Tremblor

the earth moves beneath your body as you lie awake in the early morning light that half-light that is not fully day but is bright enough to perceive that this day is going to be different because the earth is moving wait how can the earth move the earth is stable is hard and firm and yet the vibrations the moving the shaking are undeniable you begin to hear other movements around you people calling out crawling under their beds for shelter when the danger is not just above them but below as well because the whole earth is shaking rattling noises from trash cans and metal containers on the tile floor people clattering and crying out in fear you find your own way under your bed but you feel no fear only excitement and vibrations that echo in your mind as your body moves on the floor the trembling quivering earth continues to shake for what seems an eternity although it is really just a short time before the shaking stops almost as abruptly as it began on this clear Sunday morning and you crawl out from under your bed exhilarated but wary of potential damage to the building around you grown men weeping others just trying to hold on and some crazy ones like you grinning and getting dressed for the day

(On June 28, 1992 I was in San Diego in boot camp for the Navy. The quake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale was located way out in the Mojave Desert, but it's effects were felt for hundreds of miles and woke me up. The most aggravation I remember feeling was that I was cheated out of those few extra minutes of precious sleep...)

More on this can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Landers_earthquake