And then Mia disappeared.
So did Buddy.
When the shaking finally stopped, silence settled over the neighborhood like a heavy blanket.
The house was gone.
The yard was gone.
And Mia was nowhere to be found.
Her mother fell to her knees among the rubble.
“Mia!” she screamed again and again.
But no answer came.
Only silence.
Deep beneath the collapsed foundation, Mia slowly opened her eyes.
Everything hurt.
Her arm was scraped.
Her knees were bruised.
The air smelled like dirt and broken concrete.
For a few terrifying moments, she couldn’t understand where she was.
The darkness was complete.
She tried calling for her mother.
No one answered.
Panic began to rise inside her tiny chest.
