Max screamed. Noah wasn't moving. The wooden rafter that had fallen from the ceiling and knocked him out lay just a few inches from his head, red-hot flames eroding its shape, dangerously close.

Panic filled Max's body, he didn't know what to do, Noah was unconscious and it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. Even if he could get out without Noah's help - which was extremely doubtful - he couldn't just leave his friend there to die when it was his fault that the older boy was in there in the first place.

He could see no way to get to Noah that didn't involve the risk of being crushed under a section of roof, but decided that since this was his only chance of getting out alive, it was a risk that there was no hope of avoiding. Tentatively, he collected himself and began to weave his way around the smouldering wooden beams and other debris that had fallen from the ceiling. He flinched and yelped slightly as he narrowly missed more falling rubble, but eventually reached Noah. Placing his hands under Noah's shoulders he dragged his heavy upper body away from the burning rafter. The effort made him even more breathless.

Another deafening crash was heard. This time in another part of the building. Max knelt up and peered round the doorframe and through the smoke, to his horror realising that more beams had fallen, blocking the entrance to the front door. All hope drained from the boy's body as he turned back to Noah and shook him frantically. He didn't know what else to do, his only hope was Noah.

Minutes past and Max found himself getting weaker and weaker, he hoarsely screamed into Noah's ear, desperately willing him to wake up. He was still breathing but was unconscious. Max slumped slightly across his friend's motionless body, as a single tear traced its way down his face leaving a trail of sorrow behind it.

"Please", he choked, "Please...don't let me die"


Outside the burning building, amidst the sound of panic-stricken people and the flames ripping the air, Flynn silently cursed Noah. He was always going on at him to think things through before jumping in with both feet, but did he ever listen?

Flynn was worried about him. Ever since the day Noah had walked into his office, a tough, slightly cocky looking teenager with masses of bleached blond hair and three rings in his ear, Flynn had grown very close to the younger man. He knew that underneath the bravado, he was just a very scared kid, crying out for help. Even now, when Noah had got his life sorted out and was a much more confident young man, Flynn felt like he had to look out for him, as much as Noah would try to resist.

So now he was very worried about his friend. A part of him wanted to dive into the building, but the trained soldier and doctor in him knew that it would only make things worse. He was having a lot of trouble convincing Jesse that this was the case, "Jess, it'll only make the firemen's jobs a lot harder if they have to bring three people out instead of two," he reasoned.

"But we cant just stand here and do nothing," argued Jesse.

"There's nothing else we can do at the moment mate, I know it's hard, but all we can do is wait."

Jesse sighed dejectedly, and began to shout to the people trapped inside once more, he knew Flynn was right.

"If anything happens..." whimpered Colleen, "...I should have paid more attention."

"Noah'll get him out, it's ok," Dani assured her, trying to convince herself as much as Colleen. She searched around the group of people with her eyes for the one-hundredth time, as if this would in some way help to find her cousin and friend. All she found though, was a very anxious looking Kit.

"What's going on?!" she questioned, jogging up to the group. "Is everyone ok?" Her mind immediately flickered to Noah. The guy she loved. If anything had happened to him she'd... she didn't know what she'd do. It would be like losing her dad all over again.

"Oh it's terrible," replied Colleen, "Noah and Max are still in there!"

"What?" shouted Kit. She felt a sudden empty lurching feeling inside her and her chest hurt. Her heart felt as if someone was ripping it from inside her. 'No no no no no no no this cant be happening' she told herself 'this isn't happening'. But it was.

She made a break for the building, she had to get him out, but Flynn and Jesse grabbed her and dragged her kicking, screaming form back to a safe distance away from the flames. She had that surreal feeling of not realising that what is happening is actually happening, like she was watching herself in a film.

Flynn promised her that the fire crew were on their way, and they'd get Noah out and he'd be fine. She wasn't convinced, but decided she was powerless to do anything to help so busied herself with sitting, worrying and feeling useless. She tried to block the thoughts of what Noah could be going through out of her mind, of him being unconscious, terribly injured or worse... it didn't bare thinking about.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to come over and they'd talk and say goodbye and she'd walk away from him to start again. But she couldn't do it, she couldn't switch her feelings off and she couldn't block him out of her life anymore. She had to take the risk, she had to stop running, she had to be with him. She made a silent promise to herself that if Noah survived this, then she would give a relationship a go, even if that was only as friends. And if he didn't survive, then... He had to be ok.


