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The music that was playing is now replaced by panicked cries, and it’s difficult to hear anything. Suddenly, I hear someone calling my name, and I turn to look around for the source.
“Jamie. Jamie. Fuck, where are you?”
I try to call back, but my words get lost as the fire alarm rings out, and an acrid smell assaults my nostrils as smoke seeps down from the ceiling. Panic turns to dread as those around me see and smell what I do. Their efforts to get out triple, and with it comes a heightened sense of self-preservation that ensures anyone in their way will be trampled.
I’m spun around as people rush past me, pushing and shoving their way out, and when I’m clocked in the face from an errant elbow, my efforts to stay on my feet are lost.
My vision swims from the blow, and my feet are swept out from beneath me, hitting the floor with a thud. I quickly curl into a ball with my arms over my head as feet scurry past, and I begin to feel like the hedgehog in the game of croquet from Alice in Wonderland as I’m kicked from every side.
I need to get off this floor before I get trampled on. Before I get the chance to move, hands latch onto me, pulling me to my feet.
“Jamie. Shit! Are you okay?”
Relief thunders through my body. “Alex. Thank god.” I snatch a hold of his jacket as his arms wrap round me.
“Come on, this way.” He grabs my hand and begins pulling me through the crowd. I grip his hand so tight that I’m sure I’ve left half-moon indents from my nails.
As we reach the other side of the bar, someone calls out behind us, but I don’t get time to check who it is before Alex yanks me through a door into a dark corridor.
I pull on Alex’s arm to stop him. “Alex, someone was calling me. It must be Jasper. We can’t just leave him behind.” I look back to the door we just came through to see smoke whirling underneath it and creeping towards us.
“He’s a big boy, Jamie. I’m sure he can find his way out, and besides, I bet he’d rather I get you to safety, yeah?” My brow furrows as I consider his words. “Shit! Fine, I’ll go back and check, but you, you’re going to keep going and out that door at the end. Do you hear me?”
I nod, giving him a hug before he turns back toward the door that is now barely visible through the smoke. I call out to him, telling him to be careful as I begin to worry that I’ve made a mistake sending him back for Jasper.
When I can no longer see him, I hurry down the corridor. Reaching the door at the end, I turn back, but I can’t see anything and let out a cough as smoke invades my airway. I’m torn between waiting for him or doing as he said, and as the smoke thickens even further, I push through the door, hoping they are both okay.
The chilly night air hits my lungs, almost stealing what little breath I have, and I continue to cough between taking deep breaths. As my lungs fill with cleaner air, I take a look around and realise I’m in the back alley of Rosco’s. I hear sirens and shouting coming from the front of the bar, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else back here.
The door closed behind me and smoke now billows out from beneath it, whirling up into the night sky. I race toward it, searching for the door handle, but of course there isn’t one. I begin banging on the door, calling out to Alex, and cursing myself for not keeping the door open.
I’m so distracted and making one hell of a racket that I don’t hear the person behind me until it’s too late.
