LA just experienced an earthquake. I was in my apartment because I stayed home to get some laundry done. The building got very shaky for what felt like about 30 seconds. I didn’t know what to do. What I did was stand up and sort of pace around the apartment. After the shocks subsided, I went out in the hallway. My neighbor Honor was crouched in her doorway. I went over to make sure she was all right. “I just had flashbacks to China,” she said. I didn’t know what that meant. “Is it still shaking?” she asked me. “No, I think that’s just you,” I said.

Felix, the building manager, and Henry, the mute caretaker, came out of Felix’s apartment. “What are we supposed to do when something like that happens?” Honor asked Felix. Felix ignored her. “I’m so nervous,” he said, fanning himself. “I thought the whole building was going to fall down.” This didn’t do much to calm our nerves. Henry, the mute caretaker, raised his arms and pretended he was trying to catch his balance. Then he drew his hand across his neck in a slicing motion as if to say, “we’re all going to die.” I didn’t really know what else to say, so I went downstairs and checked on my laundry.