Help Is on the Way

"Angel? Oh God, Angel, Don't die..." I heard a distant angelic voice whisper. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyes were burning too much, and my head was throbbing.
"Angel, wake up. Don't leave me..." The distant voice cracked. I was still trying to figure out what happened and who was talking to me, but I decided I needed to say something. A piece of head and heart was nagging me to actually speak.
"What happened?" I moaned as my eyes cracked open. I saw jade-green eyes looking down at me. The eyes were full of worry and fear. I repeated in my head what I said out loud, What happened?

"Angel, oh thank God! Angel I thought you died..." I heard the soft angelic voice whisper again. But my mind was still was much, and I couldn't recognize the voice. I stared confusely at the broken green eyes. The bright green eyes went from being happy to sad. What's wrong?

"Angel, do you remember who I am?" I heard the voice rasp quietly. I squinted my eyes because a bright light was blinding me, but I still manage to shake my head slightly. I could still see the bright eyes, and they went back to being worried-filled.

"Baby, it's me, Zacky. Your husband. Remember?" Zacky. Zacky Baker. My husband...My love. My head quit throbbing and everything came back to me. My eyes opened wide, as my heart raced, and I tried to prop myself up on my elbow. But I felt hand pressed down on my chest lightly, pushing me down against the ground. "Angel, don't waste your energy. You need to save it."

I looked up into my husband's eye, finding trust and reassurance. But seeing his face made my heart break. Bleeding cuts and gashes were scattered across his face and neck. Just then, a bolt of pain shot through my body, and I groaned a little louder than I expected. "Angel, I'm sorry. I wish I could stop the pain," Zacky's voice cracked. I clutched my gut, and I hopelessly tried to smile.

I felt hands wrap around me, and my back was slowly lifted from the ground, and my head was pressed against Zacky's chest. Zacky's huge, tattooed arms held me close to him, so close I could hear his faint heartbeat. The pain began to melt away, but I slowly glanced around the area around me. Broken wooden boards, random pieces of cloths and furniture, and other broken pieces lay around me. I began to smell the rotting stench of what it seemed like something dying. I remembered who I was with, but I couldn't remember how I ended up here.
"Zacky," I began to ask. I looked up at him and he looked down at me, concerned. "What happened?"

Zacky frowned. He looked away from me and sighed. "An 8.9 earthquake hit San Francisco...." He faded out, and then I remembered what happened. Avenged Sevenfold, Zacky’s band, was touring in San Francisco when the earthquake hit in the middle of the night. The whole band was sleeping in a hotel, and Zacky and I were on the tenth floor. I now realized that we were trapped at the bottom of the hotel; probably under just shit tons of rubble.

"Zacky...how are the guys?" I whispered, tears beginning to form in my eyes. I couldn't even think about losing the guys. Matt, that dimple-smile, hazel eye, sweet kid. The guy who could always make me smiled when I was upset or just needed someone to talk to. To think I could never see him again made my heart ache. Or Brian, the crazy, chocolate brown eyed, "brother" of my husband. Those two couldn't be separated, and they would go the craziest shit together. How could you live without him? Or Johnny, my short-shit, hazel eyed, younger brother? The person who was with me from practically day one? He was my blood, my laughter, my stress, my pride and joy. I couldn't imagine life without my brother. I couldn't imagine life without any of the guys. It was hard enough to move on with life when Jimmy died...

"I don't know..." His voice cracked, as I knew the thought of losing his best friends broke his heart too.
"Zacky? What about Kristy?" I softly asked as a few tears fell from my eyes. Kristy, she was my life. She made me laugh, she never brought me pain. I enjoyed waking up and seeing the vibrant green eyes that she had. I never got sick of her amazing smile that could make a whole room brighten. Kristy, of course, was Zacky and I's five-year-old daughter.

