memory

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The first rumble was a warning; the second, coming milliseconds later, was so much larger. Robbie, because he was such a big nerd-which actually was useful-shrieked, "EARTHQUAKE! WE HAVE TO GET TO UPTOWN L.A.-THE STRONGEST, MOST EARTHQUAKE PROOF BUILDING IS THERE!" 

 Then there was another rumble that shook them off their feet. The group scrambled away, Jade in the lead, running for her life. The streets were chaotic, with people running in every direction. Sirens wailed in the distance, adding to the pandemonium. Downtown L.A. knew an earthquake was happening soon-just not where or how big. 

 Jade, with the red hair of Cat visible on one side of her and Robbie's stupid puppet on the other, she could hear two more sets of feet behind her, which she was sure was Andre and Tori. Jade led the group at a sprint up the winding sidewalks, past Hollywood Arts, the school. "Robbie, where is the fucking building?" she yelled.

 "Follow me!" said Robbie. They all took off again, trying to get to the building. But they were too late. a deep, rumbling roar echoed through the city, shaking the very foundations of the buildings. It was as if the earth itself had unleashed its fury. An earthquake, of immense magnitude, had struck uptown Los Angeles. Buildings swayed like giant reeds in the wind, windows shattered into shards, and the streets cracked open as if a giant fissure had sliced through the city.

 Jade looked back desperately, trying to catch a glimpse of her dear girlfriend before they lost each other. But when she looked to Andre's side behind her, what she saw wasn't her girlfriend. It was Sinjin. He seemed to have joined the group. Jade's heart stopped beating. All she could think was about Tori. 

 She saw the brunette some ways behind the group, trying to keep up. She must have been so far into the kitchen that she didn't realize the flee until she was far behind. Jade tried to wait for her, but it was too late. Jade, Tori, Robbie, Andre, and Cat were caught in the chaos, each of them torn away from the others by the sheer force of the earthquake. Debris rained down around them, and they were forced to seek shelter wherever they could find it. Screams and sirens filled the air as panic swept through the city.

In the midst of the chaos, the five friends lost consciousness as a result of a falling beam and the subsequent smoke inhalation. And when they finally awoke, disoriented and dazed, they found themselves in different parts of the devastated uptown L.A. Their memories were a jumbled mess, and they had lost the past two days completely. 

 Cat, Andre and Robbie were together. But the other two? Gone. 

As they regained their senses amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings, they instinctively felt the absence of the others. Desperation gripped their hearts as they realized they had been separated from their closest friends, but their memory loss prevented them from comprehending the full extent of the disaster. 

With tears in their eyes, Jade and Tori began their search. The once-familiar city streets had turned into a nightmarish maze of destruction. Buildings that had once stood tall were now reduced to rubble, making it nearly impossible to navigate. But love fueled their determination, and they pressed on, calling out their friends' names in the hopes of hearing a response.

As they pushed through the debris-strewn streets, each step became a painful reminder of the chaos that had engulfed their lives. They encountered injured survivors, lending a helping hand where they could, but their primary mission was to find their lost friends and piece together the events of the past two days.

 The devastation around them seemed endless. The city that had once been a place of laughter and joy had transformed into a haunting landscape of destruction and despair. Jade and Tori's love for each other grew stronger with each passing moment, and it was that love that sustained them in their relentless search. Until Tori tried to squeeze through a crack in a building, on the other side of which she thought she saw her amazing girlfriend.

 And she pushed a block of rubble right on top of her.

 Jade stood amidst the devastation that was once her city, her heart heavy with despair and disbelief. The earthquake had struck with a ferocity that left nothing untouched, and it had taken away the one person who meant the world to her: Tori.

Tears streamed down Jade's face as she hurried to Tori's side. Every step she took was like a knife through her heart, knowing that with each passing moment, the chances of finding Tori alive grew slimmer. She knew, she could see from how far away she was the brick crushing into her girlfriend's chest.

 She knew it was fatal.

 But she refused to admit it.

 "TORI!" Jade's voice quivered as she called out, her throat raw from the dust and the cries. She dug through the rubble with trembling hands, her nails caked with dirt and grime. Memories of their time together flooded her mind – the laughter, the love, the shared dreams – all of it felt like a cruel mirage now. 

Jade collapsed to her knees, tears flowing freely as she gently cradled Tori's lifeless body in her arms. She whispered words of love and sorrow, her heart shattered into a million pieces. In that moment, Jade realized that her world had irrevocably changed. The grief was all-encompassing, a heavy burden that she would carry with her for the rest of her life.

As rescue workers continued their efforts around her, Jade held Tori close, finding solace in the final moments they shared together. The earthquake had stolen her love, but it could never erase the memories of their time together—the laughter, the love, and the dreams they had once shared.

 It was as though the sun had been extinguished from her life, leaving behind only a vast, unending darkness. The pain she felt was more profound than anything she had ever experienced. Every moment without her love was an agonizing ache deep in her chest. It was the kind of grief that made it difficult to breathe, to eat, to sleep. The world around her seemed colorless and empty, stripped of all joy and meaning. 

Jade's thoughts were consumed by memories of her true love—their laughter, their shared dreams, the way their eyes had sparkled when they looked at each other. She clung to these memories like a lifeline, replaying them in her mind, desperate to hold onto the feeling of being loved and cherished.

 But Tori was gone. 

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