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Her freshly stained balcony.

“Ben! Stop!” I leaned out of the booth’s window just as his burning sleeve made contact with the set piece. Bright orange flames climbed the terrace, igniting it like a twenty-foot torch. A second later, the flames licked the midcurtain and spread across its valance to the other side of the stage.

Oh my God, oh my God.

Ben ran downstage and leaped off it just as another set piece, the entrance of the tomb, burst into flames.

Why wasn’t the alarm sounding yet?

And why the hell weren’t the sprinklers working?

I backed up but tripped over the dropped flashlight. My shoulder rammed into the door to the booth, shoving it closed. Half of the new ruler I had used to prop it open now lay splintered inside with me.

No!

I scrambled to my feet, the heat from the auditorium fire already burning the back of my neck, and shook the doorknob.

It didn’t budge.

Shit, shit, shit…

Smoke started creeping into the booth. I pulled my shirt up over my nose and mouth and kept yanking the door until my arms went numb.

“Help! Somebody, help me!” My throat tightened and my heart raced as I spun around the room for something, anything, to use to break down the damn door. But everything looked so blurry.

I swallowed a scream and gripped the back of the closest chair for a moment, trying to slow my breathing down, regain my balance, and focus, but it didn’t help.

How long have I already been up here? How long can I last before the smoke becomes too much…or the flames…

Cold tears spilled onto my warm cheeks.

I wasn’t ready for this. I didn’t want to—

The fire alarm finally rang throughout the building, and the sprinklers over the auditorium seats sputtered and sprayed. But there weren’t any sprinklers on the stage.

I fumbled with my phone and dialed 911.

The operator picked up on the first ring. “911, what’s your emergency?”

“I…” My hand shook so hard I had to use my other to steady it. “I’m on the second floor of the Lyric Theater in Fairfield. In the light booth. The door is jammed; there’s a fire in here. There’s a lot of smoke…” A coughing fit rattled through my chest. “There’s smoke everywhere. I’m stuck!”

“Okay, honey. Stay on the phone with me while help comes. Have you tried breaking down the door?”

“Of course I have!” I yelled and put the phone on speaker while I tried kicking the jammed thing again. It didn’t budge.

I pounded my fist against the door again and again before sinking to the ground. I couldn’t even cry because it felt like thousands of needles were stabbing my eyes over and over.

A voice called from the end of the hallway. “Eliza? Eliza, are you in there?”

Reed?

“Reed! I’m here!” I jumped to my feet and rattled the knob. “I’m locked in!”

The 911 operator’s voice came through the phone again. “Ma’am? Are you okay? Has help arrived?”

I hung up as Reed tried opening the door. “I’m gonna go grab something. Hold on!”

I didn’t know what he was doing here, but at that moment I didn’t care. I crouched down on the floor to wait, but an old reflector spotlight pushed into the corner behind the soundboard gave me a better idea. After yanking some chords out of the wall and scratching my cheek with one of them, I tugged the fixture toward me.