Page 115 of Life To My Flight

One, because I was larger and would be able to handle him more easily. Two, because he knew what to do, and I didn’t. He and I both knew it.

He understood my silent torture, and as I picked up Tunnel and threw him over my shoulder, I left him with my heart.

He nodded a silent creed, and turned towards the smoky hallway, disappearing in a matter of milliseconds thanks to the dense blackness.

The smoke was so thick that it disoriented me.

It took me a few moments to realize where I was at, and I lost a few precious moments that I couldn’t afford to lose.

Or, rather, Tunnel couldn’t afford to lose.

A roaring sound started to pound in my ears, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the fire, or the blood pumping through my veins.

Either way, I started to move faster, feeling along the wall as I went.

My hand brushed pictures off the wall, shattered sconces to the floor, and finally, knocked all the keys off the key hook that hung at the back door.

Heart pounding, I pointed myself towards where I thought that the door might be, only bumping into the frame slightly as I practically fell out of the doorway and into the open air.

I wasn’t home free, yet, however.

In fact, it was just as bad, if not worse here since the fire and smoke sought the oxygen of the outside air.

I fell to my knees, coughing and gagging on my own spit as my throat burned like acid.

Then my body started moving on its own volition.

Or what I assumed was my own volition.

Turns out, it was my two best friends. DP took Tunnel, and Cord took me, carrying me out to the clearing behind Rue’s apartment and dropping me down crudely into the deep foliage.

I sat up, choking and coughing as my two best friends worked on Tunnel. My brother.

Cord breathed for Tunnel as DP did chest compressions, while I watched in silent horror.

They worked for so long that two firefighters showed and took over.

Kettle and Sebastian.

They didn’t even see who it was at first.

Tunnel was so covered in black soot that it honestly didn’t look like him.

They never even realized it until Kettle stood back once he hooked up the leads to the ECG.

“Nothing.”

I moaned. “No.”

He was gone. They knew it. I knew it. DP and Cord knew it.

The only blip on the little black screen was each time Sebastian pushed down on Tunnel’s chest.

A short blip, blip, blip, and then it was gone as Kettle gave the breath.

They both shook their head.

We all knew it.

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