Xiang'e, China is quiet. Most of the children that lived in the town died during last week's earthquake. Those that survived quietly stick closely to their mothers.
,14, is alive because he ignored his teacher's orders and went to the bathroom. His sixteen-year-old brother was obedient. He now lays in a mass grave with 400 other students.
His brother was obedient. The obedient ones all died," his cousin said.
Built 10 years ago the four storey school in Xiang'e collapsed during the earthquake. A new dormitory built across from the playground is one of the few buildings that still stands in this town.
"In one minute, it dropped straight down, just like September 11. The second floor became the first floor," said a townswoman.
"The students and teachers are all buried in one grave. They were so mangled together no-one could tell who was who anyway."
Hongxing screamed for help from the bathroom. He was rescued within a few hours.
Other screams came from the rubble. Schoolchildren trapped below four storeys of concrete planks yelled out for help. The planks were too heavy for those in the town to move. By building the area was quiet. The following evening when soldiers came to help the buried students were dead.
Hongxing survived but his mourning is intense. His relatives all say that his heart has left him.
Two weeks ago the town was filled with the laughter of children. School has not restarted. There aren't enough children in town for one.
The Aftermath: One Town In China
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