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The fire laughs.
A lion waiting in the darkness, ready to pounce.
"Go!"
"Watch the glass," Sawyer coughs.
"Mia!" I shout, pushing her towards Sawyer.
"No! You're coming!"
Another beam groans as it struggles to hold itself up. I cover my eyes, the ability to see is at an all-time low. I've never respected fire before. It’s got it now. I pull my sweater off and use it to cover my mouth.
"Help!"
I turn towards the noise, but I can't see him. "Come on, Mia!" I push her towards the window, towards Lucas' shouts. Nova is scrambling over the table, her arm catching the glass. She barely whimpers as red gushes. A hand reaches in through the thick smoke and I let Mia grasp it. "Pull her out! Go on, sweetheart, I'm right behind you." Every word I speak takes so much effort.
Mia pulls the sweater from my mouth and kisses me quickly before Sawyer pulls her, the green stark against the black of her face.
"Help!"
I turn, looking at the blaze.
"Austin!" Sawyer's hand reaches for me.
"I can't!"
"No, man!"
I turn from his hand and kneel down on the floor.Fuck me. What the fuck am I doing? I should just let him die, shouldn’t I?
There's debris everywhere. Broken glass. Liquor. Which will no doubt go up like a firework on the fourth of July. The fallen beams are not making things easy as they do a happy dance with the flames.
Why the hell am I saving him? If he dies it will solve all our problems, but he needs to face justice and I’m not allowing him to charm his way into heaven.
Not that I believe, but he might.
"Zac?!"
"Austin!"
I reach him and analyze the beam crushed up against his ribs.
Fuck. This fucker is going to be heavy.
"You're going to need to help me, and it's going to hurt," I wheeze.
He grunts as I grab hold of the beam and heave. The smoke clogging my lungs has leached away all my strength, my legs and arms shaking with the effort. "Push up, Zac!"
"I am!" he screeches.
The moment I feel it rock, I grab Zac and drag him. I drop to the floor and my ribs feel like they are breaking all over again. We lay, panting, while the world around us goes up in flames.
I don't know which way is out.
I can't see.
I can't breathe.
