the buildings opposite the apple building began to open up like over ripe apples , their sides splitting and spilling citizens into the rubble and chaos below , their terror and horror echoing through the canyons of the streets below as the building almost as if in slow motion tumbled downwards , portions at a time , burying one person after another in the rubble , until one could see an arm protruding here , a leg there , a bleeding head there , the arms of a small child there .