Shake Rattle and Roll by Emma

On Tuesday the 22nd of February at 12.51 am I was in Room 5 with Freya because we were doing wet day duty.

It was my very first day at doing duty and I was actually looking for Mackenzie's hat in the cloak room while carrying my microwaved rice. I dropped my fork and bent down to pick it up when the 6.3 earthquake suddenly forced me side to side as the lights above were swinging. I grabbed Mackenzie by the hand and we ran to the nearest doorway. We watched the windows that looked like they were going in and out. Freya and I screamed to the rest of the children "get under the desks" though most were already moving. Some children were crying and some were hesitating .

Popsicle sticks and ice cream containers fell from the shelves. The power went out straight away. As I looked over I saw my friend Freya, my buddy Charlotte and Oakley under the nearest plastic desks. A lot of other children came to the doorway with me because they had been on their way outside for play and it was the closest place to go.

After the shaking stopped we saw Miss Collins outside. Freya and I were telling everyone that it will be alright so we took Room 5 outside to see Miss Collins. Some of them had been clinging to our legs and hugging us. They looked so shocked. We then all walked together to the back field where everyone else was waiting. Freya and I then walked over to Mr Barr and our class and tried to comfort friends and classmates while Mr Barr read out the roll.

Tracey, my Mum and other parents started arriving to collect their children from school. Mum was helping get the classes on to the field. Tracey, Freya and Luke left with us and came to our house as her mum didn't have any keys for her house. When we opened our front door we saw vases, the printer and computer, candles, lamps, my clock, jewellery and other small things scattered along the floor. Glass has broken and surprisingly the nail clippers ended up on the other side of the room.

We tried and tried to call Anastasia and Taylor to check that they were ok and our parents organised them to be picked up. It wasn't long before my sister, Taylor, and Freya's dad arrived at the door together. There were lots of hugs and tears as we were so worried about them all.

My dad was lucky because he had been in Invercargill during the tragedy. His work (Cadbury's in Christchurch) wasn't too flash though because it got a yellow sticker and had liquefaction all through it and is in the CBD cordon. My mum was in the bathroom at the time and ended up juggling medicines and things all falling out from the cupboards around her.

I am lucky because my family is okay and my merrin friends and their families are all ok. Sadly though everyone knows people who have died and it is really really sad.

My house is fine. A few more cracks here and there but nothing too big. Our garage is not that flash.

Sadly this time people did die in the 6.3 earthquake with lots of people in the collapsed CTV building and the PGG building and just in the wrong places at the wrong time.

The good things that I have seen is everyone helping other people and it is so nice to have the Christ the King people with us so that we can help them too.

Put it this way I hope we have just survived what should be Christchurch's only tragedy of our lives.