Ok I'm sorry this chapter is so short but when you don't have time you don't have time. Something to keep in mind while you read this. I've never been in a building that was on fire so I'm kind of winging it. Oh one other thing, you're going to kill me. I didn't mean to name the two main characters Emma and Emily. It just kind of happened. Please forgive me for my stupidity. Thanx for your patience.
Kerry was exhausted. Her eight hour shift had turned into a twelve hour one. She was just glad she didn't have to got to that conference in New York.
She finished taking a bath and, feeling more relaxed, she turned on the TV. She settled on a mindless movie and was asleep five minutes later.
She woke up on the couch at two o'clock. She cast a glance at the TV which now had the news on. Kerry walked past it and headed toward the bathroom. If she had been listening, she would have heard the news reporter say,
"Fire has broken out here at the James Hotel in New York. The fire is believed to have started on the thirty second floor of the thirty four story building. Guests on and beneath the thirty second floor have made it out to safety but anyone on the floors above are trapped. Firefighters are-"
Kerry turned off the TV with a click. She yawned then went to bed, not hearing a word of the newscast.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carter looked at all of the people and sighed. Someone had to take control. People were screaming, running in and out of their rooms trying to get their things.
"Hey! HEY!" he called, trying to get their attention. A lot of them quieted, looking at him. "We have to get off this floor. Let's go upstairs."
Many nodded in agreement. A man yelled, "What about my stuff?"
"Leave it. Who knows how fast the fire is moving. We need to get upstairs now," Carter called over the still beeping alarm. He opened the stairwell door and smoke billowed out. "Everyone go. Quickly."
He watched as they ran up the stairs, covering their mouths with their shirts. When the last of them were gone Emma said, "John, what if more people are still in their rooms?"
"Let's check."
He started on the right side and she did the left. Smoke was coming out of the room where the fire was coming through the floor and they could hear the flames crackling.
He knocked on door after door and when one opened he was surprised. But not half as surprised as when he saw who was standing in the doorway. A skinny thirteen year old stood there, her long brown hair matching perfectly with her wide eyes. "Emily?" he said in amazement.
"Carter!" she cried giving him a hug.
"What are you doing here by yourself?"
"Mom had a conference to go to so she left me in the room."
It had been five years since the bus accident, and although Carter and Emily frequently wrote letters, they rarely had time to see each other.
Emma came up behind them coughing. "There's no one on my side- whoa you found someone."
Carter nodded then said, "Emily we have to go. There's a fire below us."
"What?"
"Come on."
Emma had already started walking and was a good ten feet ahead of them. As Carter and Emily began to walk he felt the floor give a little. He stopped. Emily turned and looked at him. "Go," he said. "Go to Emma. Go now!"
He didn't dare move for fear the floor would collapse. Carter watched as Emily ran to Emma. The floor fell out from under him. He grabbed the edge of the hole and hung on. He pulled himself up so his arms were visible.
"John!" Emma said coming toward him.
"Stay back!" he warned.
She stopped in his tracks.
Carter looked beneath him. Fire was consuming the edges of the hallway. He began to pull himself up when suddenly the floor he was holding onto gave way and he fell to the thirty second floor. He hit the floor and his leg collapsed under his weight with a sickening crunch.
"John!" he heard Emma yell the same time he heard Emily scream, "Carter!"
He looked up at the hole and saw Emma's face peer cautiously over it. "John are you ok?" she called.
"Yeah," he grunted. "I think my leg is broken. Take Emily and go upstairs, I'll try to find a way up."
"But," she protested, glancing at the swirling flames that were dancing ever closer to him.
"Go! Now!"
She bit her lip and looked at him. "Be careful!" Her head disappeared from view.
Carter looked around. "Now what?"
Kerry was exhausted. Her eight hour shift had turned into a twelve hour one. She was just glad she didn't have to got to that conference in New York.
She finished taking a bath and, feeling more relaxed, she turned on the TV. She settled on a mindless movie and was asleep five minutes later.
She woke up on the couch at two o'clock. She cast a glance at the TV which now had the news on. Kerry walked past it and headed toward the bathroom. If she had been listening, she would have heard the news reporter say,
"Fire has broken out here at the James Hotel in New York. The fire is believed to have started on the thirty second floor of the thirty four story building. Guests on and beneath the thirty second floor have made it out to safety but anyone on the floors above are trapped. Firefighters are-"
Kerry turned off the TV with a click. She yawned then went to bed, not hearing a word of the newscast.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carter looked at all of the people and sighed. Someone had to take control. People were screaming, running in and out of their rooms trying to get their things.
"Hey! HEY!" he called, trying to get their attention. A lot of them quieted, looking at him. "We have to get off this floor. Let's go upstairs."
Many nodded in agreement. A man yelled, "What about my stuff?"
"Leave it. Who knows how fast the fire is moving. We need to get upstairs now," Carter called over the still beeping alarm. He opened the stairwell door and smoke billowed out. "Everyone go. Quickly."
He watched as they ran up the stairs, covering their mouths with their shirts. When the last of them were gone Emma said, "John, what if more people are still in their rooms?"
"Let's check."
He started on the right side and she did the left. Smoke was coming out of the room where the fire was coming through the floor and they could hear the flames crackling.
He knocked on door after door and when one opened he was surprised. But not half as surprised as when he saw who was standing in the doorway. A skinny thirteen year old stood there, her long brown hair matching perfectly with her wide eyes. "Emily?" he said in amazement.
"Carter!" she cried giving him a hug.
"What are you doing here by yourself?"
"Mom had a conference to go to so she left me in the room."
It had been five years since the bus accident, and although Carter and Emily frequently wrote letters, they rarely had time to see each other.
Emma came up behind them coughing. "There's no one on my side- whoa you found someone."
Carter nodded then said, "Emily we have to go. There's a fire below us."
"What?"
"Come on."
Emma had already started walking and was a good ten feet ahead of them. As Carter and Emily began to walk he felt the floor give a little. He stopped. Emily turned and looked at him. "Go," he said. "Go to Emma. Go now!"
He didn't dare move for fear the floor would collapse. Carter watched as Emily ran to Emma. The floor fell out from under him. He grabbed the edge of the hole and hung on. He pulled himself up so his arms were visible.
"John!" Emma said coming toward him.
"Stay back!" he warned.
She stopped in his tracks.
Carter looked beneath him. Fire was consuming the edges of the hallway. He began to pull himself up when suddenly the floor he was holding onto gave way and he fell to the thirty second floor. He hit the floor and his leg collapsed under his weight with a sickening crunch.
"John!" he heard Emma yell the same time he heard Emily scream, "Carter!"
He looked up at the hole and saw Emma's face peer cautiously over it. "John are you ok?" she called.
"Yeah," he grunted. "I think my leg is broken. Take Emily and go upstairs, I'll try to find a way up."
"But," she protested, glancing at the swirling flames that were dancing ever closer to him.
"Go! Now!"
She bit her lip and looked at him. "Be careful!" Her head disappeared from view.
Carter looked around. "Now what?"