Page 97 of Something Borrowed

The elevator chimes on the seventeenth floor and I climb out carrying two bottles, their caps already off, I walk to the farthest end of the long passage, passing doors as I go. When I walk pastI splash fuel against the doors and walls, letting it soak into the carpet.

Half way down the passage back towards the elevator I can barely breathe for the stench. It’s burning my eyes and my lungs. Making it hard to focus.

I’m taking too long.

If I don’t get out of here soon he’ll arrive with more forces and I won’t live to see it burn. I’m sure those other guards must have alerted them to my arrival here. Not that I gave them a lot of time. But there is still a chance they got a message through to him.

Down the passage I hear a thump and turn to see a guard come thundering through the door right at the end of the hallway.

“Fuck.” I mutter. Not keen on being delayed anymore.

Two more come running at me from behind. They must have come up the elevator while I was busy pouring the gasoline.

“Fuck.” I scream again in frustration.

I acted blindly and ignored everything around me.

I won’t let them kill me though - if they do I am taking this entire building with me.

I kick the bottle of gasoline over and watch the clear liquid splash out in a thick flood.

Lifting my hand over my mouth to block out some of the sharp stench I pull my gun from the holster and fire two shots towards the guards running down from the elevator.

My aim is brilliant and they both collapse to the ground. My gun clicks empty. The barrel sitting open to let me know I’m out of bullets and out of luck.

The other guard, coming at me from the end of the hallway - he reaches me faster than expected and slams into my back before I face him, knocking me to the ground. I roll sideways and avoid soaking myself in fuel, but he isn’t so lucky.

He swears and rolls again, drenching himself even more.

The darkest smile touches my lips as I flick the lighter to life.

The flame becomes a beacon of my rage.

“What the fuck?” he scream as I throw it at him.

It hits him in slow motion and the flames cover him like a strait jacket, wrapping around every inch of his body.

He staggers backwards, falling to the floor, rolling and screaming and trying to put himself out, but all he’s doing is moving towards where I’ve soaked the hallway.

When his burning body touches against the carpet near the back of the passage it’s a glorious sight.

The explosion knocks me off my feet and I scamper away from the wave of heat that slams into me.

Touching my face to check if it’s singed my hair off.

It hasn’t. But sweat is pouring of me.

The entire back end of the hallway is raging red, orange and blue.

The fire roars with anger, spreading.

I have to leave.

Now.

I should never have set it alight while I was still so far inside the building.

But it’s so beautiful. The destruction.

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