This was part of tonight's 750. I've been thinking of writing this for some time, it's been kinda rattling around in my head.
It was the smell that brought him to consciousness first, and with a sudden jolt. He wanted to open his eyes, but he could feel something pressing against his eyelids. He could feel his arms and legs, but both legs and his left arm did not respond to his attempts to move them, pinned down. He realized he had been holding his breath. He carefully and slowly drew in another breath through his nose. The stench was almost overwhelming and he had to will himself to keep breathing. Something sharp pinched his cheek and he could feel something on his lips. He slowly lifted his right arm and carefully felt his face, gingerly feeling the sharp object pressing into his cheek. It yielded slightly and he was able to move it away from his cheek. He slowly felt his lips. The material was light, flaky and he began to brush it away from his mouth, nose and eyes. He realized he was again holding his breath. With the debris cleared away from his face, the smell wasn't so strong, but he could still feel dust with each breath he took. Slowly, he attempted to lift his head. He was able to raise it a few inches before the crown of his head crashed into something solid and he slowly lowered it again, smarting. Now something was poking the back of his head, but he couldn't reach it. He also realized that he wasn't hearing anything whatsoever except for a very low dull thudding sound. He lay perfectly still, listening, but still couldn't make out any of the sounds. He returned to trying to brush dust from his eyes. Through his eyelids he could see light, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what he might see when he opened his eyes. As near as he could tell, he wasn't hurt too badly, just held in place. Whatever had happened, he was now encased in something, but in such a way that he'd been spared serious injury or death. Carefully, cautiously, he opened his left eye. Immediately, he was blinded by an explosion. He gasped, inadvertently opening his mouth, allowing flaky debris to fall into his mouth. He began gagging and choking and was suddenly filled with panic. He grasped his pantleg with his right hand and willed himself to slow his breathing only through his nose while spat chunks of concrete from his mouth. As he calmed down, he began to allow himself to remember. Just bits and pieces. Some kind of explosion. He still wasn't sure what. He wasn't sure where he was, and he wasn't even sure who he was. But he was alive and for the moment, that was all that mattered.