When I said Kristy’s name, Zacky broke. Tears flowed from his eyes as he buried his face in my shoulder. I would have moved to hug him, but my arms were pinned against my body because Zacky still had his arms wrapped around me.
"Angel...Kristy died."
My heart stopped when Zacky told me those three words between his sobs. My sweet daughter, the girl who gave me a reason to wake up in the morning, died? Wake me from this nightmare. Hot tears fell from my eyes. Kristy can't be dead! SHE JUST CAN’T BE!
Zacky and I cried until the tears wouldn't form anymore. It felt like someone ripped out my heart and stomped on it. I could literary feel the aching in my chest. Kristy was now with Jimmy, and I was upset about that. I don't know why I was; maybe it was because I didn't think it was her time. I sure as hell was going to miss her.

"Can you stay strong?
Can you go on?
Kristy, are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom, winter's kept you,
Don't waste your whole life on trying to get back what was taken away..."
I heard a faint but the familiar tune hum through the mess around me. It was "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?" by The Offspring. It was the song that we named Kristy after. Some distant radio was probably playing it. More cold tears formed in the pit of my eye. Memories of her flooded my brain. Life wouldn't be the same without her.

"Kristy's watching over us," I heard Zacky whisper; his head now out from my shoulder. I looked up at his now smiling face. His snake bites curved with his mouth and glisten against his lips, thanks to the small slivers of sunlight that peaked through the cracks of the rubble. Seeing Zacky smile, made me smile. It was true; Kristy was watching over us. And I knew that the sweet little angel would probably keep us, and the guys, safe. I don't know how long we would be stuck, but I began to feel my heart lighten and hope fill me. We would survive.

"I love you, Zacky," I told him, leaning my face closer to his.
"I love you too, Angel," He told me, and pressed his lips onto mine. His grip around me loosened enough so I could get my arms free and wrapped them around his neck. I knew as long as I was in Zacky's arms, I would be okay, even if I died.

***
"Zacky, I'm scared."
"Sh, it'll be okay..."
"ZACKY, YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR DAYS! We are going to die!" I screamed at him. I couldn't even see his face; it's was pitch black out here. It's been God knows how long since I've woken up, and no one has found us. We haven't moved, we haven't had anything to eat, or drink, and I knew Zacky was getting worse by the day. I felt myself getting better, but I might of think that Zacky's wounds have gotten infective. Some of his gashes were turning black, purple, blue, green, and they had puss coming from some of them. I felt horrible for him, and I knew he was in a lot of pain, even though he didn't show it. I knew if he didn't get help soon, I could possibly lose my husband.

"Angel, don't think that way," He quietly told me. His voice was weak, and I scared me to hear him that way. He needs water...WE need water. I totally regret screaming now. My throat was sore in pain, and it was crying out for water.

"Zacky, days have passed...No one is looking for us!" I yelled, a little quieter than the last time I screamed. My throat was in even more pain now, and I could feel it getting harder to breathe.

It was dead quiet after my screaming. The only noise that could be heard was my shallow breathing. I didn't even hear Zacky breathe or move, which was unusual. I was still pinned up against him, and his warm body got cold. Oh God, no.

"Zacky please don't die! Please don't leave me!" I pleaded as I snuggled closer to him. I searched for a heartbeat in chest by running my hands over his chest. I wasn't finding anything, and my heart started racing. It was just like when I was unconscious; Zacky was doing the same thing to me...only I woke up.

A few tears hit the ground when I finally gave up on him. Zacky, my baby, was gone. He didn't make it. He was now with his baby girl and Jimmy. And I was alone. Surely if Zacky didn't make it, I wouldn't either. But I was beginning to feel that if I didn't make it, I wouldn't care. I would be able to be with my husband and my daughter. All of us, one big happy family, in paradise. I snuggled closer to my dead husband, and wrapped my skinny arms around his waist. As more tears fell down my face and hit the dirt ground, I thought to myself:

God, please take me now. Zacky, Kristy, mommies coming soon.

***
"Hello? Is anyone there?" I heard a distant voice yell..I think. I peeled my eyes open to be greeted with bright sunlight that burned my eyes. My throat was drier than a Sahara desert, and every breath hurt. My whole aching body was up against Zacky's freezing body. His eyes were close, never to open again, and his face was emotionless. He died last night, and it pained me to look at him.

"Hey! Anybody there?" I heard the distant voice yelled louder, almost like it was coming closer. I heard rustling throughout the broken hotel. I felt the nagging in my head and heart again to speak out, but I don't think I could get the words out of my mouth. But I had to try.
"Right here..." I cracked out weakly. I don't think anyone could hear me.

