Let The Fire Die
Chapter 11
I was kissing Princess, and thinking that nothing could possibly go wrong, ever again, when I suddenly began to smell something. An ashy, deep something, and though it was against my better judgment, I stopped kissing Courtney, and looked up and around.
"What's that smell?" Courtney asked after a few minutes of not being distracted by me, as I was looking and sniffing everything.
I opened the door, to see flames engulfing the living room, "Fire! Court, crawl out the bathroom window and go to the little shed you and Bridge stayed in the first night. Okay?"
"What're you going to do?" She asked, her eyes wide with fear as I pushed her toward the bathroom, trying to hurry this along.
"I'm gonna make sure everyone else is okay. I'll meet you out there. I promise." I whispered, kissing her forehead before opening the window and helping her crawl through it.
She looked at me through it for a moment before whispering, "I love you." Then I told her she had to head over there.
After I knew she was gone I ran from the room and went to the back room where Trent slept, and now Gwen too. I kicked in the door to find the two sleeping peacefully, barely awake as I jerked them toward the other door that led outside.
"Meet Courtney at the shed," I said quickly and repeatedly, trying to get it through their sleepy heads.
"What's going on?" Gwen asked, as I pushed them out t he door.
"You'll see." I answered, before shutting it, and locking it to prevent them from getting back in to ask more questions.
XXXX
I sat outside the shed that I'd slept in the first night, wishing to have the flames go away. Or at least see everyone get out.
"Courtney?!" I suddenly heard two people yell, I see their faint outline against the bright flames and waved to the stupidly, forgetting that it was nighttime and dark all around me.
"Court? Where are you?" I could heard the panic in the girls voice, and I finally yelled out over here, which calmed their screams down a little, but they still stumbled and called out every once in a while to make sure they were going to right way.
"How did this start?" The guy, who I easily recognized as Trent, asked once they made it over to me and knew that it was me.
"I have no idea. Duncan and me were just sitting in his room and suddenly we smelt ashes and stuff." I answered, twittering my fingers through the soft grass, and wishing someone else would show up, namely Duncan.
"It'll be okay." Gwen coos, putting her arm over my shoulder and rubbing my arm, trying to make me feel better.
"What if-" I begin to say.
"No what if's. It'll all be okay." Trent replies, sitting on the other side of me, and wrapping an arm over my shoulder too.
I suddenly wonder to myself, this is what it'll be like if he really does die. People'll always try to protect me and comfort. Trying to make everything better, but no one will, because they won't be him.
XXXX
"Geoff!" I scream, while climbing the stairs and then banging on his bedroom door.
"Wha?" He asks as he comes out of the room, shirtless and sleepy eyed.
"Climb out the window and take Bridge with you. Then, climb down the rose trellis okay?" I say, waiting for him to turn and hurry about his way.
"GO! NOW!" I bellow, shaking him from whatever was stopping him from moving earlier and he gets his butt into gear.
He bounds over to the bed, trying to wake Bridgette, but when that doesn't work, he simply picks her up and puts her over his shoulder, then kicks the window out, shattering glass all over the floor and roof. He turns toward the trellis and is soon out of sight, I then turn and run down the hall to DJ's room.
At first I try to get in my simply turning the doorknob, but that doesn't. apparently, DJ's decided to start sleeping locked in. I kick the door in and begin shaking the big glob.
"DJ!" I scream, trying to get the big guy up.
Finally, his head looks up, and I can tell, there's no way in hell he's gonna be getting up anytime soon, so instead, I pick him up in a firemen's hold, and carry him out the large window in his room, knocking it out as Geoff did in the other room.
Then, once out on the roof, I have no plan, and no idea what to do.
XXXX
"Geoff? Bridge?" I begin too scream, standing up and allowing Trent and Gwen's arms to fall to their sides as the other couple come closer.
"Geoff, you can put me down now, really." I can hear Bridge complaining, from a distance and miraculously, Geoff puts her feet on the ground and then, she turns and runs to me.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay. As soon as I saw the fire and Geoff told me Duncan had come to our room without you, I was worried." She cried slightly into my shoulder.
"So he's still alright?" I asked, as Geoff came upon the two of us.
"Yeah, I think he was going to get DJ next." Geoff answers, and then pulls me off the ground for a hug.
And this time it's me crying into Geoff's shoulder a little as he's hugging me, because I know that Duncan's still okay. That my life is still going on.
XXXX
I don't feel anything beneath my feet, only the air, and I'm suddenly wishing this was all different, mostly that DJ was a whole lot lighter.
