Saint-Julian stared out of

Saint-Julian stared out of his bedroom window. The sun was starting to creep out from behind the nearby mountains, turning the purple sky a soft lilac. It was only five am. He loved this time of the morning. He looked out the window at the sleeping metropolis where he worked, nestled between the mountains like a child, falling asleep in its mothers arms. 1

It was the only time away from the hustle and bustle of modern living, that he could reflect on his life. He turned from the window and looked back to his bed and the sleeping form of Laura, his wife.
So peaceful, she was so beautiful when she slept.2

He thought of how they'd met for the first time and a smile crept across his face. It was five years ago at his friend John's party. He didn't want to go but was made to. He had sat in the corner the entire night nursing drink after drink and ignoring the people laughing and dancing. When John had introduced them he had a complete fool of himself. Falling over his chair he'd managed to fall on top of her and knocked them both to the ground, him on top of her. Surprisingly she had just laughed and said "Well someones forward." before kissing him.3

That had been the first time he had been happy in years, he'd been happy ever since. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her stomach, feeling her bump.4

She was four months pregnant, they already had names picked out. Micheal for a boy after Julian's dad and Sophie foe a girl after her mam. Her hand grabbed his as he started to stroke her face tenderly. He pulled away gently so he wouldn't wake her.5

He wrapped himself in himself in his dressing gown and went down stairs, as soon as he opened the kitchen door Brendan jump up on him. Brendan was their Saint-Bernard. Laura had gotten him as security but honestly he was more likely to lick you to death.
"Down you stupid slob," Julian laughed, pushing the big dog off him and rubbing its huge head. He filled the kettle and made a cup of tea.6

He sat there for nearly an hour, drinking his tea and reading yesterdays paper before Laura came into the kitchen, her little bump showing from under her vest.
"Morning," he said to her "I didn't wake you did I?"
"Depends, are you gonna guilt trip yourself if I say yes?"
"You know I will."
"In that case..." she gave him one of here dazzling smiles.
"I'm going to step out for a bit and get some air OK?" she nodded and smiled again.7

"I'm so lucky" he said to himself as he stepped out the front door. He walked about twenty meters before realising he'd left the front door open. He turned back and was able to see into the house. Laura was smiling at him. I'm so lucky he thought before she disappeared.8

The ground started to shake and he saw Laura throwen from her feet while he struggled to keep upright. The roof started to collapse in a storm of noise and dust. Over the noise he could hear Brendan bark. Over that Laura was screaming as falling rubble obscured his view. The dust cloud choked and blinded him as the earth kept shaking.9

As the dust cleared he saw the ruins of his home. When he could, he jumped to his feet and started to clear the rubble in a desperate hope that she and Brendan were OK. That his family wasn't destroyed.10

He dug for what must have been hours. His muscles were on fire from the heavy lifting. Overhead the sky turned from lilac to pink to blue.11

When he finally reached them he found Brendan first. The great dog was slumped over Laura. It was if it had tried to protect her, shielding her body with his. "Good boy" he whispered as he kissed the dogs cold, dusty forehead and moved him off Laura. 12

Julian looked down at his wife's face, covered in a thick film of dust, dirt and blood. He took her broken body in his arms and screamed his impotent rage to the sky. He screamed at the injustice of it all and cried for his loss. For his stupid dog, for his beautiful wife, for his unborn child.13

When he could not cry anymore, when all the tears had dried up and he could not give anymore, he walked down into the city. It was several miles down and he was barefoot. It didn't hurt. He was completely numb. 14

When he got to town he didn't pay any attention to the people staring at him, asking if he was alright or had he felt the earthquake earlier. He ignored the insults screamed by teenagers at him and the old women whispering. None of them mattered after what had happened.15

He walked to the office blocks where he worked. Slowly he climbed the staircase to the roof and opened the door. He was about fifteen storeys up. He tried to take his mind off what had happened but all he could see was her face smiling and full of life. Then a piercing scream and the imaged changed to her cold, dead.16

What was he going to do? This was a catastrophe his whole life and mind was just slipping away. He started to sing softly to himself "Life's slipping away from me, I can't hold on."17

He heard Laura's voice. "Come join me Julian, I can't live without you," she was standing in front of him, playing with Brendan and a small boy. The boys face was blanketed in shadows. "Come on. What are you waiting for? Don't you want to meet your son?" 18

He looked down at the beaten locket he'd taken from her neck. He opened it, inside was a picture of their wedding day sharing their kiss. "I'm coming." he started to cry again. Tears of joy ran down his face as the cold wind tenderly kissed him. 19

He picked himself up from the floor and sprinted towards his son, manic laughter spewing from his mouth. The image moved back and he chased it. His son was just at the edge of the roof now and had stopped. As Julian wrapped his arms around the boy the image disappeared leaving him alone at the edge of the roof.20

He turned around. There was nothing. Just Julian's bloody foot prints on the roof top. He let out a roar of anguish and then threw himself off the roof.