I climbed up, coughing, pulling myself through with the last of my strength. The cabin was barely recognizable. Shadows warped the walls. The smoke made it impossible to tell what was flame and what was memory.
Voices. Yelling. Somewhere behind me.
Did it work?
Did they think I was still under there?
I crawled through the haze, disoriented, dizzy. My hand brushed the couch. The hallway. The kitchen table. I couldn’t see anything clearly, just shapes and outlines.
My lungs screamed for air.
A wave of dizziness washed over me.
I had to get out.
Where was the front?
Another shot in the distance.
My body moved on instinct, barely tethered to thought. I reached the front door. Pressed my hand against it. Waited.
Was someone out there?
Waiting to finish what they started?
I heard another shout. I couldn’t tell if it was Gray. Or the man I shot. Or someone who had gone to him.
I didn’t have time to wonder.
Now or never.
Be brave, Ava. Be like Remi.
I yanked the door open...
And the air hit me like a wave. Cold. Clean. Alive.
It sucked into the cabin like it had lungs of its own, feeding the fire behind me. I didn’t look back.
I ran.
Down the steps, across the gravel, to the trees.
My body barely felt the impact of each step, like I’d left something behind in that crawl space, my fear, maybe. Or a piece of me I could never reclaim.
It felt like forever reaching the tree line.
I pushed as hard as I could, hoping my legs wouldn't give out beneath me... hoping I could take in enough air to keep me going.
Crossing the threshold of the tree line, I choked on a sob, but I couldn't stop.
I knew this was far from over, and now I was exposed.
Branches slashed my arms.
I tripped on something, a rock, a branch... a body... I barely regained my balance, stumbling into a tree and righting myself.
But I didn’t stop.
