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“Now that is much better than some hard metal cage,” I say, pleased.
Before I leave the room, I walk to the enormous glass tank on the counter then peer inside. Curled up on a rock is the only other animal here, a boa constrictor I’ve named Huggie. After making sure that he is okay, I leave the office and head into the kitchen. I can just have coffee here.
After turning on the coffee pot, I pull the cream and sweetener out of the fridge when my phone rings. I answer it before looking at the screen, “Hello?”
“Hey, baby. Miss me?” A voice asks. I cringe. It’s my ex, Grayson Bell.
“What do you want, Grayson?” I sigh as I close the fridge and put everything on the counter. I grab a clean mug out of the cabinet—the coffee pot gurgles, allowing me to breathe in the fresh aroma of coffee.
I hate dealing with Grayson. He’s so controlling and bossy. That’s why I broke up with him in the first place, and he will not let it go.
“Are you listening to me?” he snaps.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I respond, really not caring.
He sighs in impatience. “I called to talk about us getting back together, Mylah. You want me, and you need me.”
Sighing, I run a hand over my forehead. “I already told you that’s never going to happen, Grayson. Please, give it up. I cannot keep having this conversation.”
“Nonsense. We both know it’s what’s best. You can’t make it on your own, Baby. Besides, I’m so handsome and wealthy…..” Grayson continues talking about himself. It’s his favorite subject.
Not really listening, I fix my cup of coffee. Memories of our relationship together are fresh in my mind. Not only was he controlling, but he also kept trying to pressure me into giving up my virginity. I mean, how low can you get. I kept saying I was not ready and begging him to understand, but it was no use. So, I ended things.
I finish stirring my coffee and am about to take a sip when a peculiar smell hits my nose. Did I burn this? I sniff the cup. “That’s not it,” I mutter to myself. Setting the cup down, I sniff the air, realizing it’s coming from the clinic. It smells like smoke. “Grayson, I have to go,” I say, hanging up on him and dropping the phone on the floor.
Panicked, I sprint to the vet area to find the smell and check on the animals. Opening the door, all I can see is smoke. The smell of burning is intense. I know my home is on fire. I need to get the animals out of here, and I need to act fast.
Chapter Two - Kyst
The alarm blares loudly. The dispatcher's voice crackles over the loudspeaker. “We have a house fire at…” the message fades into the distance as I scramble for my gear. The rest of the crew is also getting ready. Soon we’re all loaded into the truck and on our way. Thankfully we don’t have far to drive. We spot the smoke in the distance.
Soon as we arrive on the scene, I jump quickly out of the truck and pull on my mask. The building looks like a small house or office. After putting my ax through the door, I run inside, looking around but don’t see anyone. Smoke is everywhere in dark plumes. The majority of it is coming from the back of the house, so that’s where I go.
I notice it’s set up like a medical office. Looking around, I spot a young woman there. She turns and starts shouting hysterically at me, but the roar of the fire covers her words. Oddly, she has a giant snake in her arms. I can’t make out what she is saying. The crazy girl tries to go deeper into the smoky room, but I grab her, trying to explain that it’s not safe. She struggles to get away.
“Ma’am, we have to get you out of here. It’s not safe,” I shout.
She continues to fight and scream like she is out of her mind. I half carry, half drag her through the rest of the house. The smoke grows thicker around us but, she fights harder the closer we get to the front door. The snake slows both of us down as it tries to move out of her arms. She doesn’t seem to notice.
Eventually, I manage to get her outside and onto the sidewalk. The rest of the crew is starting to hook up the hose. The woman doesn’t notice that either. She has sort of a glazed expression in her eyes.
Turning towards me, she hands over the snake. What the hell am I supposed to do with this? I almost drop it as she tries to dash back into the burning building. Desperate to follow, I move after her, but the snake has latched onto me. It moves down my body and starts wrapping itself around my legs. I can’t move. I stumble and fall to the ground with my arm outstretched.
