Sofia handed a flashlight to a woman with wiry gray hair sticking out wildly as if teased by the wind. She took the offering with a feeble, “Thank you, dear.”

Hushed voices of more than a thousand souls echoed off the stadium walls and ceiling, which were never meant to muffle noise. The din was punctuated by the occasional raucous laugh or the shouted name, and the sound ebbed and flowed like water over a rocky creek bed.

The wind whipped the building’s exterior  ferociously, and Sofia was thankful to be inside. Almost. Jax stood about 30 feet away, staring. She wished for more clothes. Baggy, shapeless fabric to shield her from unwanted attention.

Her last flashlight went to a family: two middle-aged women with a middle-schooler, a kindergartener, and a little girl, probably in preschool. A salty sheen coated her eyes as she smiled at the littlest, who stared up at her in awe and uncertainty.

“Do you want to hold it?” she asked, offering the light to the girl, whose mouth tipped up in a shy smile as she reached up.

Just then, they plunged into darkness. Screams rent the humid air at the abrupt change. Thin light beams soon pierced the void as people switched on their flashlights.

Shrill feedback from a megaphone whistled through the crowd, which quieted.

“Power’s out, as expected,” said an authoritative voice. “Stay calm and use your lights sparingly–we don’t have any extra batteries.” The brief announcement ended with an electronic chirp as the speaker turned off.

“Ready for sandwiches?”

Sofia jumped and turned, but relaxed when she saw the nurse who had helped her earlier–Molly.

She held a large cardboard box brimming with pre-packaged sandwiches in clear plastic containers that crinkled and popped when she readjusted the load.

“Everyone gets one,” said Molly as she hoisted the heavy box into Sofia’s arms. “Start over by section 402, and I’ll head the opposite way. Look for empty packaging when you reach the middle. People always try to get more than they need.”

Sofia grunted under the weight and began waddling toward Molly’s indicated area. Suddenly, she felt the load lighten.

“Let me help you with that,” Jax said, pulling the box away from her. “Where do we start?”

“I–I’m fine. I can do it,” Sofia stammered.

“No, I don’t mind. I want to help.”

Sofia bit her lip with indecision. The sandwiches were heavy.

“Hey, I wanna say I’m sorry if I got weird earlier,” Jax said. “This whole thing has been…” he trailed off as he shrugged.

Sofia studied his face, then said, “It’s okay. Thanks. Let’s start there.” She pointed to the far side of the cavernous space.

“Let’s do it, then,” Jax said, grinning.

Allowing a small smile to paint her face, Sofia led the way.

The ruins around Marcus groaned as more debris was lifted from above. He studied his surroundings, watching for any sign their pocket was destabilizing.

Esme clamped a hand to her mouth and tried to stifle a groan. Her legs spasmed, sending shooting pain up to her hips and spine. How long have we been down here?

Matty glanced at her with a furrowed brow, and Esme struggled to paste on a smile for him.

“Mama?”

“I’m okay, baby. Or I will be. They’re getting us out, right? Making all that racket?”

Matty giggled. “It’s so noisy.”

Bella lay on Esme’s chest, where she had stayed since they were reunited. With every clang, bang, and screech of moving rubble, she jumped and looked to Esme for a reaction.

As long as I stay calm, they’ll be okay. Esme hoped she could keep it together. The pain would get worse when they moved her. Much worse.

The minutes crept by like a vast glacier as Lexi held Simon in her arms. Her boy. The sweet baby that had been her sole companion these last years. I’ve wasted so much time.

Simon whimpered, and Lexi realized the water was rising. Fast. She hadn’t noticed it creep up to her waist–Simon’s chest–as they sat together.

She stood and pulled Simon up with her.

“We have to climb out,” she said.

Simon stared at her blankly.

She pointed up towards the opening above them. “I’ll push you through there, and then I’ll come after you.”

He tipped his chin up, and his eyes widened. He shook his head back and forth.

“We have to, Simon. The water’s going to keep coming…”

Ignoring her, he rocked back and forth and shook his hands. His moans ebbed from him in increasing intensity, and Lexi knew he wouldn’t agree to do anything in this state.

“I’m getting you out of here.”

Lexi tensed her core, grabbed Simon’s waist, and hoisted him over her head.

Sofia observed Jax in her periphery. He bent down and handed a boxed meal to a withered, frail woman with wispy white hair. She took it with shaking hands and smiled up at him. Jax gently touched her shoulder, eliciting a soft chuckle in response to a quiet remark.

Jax glanced Sofia’s way, and she almost jumped. She bent to snag a few more sandwiches from the box at her feet. Jax strode to her side and waited for her to straighten.

“What did the crushed grape say?” he said, mirth in his voice.

Sofia quirked an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“C’mon, what did the crushed grape say?”

“Uhh…I don’t know.”

“Nothing, it just let out a little wiiine.” Jax grinned.

Sofia chortled and rolled her eyes. “That was terrible.”

“You loved it.”

Chuckling, Sofia headed to the next hungry group. The tight ball of anxiety in her stomach eased slightly. But Jax’s gaze followed her every step.

A large concrete slab rose away from Marcus and his family, bent rebar sticking out at odd angles. Their rescuers were in sight now, although the rain flew in gustily without their makeshift roof.

Esme turned her face to avoid the water pooling in her nose and mouth. Bella shrieked at the sudden barrage of elements.

A firefighter in full gear climbed down to them, choosing his steps carefully. When he reached them, he raised his visor.

“Who’s hurt the worst?”

“Her,” Marcus said, gesturing towards Esme. “Crushed bilateral lower extremities. Otherwise, she seems stable, but I’m worried about compartment syndrome.”

“That’s above my paygrade, mister, but we’ll get her out.”

Another first responder climbed down holding a backboard and two more men followed him.

Marcus moved toward Esme. “They’re bringing a field stretcher for you.”

Esme nodded, clenched her jaw, and closed her eyelids shut. Marcus lifted Bella from her arms and rubbed her back to calm her.

The rescue team laid the stretcher next to Esme and positioned themselves around her. One man applied a neck brace. All four squatted and placed their hands under Esme’s shoulders, hips, and knees.

Esme panted and tried to focus on her breathing.

“Count of three!” yelled a man to her right. “One, two, THREE.”

They lifted her in unison and a wild scream erupted from Esme’s core, through her throat, and out into the storm.