"Hey guys, we've found someone!" I heard a man yell. I slowly propped myself up on my elbow. I heard things being thrown around, and I tried to pull myself from Zacky's limp arms. I couldn't bring myself to my knees, so I just laid on the ground, hoping that someone would find me.

The final planks of wood that kept me hidden were torn away and two fire fighters were standing in front of me. They had masks on so I could only see their eyes. One of the fire fighters leaned down onto one knee and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Ma'am are you okay?" I heard the guy say through his mask, but it was severely muffled. The other fire fighter was pushing other pieces of debris away from us and throwing it off to the side. I turned my head back to Zacky's body, and the fire fighter noticed me.
"Hey Mike, we have a body..."

Too weak to speak, I just reached over to try to hold my husband's hand one last time. This was the last time I would see him, but I didn't want to let him go. I barely touched his cold fingertips before a tear slid down my cheek. I saw the golden wedding band on his finger, glistening in the sunlight. 'Til death do us part, I thought.

I felt arms go around my back and the back of my legs, and I realized I was being lifted up by the fire fighter "bridal style". I didn't even get to hold Zacky's hand one last time before I was being carried out of the rubble. I looked back at the other fire fighter and my husband one last time, and slid out one last tear. Goodbye Zacky. I love you.

Soon, I was sitting in a rescue tent, a thin blanket was around my shoulders, a bottle of water [my third one today] in my hand, and all my cuts and bruises were patched up. I was given some pain killers to stop the pain on the outside, but deep inside, I was still dying. Sitting on the ground in the middle of the Red Cross tent, I tried to process all that has happened. It's only been an hour since I was found, but I found out so much that it just pained me to continue on living. I was never a suicidal person, but I was seriously starting to consider it.

What I found out is that every single one of the guys passed away. Slowly one by one in the past hour I found out that they didn't survive the earthquake. First, I found out Matt died within the first hour after the earthquake hit by this lady that was next to him when he died. Next, I found out Brian died yesterday on the way to the hospital by one of the paramedics who worked on him. Lastly…I found out my younger brother died just about two hours ago in this very same tent because of his injuries. A worker told me that he heard me screaming last night, but he couldn’t bring up the strength to yell back. I wish I was here earlier so I could have said goodbye to him. But help came too late…and he slipped away from me…without a goodbye. Everyone who I loved was now gone. I had nothing left.

“Ms. Baker?” I heard the same fire fighter who saved me ask. I hated the sound of Miss. I should always be known as Mrs. Baker, not Miss.
I glanced up at him, my hazel eyes wide and wet with tears. His mask was gone, and I was staring up at a younger man with pale, sad gray eyes, and a 5 o’clock shadow. He had a frown on his face as he looked at my broken face. His gloved hand opened up in front of me, and inside of it laid a small golden heart locket. I glanced at it, shocked, and then back up into face. He is seriously not just hitting on me?

“Um, this was found in your husband’s pocket. I’m sorry for your loss…” He told me as he dropped the small locket in my hands. As soon as the metal touched my skin, he turned and walked away from me. I stared at it, in complete and utter shock. It was so beautiful on the outside, completely unharmed from the earthquake. How long has Zacky had this?

I opened the small locket with my nails, and found mine and Zacky’s wedding picture, only in tiny form. My mouth dropped. The picture was of our first kiss as husband and wife. Zacky was in a tux, and I was in my long, white wedding dress. My arms were wrapped around his shoulders as his arms were wrapped around my waist. It was the perfect Kodak moment.
On the other side of the locket, were the lyrics to the song “Warmness on the Soul” by Avenged Sevenfold. It was the perfect way to sum up our relationship: ‘I give my heart to you.’

I closed the locket and gripped it tightly in my hands. I put my clasped hands up to my chest, right next to my heart. Zacky sent me this from heaven, I knew it. I knew that every single one of the guys was watching me right now, and so was Kristy.

“I’m not leaving just yet Zacky,” I whispered to myself as my eyes trailed to the ground with a smile on my face, “Not yet.”