“-ic or –ical.”

cataclysmic

hysterical 

At 2am my son awoke to find his room shaking.

So violent was it, he was thrown from his bed. In the following minutes, he thought his life was going to end as he found himself being thrown around his room as if he was nothing more than a rag doll.

He was in what was a cataclysmic earth quake. Eventually, the quake subsided enough for him to gather himself and investigate the damage done.

Outside the mood was hysterical. People were beside themselves wondering how they survived and how they’d cope with another one. In the previous week, there had been numerous rumblings, but this quake which they later discovered was about 7.6.

In the immediate days, they evacuated all personnel deemed not needed, but he remained as he was the medical staff and many of the locals needed medical help.

What followed was a series of aftershocks, slightly less in intensity that the cataclysmic one that is mentioned above. It was a totally unnerving experience, whole sides of hillsides slid down into valleys, people were displaced, and a massive humanitarian aid program was begun.

In time he came home with many stories and photos of huge rocks thrown down from the hills and landing feet from where he was living.

For us, as parents, the hysterical nature of an experience such as this where your child could have been killed if not seriously injured cannot be treated lightly. I am glad he is now well away from all that.

Written for: https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-18-18/