The roar of the crowd surged through the concrete tunnel. Nayeli paused. Maybe now was not a good time to grab a snack. She shrugged. She wasn’t much of a sports fan, so this was better than waiting until crowds of sweaty people were pressing their way through to vendors and bathrooms.

As she continued, the ground vibrated under her feet. Crazy. She could feel the roar. People passed her, running back into the stadium with their goods, not wanting to miss the excitement. She smiled, knowing her friends were enjoying the game. She was glad they had decided to come.

Nayeli turned the corner. The ground vibrated under her feet again. This time the crowd was silent. She paused, glanced down at her feet, and frowned. The bat cracked behind her and the stadium filled with noise as the crowd rose to their feet. She kept going and was at the hotdog vendor before the sound of the crowd subsided.

There were only a couple people in line. As she stepped up to the counter, the ground started shaking. She looked down at her feet and then back up at the vendor. His eyes were wide. “Earthquake.” The shaking stopped. Sirens started. People yelled. An announcement came. “Make your way calmly and quietly to the closest tunnel.”

The ground began shaking again. Nayeli stumbled. There was an ear-splitting metallic screech. Several screams filled the air as people pushed their way into the tunnel. A heavy boom reverberated in the distance. Nayeli scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. She needed to get back out there.

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