly all the cheesy rumors and predictions were seeming so much more sensible. I was sure just sure what was about to happen.

"What do you mean, go under?!"

"Break off!"

"WHAT?! This is Beverly Hills, the ocean is miles away!"

"And the San Andreas fault is that way," I said pointing to the direction the animals were speeding towards.

"You mean, you mean California is going to split off at the San Andreas fault?!"

"God I think so, but it's so far away we'll never make it," I cried out.

"Like hell if I'm going to sit here and not try," Taylor yelled grabbing my hand.

The heard of animals moved over the quaking earth back higher into the hills. Back toward the Beverly Hills hotel. We ran on pure adrenaline. But soon, reaching the hotel our energies were burning out. We had to rest for a moment. The rumbling had subsided momentarily but we knew it was simply building pressure.

The area was deserted, all except for the flow of creatures through the yards and roadways, all heading up into the hills. We stopped by a house that had amazingly withstood most of the destruction. It's front walls seemed to remain upright. While most of the back had collapsed. It was then we heard a faint yelling.

"Hello! Oh shit someone help me!"

"That was a womans voice," Tay said looking behind us.

"I know, I almost recognized it," I replied walking back to the house out of breath.

"Hello," I called out.

"Hello help me I'm in here," she replied.

"Where is in here?"

"Behind the front door, the house caved in behind me, I can't get it open I think the weight jammed it!"

"Are you ok," I called to her.

"Yeah, I just can't get the door open!"

I looked around, in the driveway was a nice hummer.

"Is this your hummer out here," I called.

"Yeah it is, why, oh here take the keys there's some rope in the back," she exclaimed as her hand pushed the keys out through the mail slot and I grabbed them.

This hummer could come in handy. I unlocked the back, roped the thick nylon rope through the handle and tied it. Then I started the engine, put it in gear and floored it. A loud screech wailed out from under the tires and the rope pulled tight. The handle on the door stretched and squeaked with pain as it pulled on it's bolts. Then a resounding split peeled out from the door as the frame around it splintered, the door ripping from the hinges. I slammed on the brakes to keep from plowing into the continuing mass of animal traffic in the street.

After getting out, the rumbling started again. From the door way came the last person I would have ever expected to see.

"If you make one, just one crack about me kicking the door down on my own I'll slap you," Lynda Carter replied dusting herself off as she stepped over the door. I started to laugh and was going to reply when a tremor ripped under us. We all fell to the ground and watched as the front of the street pushed upwards sending the hummer onto it's roof. Then the mound of stone sunk back down into the ground.

"Shit, there goes our ride," I exclaimed.

"No wait," Lynda replied as she ran out into the street. I was confused as to what she was doing.

"Damn, she's a big chick," Tay remarked as she departed.

"She looks pretty damn fit to me," I replied in her defense.

"No, I mean, she's tall as hell," he replied looking at her long legs.

"Well yeah, Wonder Woman was tall too, you know that whole Amazon thing," I smiled. Tay giggled.

It wasn't more than about a minute when she returned with a horse, an extremely huge one too. It was truly scared shitless but she had managed to calm it down.

"Well come on, we don't have much time, from the feel of thing's I think it will get worse, I'll steer you guys get on in front and behind me, and hold on," she said as she hopped up bareback onto the horse.

"Oh man, Wonder, er I mean Ms. Carter, I didn't know you rode," Taylor asked as he got up in front of her.

"I learned, not much to do in DC so I took it up, now we've got to get going, seems the animals know where to run so we had better follow."

Little did we know that just beyond the hills above us the ground dropped away revealing a canyon that was steadily making the Grand Canyon look more like a ditch.

*          *          *          *          *

Heat, fire, tremors, vibrations. Miles away the scales went off the charts. It was happening.

*          *          *          *          *

"This is CNN News, we have urgent word from the US Geological Survey that an earth quake of. Dear God, it measures off the scales, it's. The San Andreas fault is splitting..."

*          *          *          *          *

We were in a full gallop up into the hills. The sight in my mind seemed almost funny. Here we were ridding a horse with Wonder Woman through the remnants of Beverly Hills trying to escape the 'Big One.' All I knew is we had to get out of there as fast as possible I was sure that if we could get further we might have a chance at a vehicle. Little did we know LosAngeles was gone, and so was a way out.


On to Chapter Four

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The Day the Earth Moved is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
This work may not be duplicated in any form – physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise – without the author's written permission.
All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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