out, desperately searching for her face among them.
“Janny Moore,” I shout. “Have you seen Janny Moore?” I shout again, but no one answers. They can’t. They’re all in shock, bent over, crying and hacking from the smoke in their lungs and their near brush with death.
I hear loud pops and cracks coming from the building. It quickly becomes clear to me she’s still inside.
My adrenaline takes over. I’m on autopilot as I run for the door. I hear strained voices, coughing and shouting for me to stop, but I can’t. I need to get to Janny.
Flames are visible at the entrance. I must hurry or I won’t be able to make it to her condo before it’s too late.
The heat is almost unbearable as I pull open the door and make my way inside. I’m overwhelmed by the suffocating smoke for a moment and I feel the heat of the fire all around me. It’s everywhere. Just waiting, patiently for the chance to turn me into ash.
I close my eyes and see her face, steeling my resolve to move forward. She’s trapped somewhere inside this hell and I’m going to get her out or die trying.
Within seconds I’m disoriented and can’t remember which direction I came from or where I’m going. My head is spinning and my vision is blurring. My ears are ringing from the high-pitched wail of the building’s fire alarm. The assault on my senses is maddening, but I need to find her.
I’m beginning to feel it may be hopeless, and panic is starting to take over when I catch a glimpse in my periphery of the path I need to take.
Crouched low, making my way around the flames climbing the walls of the corridor, I pass by the open door of Janny’s closest neighbor. Fire shoots out and singes the skin of my right arm. Fuck. The pain is impossible to ignore, but I swallow my fear and keep moving forward.
The smoke’s getting thicker with each step I take and the flames have made the hallway nearly impassable, but miraculously there’s a small, clear area in front of her door. A good sign. “Janny. Janny.” I pound on the door, shouting her name. The steel is still cool to the touch. I try the handle and find it unlocked. Who the fuck leaves their door unlocked?
I push inside and begin to search for her. The condo is clear but filling with smoke fast, now that the door is open.
“Janny, where are you?” I shout.
She’s not in the living room or the kitchen. Turning the corner, I push open the first door I see and find her. She’s semiconscious on the floor and her head is bleeding. I rush over and try to pick her up.
“Kyle,” she whimpers. “I heard the fire alarm - I think I got up too fast. I got dizzy.” She raises her hand, touching the cut on her forehead. She’s disoriented.
“Janny, can you walk?” I place my arm around the small of her back to help her up.
She hears my voice; her eyes widen when she looks up at me. “No,” she screams as she stands up on shaky legs and backs over behind her bed.
“What are you doing here?” Her head swivels around the room, checking the door and window, searching for an escape. “You’re not dead.” She looks confused as her hand instinctively covers her stomach. “Please,” she begs.
Oh, my God, she’s pregnant. Things just went from bad to worse.
Still trying to process this new information, smoke begins to fill the room.
“Janny we really need to get out of here.”
“What have you done?” she shouts.
“I didn’t do this,” I reassure her, but even I wouldn’t believe me right now.
I struggle to think of something I can say. “Janny, I did not do this,” I repeat, because nothing else comes to mind.
Reaching behind her bed, she pulls an aluminum bat from behind the headboard. I can’t help but notice it’s pink.
“Fuck you Zack,” she yells. She holds the bat up ready to swing at me. I can’t help but admire this girl for being a fighter in even the direst and life threatening circumstances.
“Good, Janny. You keep a tight hold on your bat. If you feel the need, swing away,” I say, hoping she will realize I’m not here to hurt her. “But right now, we really need to get the fuck out of here.”
She looks at me skeptically, but a bit calmer.
I need to get us moving.
“I’m going to walk