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It comes off in my hand. On the other side of the door, I hear its partner hit the floor with athud.
Cursing like the hounds of hell are after me, I force my hand through the opening, wincing as my skin comes off in strips, and try to feel for a lock. Nothing, nothing … there. My fingers can just barely brush it, set into the door above where the knobs shouldbe.
I force my arm deeper, twisting my wrist to get a better angle, and fumble to turn the lock. The air is filling with smoke. I’m sure the fire department is on the way, but they won’t get here intime.
My wrist feels like I’ve sprained it from contorting it so much. Finally, I get one finger on the lock and just barely manage enough pressure to turn it. If it worked — please let it work — the door should come open, if it’s not painted shut or too swollen for its frame.
But first, I have to get my handfree.
I don’t dare brace my foot against the door; once my hand comes free I’d be more likely than not to topple right over the railing to the ground below. Setting my feet, I plant my other hand firmly against the door and wrench the trapped one backward as hard as Ican.
My hand comes loose, but despite my best efforts, I lose my balance and go down hard, my upper body on the landing and the rest of me on the stairs. As I start to push my way back up, the steps give way beneath me and I’m left dangling, scrabbling to get a grip on the landing with my one goodhand.
I finally pull myself up, panting and drenched with sweat, to find that the door is very slightly ajar. Still on my knees, I hook two fingers of my uninjured hand into the opening for the doorknob and tug, and the door creaksopen.
Thank fuck. It’s pitch dark up here; I stand up carefully and tap around with one foot, only to encounter empty air. “Jade!” I call. “Jade!”
I can hear the fire, licking at the house, trying to consume it entirely. And then I hear, very faintly, Jade’s voice. “Romero?”
“Jade!” I yell again, hoping she knows the layout up here well enough to track me by the sound of my voice. “Overhere!”
There’s a pause, and then I hear her again, closer this time. “I’m by the old staircase!” I shout.
A few seconds later, I hear her rushing toward me. She stops some distance away. “Oh my god, Rome, honey. Don’tmove.”
“Is the floorgone?”
“Mostly. This whole part of the house is falling apart, it’s so old. We closed it off and never useit.”
Down on the ground, people are pointing at me. They’ll do what they can, but I know we’re out of time. I can see Jade now, just barely, a dim outline on the other side of the room. “Is there a flashlight you can getto?”
“The fire’s gotten most of the upstairs already. I was in one of the bedrooms, trying to break out a window like they say you should do, but all the furniture is stuff Dad made, and it’s heavy.”
She coughs, and I realize she must have run through the flames to get to me. My sweet girl. “You should go back downstairs,” she says. “The fire department will be heresoon.”
“Fuck that. I’m not leaving you. We can lay boards over this for you to get across.”
“Boards from where? The house is almost gone and there’s no time to tear the barn apart. Rome, go.”
“No. Not withoutyou.”
“I can’t get across, baby.” I can see her more clearly now, because there’s a dull red glow behind her. “Promise me you’ll live your life. Promise me you’ll be happy.”
“Shut up!” I yell. “You’re mine, Jade Callahan, do you understand me? You are fucking mine. So we live together, or we die together.”
She’s crying now. “I loveyou.”
“I love you too, babe, but don’t give upyet.”
She looks over her shoulder; the red glow is stronger. “My skin is starting to blister, Rome. I don’t have muchtime.”
“Then we jump. You from your side, me from mine. We meet in the middle, and if we fall, we fall together.”
She doesn’t answer; she’s trying to save me. “I’m not leaving you, Jade, no matter what you say. If this is it for us, then let’s end it where we belong, in each other’s arms. You withme?”
Her voice cracks. “I’m with you, Rome.”
“That’s my girl. Back up, as much as possible, so you can get a running start. Then when I say go, jump as hard as you can, and I’ll catch you. All right?”
