Page 130 of Catatonic


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His wings flared and flapped, knocking down the surrounding shelving units. Items crashed to the floor like bombs, and shrapnel scattered around the room. Dust rose into the air, and I covered my mouth.

My eyes followed the domino fall of the shelves, and I gasped and screamed, "Stop!"

Charlie jerked to a halt as the row of shelves we were just about to run down tumbled to the side, blocking our path to freedom.

"Move!" Zaide shouted as another aisle tipped in our direction.

But we no longer had any idea where we were going, where the doors were, or how to escape as more shelves and boxes blocked our possible paths. I bounced in Charlie’s arms as they ran, and with my skin rubbing against the texture of his clothes I became increasingly aware of where his fingers clutched at my thighs and bum.

As another roar sounded through the warehouse, shaking the ceiling lights with the vibrations, Zaide pushed us down to hunker under the collapsed shelving.

"Let me down," I whispered to Charlie and squirmed in his grip.

He held me tighter. "You're naked, and there's shit that could hurt you everywhere."

Then he passed me over to Zaide with surprising ease. His shirt was hardened by dried blood, but it didn't stop me from snuggling into him and him into me. I had no idea what had happened to him or why he was in such bad shape, but it wasn't the time to ask. I was just glad he was safe and with me.

A flash of blue passed my eyes, and I looked back to see Charlie had stripped off his t-shirt and held it out to me. "Put this on for now."

I wanted to argue but thought better of it and pulled the shirt over my head. "Thank you."

"Charlie, can you find an exit?" Zaide whispered.

The warehouse was too quiet. With only the occasional crash as something fell to the floor on the opposing sides of the building, Fafnir gave us no clues to his whereabouts or what he was planning. I didn't think a dragon would be so hard to spot.

"There's a fire exit just at the end of this row," Charlie said after a moment's concentration. His raised eyebrow told me he was surprised at himself, but then he frowned, looking through the shards of glass, china, and plastic that littered the ground. "Follow me." He began crawling through the wreckage, moving as much of the debris as he could as he shuffled between the bars of the shelves.

I looked at Zaide, who was frowning at the tight space as though he already knew the outcome of trying to follow Charlie. Tugging his hand, I crawled, my palms also sweeping sharp pieces away to protect my knees and toes. I didn't want to imagine the sight Zaide had as Charlie's t-shirt hung low, brushing the floor and rose to sit in the dip of my waist. I already knew I would be embarrassed by this moment later.

Crawling out the other side, we arrived at the fire exit, and I turned to put my hand on the sharp corner right next to Zaide's head as he rose to his feet. Charlie pressed down on the lever across the door and pushed. The door didn't open. Zaide pushed. Nothing happened.

My breathing quickened at the realization that we were trapped. At the sound of large feet crushing metal, I spun to see Fafnir, now an enormous monster, crawling easily over the carnage toward us. A blast of flames erupted from his mouth as he roared.

"Get down!" I yelled. They jumped toward me, pulling me down behind more broken boxes and pallets.

The heat was unbearable. Sweat immediately beaded across my entire body, and I shivered with the rapid temperature change. Fafnir roared again, and the flames blasted in front of us, catching on the wood and paper, melting the metal of the shelves and door.

A whimper built in my throat as I tried not to scream. I watched in what felt like slow motion as the fire spread. Cracking and popping sounded like little explosions as items in boxes reacted to the heat. A fire alarm screamed.

“Fuck.” Charlie coughed. “We need to get out before this place comes down on us.”

I peeked through Zaide’s arms to see orange dancing everywhere and Fafnir now digging at a pile in the middle of the room, looking for something. While he was distracted, they pulled me up again and launched themselves at the door.

Zaide sprang away hissing as the metal burned him, but Charlie kicked at it with his feet, coughing and shouting, “Open. You. Fucking. Bastard!”

“Charlie, cover your mouth and nose. You’re inhaling too much smoke,” I told him as I bundled his shirt up to mask my face, my modesty long gone.

Zaide joined Charlie in kicking the door but to no avail. It wouldn't move. I spun on my heel, searching for another exit, but the smoke was thick and billowing now, and flames danced across the floors, licking at my feet and legs.

Someone was looking down on us, though, because the sprinklers finally turned on. Water rained from the ceiling in perfect droplets. The metal hissed, and the fire sputtered out, leaving behind only smoke as the building was dampened.

"Thank Christ." Charlie coughed and took my hand. "Back to door number one."

I picked up a burning piece of material that may or may not have been a dressing gown and patted out the flames before handing it to Charlie. "Cover your mouth," I told him again.

Before I could take a step to follow him as he climbed over melted shelves and soggy, ashy boxes, Zaide scooped me up with one hand and, with the other, held his tattered shirt to his face. I placed my hand on it to hold it in place as he rearranged his grip on me and then, with his powerful build, clambered up and over shelves.

A large dragon eye focused on us. He thought he'd killed us, but we were still here, coughing and crawling to the next door to escape. Then his eye narrowed, and steam billowed from his snout. Abandoning his search, he roared at us and charged.

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