Earthquake Focus

What Kate didn't see were all the things happening outside that strange night.

A slow tremble shook the trees, scattering dried leaves. They rattled and swirled across the street. The dogs started barking, short, excited barks as if they sensed something was there. The muddy ground was more than soft and wet. This slow tremble seemed to be coming right from the earth itself. This shifting of the ground beneath woke the rabbits from their shallow dirt homes. They looked out, standing, with front paws down, whiskers twitching and ears curved to the sounds of the night.

It was night and the darkness absorbed the changes going on. The trembling grew and the ground seemed so unsteady that if you were standing and looked up you might think the full moon was shaking in the skies. The twinkling of the stars took a crooked dance. It almost seemed like a funny party instead of an earthquake.

Hidden in the sleeping hours of the night, this earthquake went unnoticed by most.

The museum curator from the news that Katie watched, was still awake. Five cups of coffee after her exhibit's arrival, she was still standing in amazement at their best exhibit ever. She couldn't believe the treasures before her eyes. She rubbed her eyes once again, blinking and seeing them again in front of her.

She yawned. The coffee was losing its power. All that caffeine was wearing off and she wasn't really feeling like superwoman anymore. Mona Lisa smiled at her from her protective layers of glass. She could understand, couldn't she, the curator wondered. Did she ever get tired of smiling? Of course, she must… She wondered if Mona Lisa could adapt in today's society.

Why was she thinking so much about Mona Lisa? She was just a piece of artwork - not a person.

She rubbed her head. Maybe the exhibit, all this planning and preparation leading up to the real thing, had gotten to her. She was acting as if these pieces of artwork were real.

But, there was something especially real about them tonight. She couldn't explain it. It didn't even make sense to her. She shook her head, trying to get these thoughts out of her head. It didn't work. She couldn't help thinking that these pieces of art were watching her.

It was time to go home. The place had gotten to her. After all her hours of hard work, she felt like she was alone in a place with ghosts. A chill crept down her spine, and she felt cold, even though the museum was set at a comfortable 70 degrees.