Russ pressed send on the phone and glanced across at the face on the pillow. He'd turned it to silent hoping she wouldn't be disturbed by the clicking of the keys and ask who was so important he needed to text them now. He lay back and sighed, this was a mess, he looked down at her again sleeping, post-coital, her breathing even and deep. He brushed some hair from her face and she moved, snuggling closer to him, he slid down till his face was level with hers, he kissed her gently on the lips and she opened one eye, smiling. He smiled back and kissed her again, there was still plenty of time now he'd sent that message to Nic to make his excuses, before he needed to leave for Sophie...
Sophie opened her eyes, they were stinging and she couldn't breathe. She coughed and it felt like her lungs were on fire, she sat up and looked about her but it was dark. It came back to her all that happened in the Dog, Sam angry, the bag then the fire...the fire! She scrambled to her feet but glancing around she couldn't see anything it was pitch black, she tried moving forward but yelped as she stubbed her foot on something hard. She reached out with her hands and felt, wood...a barrel... the cellar! She must be in the cellar but how had she got down here and what was happening up above her? She felt her way along the barrels, listening now and again for sounds or movement but the cellar was solid and nothing penetrated from above. She bumped into a wall and banged her hand on it in frustration, she had no idea of the layout, she could be ten foot from the stairs or a hundred. She had no way of telling in the dark, she moved slowly to her left and struck the metal handrail of the stairs. At last! She felt her way along and up the stairs, finding the door and feeling along for the handle. She turned it and pulled, it didn't move, she tugged, pushed, banging on it and screaming...nothing. She sank to floor and sobbed, he had brought her down here to die, no-one knew where she was and above her the fire was raging, she dropped her head into her hands, time was running out.
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