collapse

I'm back at my old job with the stockbrokers, and people are surprised to see me, but pleased. It's nice to be back, things are clean and organised and well-designed. I know what I'm doing, and I do it well.
I look out the window at the city. We're high up in a sleek plate-glass building. I feel a massive jolt, and look around in a panic. It's an earthquake. I back away from the windows, wide-eyed. I kneel on the floor and look out at the city. Buildings are swaying, our building is swaying. Some of the taller buildings begin to collapse on themselves.
The office is in a panic - noone knows what to do and there is a rush for the fire escape. I am left alone in the sleek modern office, kneeling on the carpet. The floor begins to tilt to one side. I hear metal groaning and windows breaking, and still buildings out in the city are collapsing.
The floor gives way and I am plummeting. This is it - goodbye. Goodbye, everthing. I am frightened, but calm. I feel like I should have some profound last words, but all I have is goodbye. Goodbye.

I open my eyes and I am in bed, in a hotel room in Perth. I am awake, and not dead or at the bottom of a pile of rubble. It is 5am. I am reassured and I roll over and pull the white hotel duvet tight around me.

I am back in the office. Analysts are surprised to see me and give me good-natured ribbing about coming back to the job I left. Buildings in the distance start to collapse and topple over. I can see people leaping out the windows, diving towards the ground headfirst. I feel the floor start to shake and tilt, and then it stops. The floor now points downhill and I don't think the office tower can last much longer. I head down the fire escape stairs, carefully, conscious that any sudden movement might topple the building and send me out the window to my death.