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She hopped into her pants, nearly toppling over when one leg got snagged on the fabric. Riley was frantically looking for something to wear but was clearly disoriented. Tentatively walking to the door, Avery tried the handle, finding it cool to the touch, which was a good sign. However, a thin layer of smoke floating near the top of the door was not.
Unsure what was going to meet them in the hallway, Avery pointed to the window. “Let’s see if we can crawl out of here.”
Having a task to complete, Riley handled the stress more effectively. “It’s stuck,” she grunted, the veins in her neck straining as she tried to open the window.
“Hold on.” Avery frantically looked around for something to break the glass, but everything was either bolted down or didn’t have enough weight to do any good.
Avery gripped the window handles, and a small whimper escaped when it didn’t budge. She scanned the room, wondering what to do next.
The alarm cut into her head, making any rational thought nearly impossible. “Come on, the door handle wasn’t warm last time I checked. Let’s get out of here before it’s too late.” Avery gripped Riley’s arm tight as they stumbled to the door together.
Testing the handle again, Avery found it was warmer but still not hot. She locked eyes with Riley. Seeing her roommate needed someone steady helped calm the rising terror threatening to overtake her. “We’ll be okay. Remember to keep low and stay close. Let’s not get separated.”
Riley nodded her acknowledgment, which was enough for Avery to swing the door open and crouch low.
The smoke wasn’t as thick as she was thinking, but not wanting to lollygag, she pulled Riley along the hall. Shouts and shadows filled the room as the duo followed the crowd towards the back door. Avery’s shoe grazed against someone slumped against the wall.
Elizabeth. Avery couldn’t leave her there. “Riley, grab her other arm,” Avery called, stopping to bend down. Together, they each grabbed an arm and lifted Elizabeth, who mumbled something incoherent.
The smoke became a little thicker. Her eyes burned, and her muscles spasmed, but there was no way she would leave Elizabeth to fend for herself.
Dragging the unconscious body was draining Avery fast. She kicked something, bending down, and plucked Elizabeth’s marble from the floor, tucking it safely into her pocket. She adjusted her waning grip on her arm before shuffling towards the door. It felt like the target kept getting pushed farther and farther away. Her head swam and chest burned as her airway constricted, but she pushed on, unwilling to stop.
With the last of her reserved energy, Avery burst through the back door, Riley at her side, collapsing with Elizabeth at the threshold before everything went dark.
“Avery? Come on, wake up.” Stella’s accent, mixed with a level of worry, permeated the darkness, giving her a safe place to land in her rising level of consciousness.
“Stella?” Avery’s whisper tore at her throat. The rasp was nearly lost in the chaotic activity she woke up to. A mask covered part of her face, which she promptly whisked off in her confusion.
“No, keep that on,” Stella scolded, setting the oxygen mask back in place.
A dull, stinging sensation scraped at Avery’s eyes as she slowly tried to sit up.
“Thank God you’re all right.” Stella threw caution to the wind and wrapped her arms around Avery’s neck. This was the closest they’d been since their night together. Avery’s arm closed around Stella’s soft form. She wished the mask hadn’t created a barrier to burying her nose in her soft ringlets. Avery tried to shake off the feelings of comfort—of home.
“Jesus, what happened? The EMTs said your airway was clear of smoke inhalation, but you still collapsed. Your O2 levels were fine, though.” Stella pulled away enough to search Avery’s eyes. “Someone will come back by and check you out.”
Stella's worry made Avery feel warm. Running her hand along her head, she tried to clear the confusion. “I… Wait, how’s Elizabeth?” Avery remembered, sitting up suddenly. Pain radiated from her back at the movement. Wincing, she let Stella guide her back down.
“Elizabeth’s fine, thanks to you. She had an asthma attack and was a little out of it until they gave her an albuterol treatment. She’s over there resting.” Stella waved to the driveway. Elizabeth was sitting alone, unseeing eyes staring at nothing as she sat shaking with a blanket over her shoulders.
Pulling the mask down, Avery said, “I’m glad she’s okay.”
“Stella, there you are. Thank you for getting me out.” Quinn popped up from nowhere, crouched beside Stella, and put her arm around her shoulders. Stella scooted back to give Quinn room to squeeze in their little bubble. “Oh, Avery, are you okay?” she asked, noticing her after searching Stella’s face.
“What happened?” Stella asked again.
“Riley and I were trying to open the windows in our room, but they were jammed.” Avery’s memories of the terrifying moments were coming back. “With that option out the window—” Avery chuckled at the unintentional pun. The night sneaking up on her faculties, she gathered herself before continuing. “I have anxiety attacks,” she whispered, hating to show vulnerability, especially after something like this. “I didn’t feel this one coming on, but it’s not surprising with all the other stimulations. Sometimes, when they’re terrible, I struggle for breath. In conjunction with the small amount of smoke, I didn’t have a chance.” She paused, taking a few tentative gasps. There was still a tightness in her chest, but she was sure it would clear up once she relaxed. “Do we know what happened?”
Avery took a good look at the organized chaos of the front yard. Lights flooded, illuminating the area. A firetruck and two ambulances squeezed into the front yard. All the contestants were huddled towards the fence. They were staying far enough away from the hubbub that they didn’t get in the way of the professionals doing their job. Avery stared at Elizabeth’s shaking form, seeing it in a new light. Her stomach lurched at seeing the camera people capturing everyone’s reaction.
Avery watched the firefighters go in and out of the house. There wasn’t a stream of water, which seemed optimistic, but the whole experience was surreal. Monica was pacing in the background with her trusty walkie-talkie at her hip. The damage didn’t appear catastrophic, and now the camera crew was in their faces, capturing the traumatic event. Instead of getting angry, Avery was numb. Numb to the fact she’d gone on this stupid show in the first place. Numb to the possibility she wouldn’t have any jobs to return to when this was all done, and mainly numb to Quinn clutching at Stella’s arm. She had no claim to be jealous, so instead, she closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted by the truths that crushed her shoulders.
“There was a fire that started in one of the rooms. Rumor has it someone was smoking, and the cigarette butt caught fire to the tissues that were in the garbage can. At least that’s what everyone is saying,” Stella said, sounding uncertain.
Avery grunted, no longer wanting to wait around for the answer. She groaned as she tried to stand.
“What are you doing? You need to rest.” Stella put out her hand to steady Avery’s shaky gait.