In the bedroom, Noah slowly, painfully opened his eyes. The glowing orange light around him bore into his eyes and made his head throb, a surging pain stabbing into his skull. He closed them momentarily, trying to gather his senses. The first thing he became conscious of was the heat on his skin, making beads of sweat trickle out of ever pore and run down his body. Then the smoke. He began to wheeze and gasp for air, desperately trying to get oxygen into his lungs. Then the memory hit him, of his past, his mother... He screwed his eyes up trying to banish the thought. This was not the time to dwell on things like that, but it was so vivid...

The heat.

Her gripping his arm and digging her nails into his skin as he tried to resist. His bare skin moving closer and closer to the gas hob, to the flames. The tears rolling down his cheeks as he fought vainly against her.

"I have to do this, you know I have to do this Noah"

"No, no, please leave me alone"

His arm getting closer, the heat.

"You've committed a sin Noah, a sin against God, you must be punished."

The calmness of her voice, her breath against his cheek.

"I'm doing this for your own good Noah, It's what God wants me to do, you know that."

The heat getting stronger, the smell of her perfume, the sound of a bird outside, the terrible terrible searing pain as his skin made contact with the flame...


He took a deep breath, he had to forget, had to lock it away again. He had to get out of the burning building.

He became aware of Max leaning on him, barely conscious. He knew he had to get them both out. Somehow. Though at that moment, the effort needed simply to stand seemed far too great.

Eventually finding strength from somewhere, he dragged Max up, and staggered into the hallway towards the front door, coughing and choking on the smoke all the way. The air was unbearably thick.

His face fell as he saw the wall of flames and debris blocking his path to their exit. Deciding that it was too risky to chance fighting his way through with Max, he turned to escape the back way, through the office window. He heaved both his and Max's bodies through the main room and towards the window, almost losing his footing as another throb of pain shot to his head.

As he reached the window he pulled his fleece sleeve over his hand and punched through the glass. It shattered on impact, some pieces falling to the floor and some waiting in jagged shards around the edges.

The flames became more and more fierce and several bangs and explosions could be heard from other rooms in the building. Guessing that it wouldn't be long before the flames engulfed the office too; Noah threw Max through the middle of the window before half-climbing half-crawling through himself, and collapsing on the grass at the back of the Centre in exhaustion. The edges of the broken glass had sliced into his skin and blood had begun to trickle through his jacket, leaving a crimson polka dot pattern on his sleeve.

With one huge final effort, he dragged himself and Max away from the blazing building, before finally allowing his body to gasp for the air it so desperately needed.


Unaware that Max and Noah were now relatively safe and outside of the building, the panic level at the front of the Drop in Centre had increased fourfold. A situation that was not helped by a very concerned looking Kane running up to the crowd and demanding to know where Kirsty was.

"Kirsty's gone with Scott to get Beth." Flynn assured him.

Kane turned to Kit, who was shaking uncontrollably. He knew something was very wrong, he just didn't know what.

"Noah and Max are still in there," pleaded Kit, she knew that if anyone was likely to run into the inferno now it would only be Kane. She was right. Kane followed his instincts and purposefully ran towards the fire, disappearing into the smoke. Flynn and Jesse tried to grab hold of him... "Kane!" "Kane you can't go in there!" ...but they were too late. He was already inside.

He kicked his way through the rubble blocking the entrance and was able to move some of the burning rafters with his hands - as they were still bandaged from the mineshaft. The bandages provided some protection to the flames and Kane was able to move forwards into the direction of the bedroom, failing to avoid some of the debris as it fell but somehow managing to remain upright. Until the smoke hit his lungs and he was forced to lean against a wall to support himself, he threw his hand over his mouth and started to cough and wheeze for air.

After regaining a small amount of composure he made it to the boys bedroom, but could see no sign of Noah or Max. He made to shout out but no noise came, the fumes choked him and his eyes stung so much it became difficult to see. Drowsily he stumbled into the main room. His eyes searching urgently for any sign of life but finding nothing only fire and grey air.

He turned towards the office but was attacked by the loudest noise he had ever heard and was thrown viciously onto a hard surface. He became vaguely aware of something pressing against his back. Before realising the horrifying reality that the entire room was engulfed with flames. He again motioned to shout out for help, but again no sound came – he was totally alone.

He noticed a strange tingling sensation rise up his left arm before feeling a familiar searing pain spreading over his back. He wheezed and struggled for breath, the pain in his back grew steadily stronger until it became almost unbearable and he feared he would pass out. He didn't have the physical or mental strength left inside him to move. He knew he was going to die.

So, another chapter completed, comments...
Im not sure about this chapter, some bits I'm happy with, others I'm not, such is life.