Page 108 of Not Quite Dead Yet

The floor gave way and ate that too.

‘Run!’ she screamed as she and Billy barreled into the hall beyond, past Dad’s office and the filing room, past the kitchen on the left.

Jet’s dead arm thrashed as she sprinted, a puppet arm without a string, unbalancing her, throwing her off.

‘That door, down the end!’

They were almost there, and Jet could hear herself now. The alarm wasn’t blaring anymore; must have burned, melted away with everything else.

They reached the door together, Billy slamming down on the handle.

‘No!’ he screamed. ‘It’s stuck!’ Tried again, double-handed, rattling the handle up and down. ‘I’ll get this open. Stand back!’

Jet did, clearing the way, choking on the smoke, covering her nose to breathe her own air instead, watching as Billy backed up from the door.

He kicked off his heels and bounded toward the door in three fast strides.

Rammed his shoulder into it, hard.

It jolted but didn’t open.

Billy drew back, three steps, threw himself at the door again.

It buckled, gave him a few inches, not enough.

Billy backed up again and Jet blinked and they weren’t here anymore, on the brink of hell, the world crumbling around them. Jet was behind a computer and Billy was on-screen, breaking down another door, ramming it with his shoulder. Screaming her name like if he screamed hard enough, it could bring her back to life.

‘Jet!’ The same scream now.

Jet blinked, brought herself back to hell.

Billy had done it, tumbling through the open door into the stairwell.

No smoke swarming in this way, the stairs clear.

They were out.

Jet took a step forward and it all came undone.

The floor split in front of her with a deafening roar, a gorge opening up.

The wall, the one separating them from the office, folded over, caved in. Shrieking as it fell to the flames, plugging the hole, bringing some of the roof down with it.

Jet looked up, could see the stars, before the smoke stole them away.

She couldn’t see Billy anymore, on the other side of all that rubble.

But she heard him.

‘Jet!’ he screamed. ‘Jet, are you OK?!’

Jet coughed, a hacking sound against her hand.

‘Billy, go!’ she yelled. ‘You’re out! Go!’

‘No, Jet! I’m not leaving without you!’

‘You have to!’

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