Black smog filled Enjolras' lungs as he climbed the never-ending stairs. People blessed the young man, occasionally lifting his helmet and dousing him with water and one woman took off a rosary hanging from her neck and pressed it into his palm, muttering a small, "May the Lord have mercy on you,"
However, no matter how many people he talked to as he climbed the stairs, the people leaving going down the left and the rising going up the right, his mind was blank. No matter how many whooping coughs and shots of oxygen he took into his lungs, his breath came in short.
"Ras!" Marius called out to him, "We need some help up here!" Marius was Enjolras' best friend since the 11th grade. They had bonded over loving the Smiths and hating the Spice Girls, something their two younger sisters were obsessed with. And now, they climbed up the winding stair to their potential death's. Enjolras felt his stomach twist up into a knot.
"Joly is having trouble convincing this woman to come down. She's fairly heavy-set and she's saying that she can't go any farther. It's Me, You, Courfeyrac, Grantaire and Joly. The other's are gonna keep trudgin' up. So, I guess the real question is: Do you want to go back home tonight to Eponine?"
Marius offered his hand to Ras and for a second, Ras' thoughts were clouded. It was like he was dying and his entire life was flashing before his eyes. He saw his childhood and his teenage years. And birthdays and weeping over little things. And falling in love with Eponine.
She was about to occupy his thoughts, but he was interrupted by Marius grabbing my hand and leading him downstairs.
"Okay, Mrs. Santiago. You're gonna be okay. We're gonna get you home, okay?" Marius said, her chubby arm wrapped around Marius muscular shoulder, "You have any kids?"
She nodded, gasping for breath from exhaustion and the smoke, "I have a son named Charlie, a daughter named Lily and three grandbabies,"
"Well, you wanna see those grandbabies again, don't ya, Ms. Santiago?" Marius asked as Courfeyrac supported her with his other shoulder. Her legs were like jello as she stumbled down the packed staircase.
"We just gotta get you down a couple more floors. Cus I bet your family is real worried about right now," Courfeyrac said, as Grantaire offered her a shot of oxygen, "You're doing great," Suddenly, a low rumbling came from above. A woman shrieked and the power cut out. Suddenly, the bustling came to an abrupt stop and after 30 seconds of coughing and smog-filled breaths, the lights flickered on again.
"Oh my God," Joly said, staring out the only window the stairway offered, "The North Tower is...it's gone,"
"What the fuck do you mean it's gone?" Coufeyrac snapped at Joly, annoyance dripping from his voice, "110 story buildings just don't disappear, Joly," But, where the tower once stood was gone, a pile of rubble and a cloud of smoke had replaced it.
And that was when the panic set in.
The five friends guided the woman down the stairs and now, even their legs were shaking with fear.
"We're on the 20th floor, Ms. Santiago. We're gonna get you down, okay?" Enj said, his voice cracking from the lack of oxygen to his lungs.
It was then that the rumbling started.
"What the fuck is that?" Marius asked and suddenly, the sound of things falling on top of each other became louder and louder with each sickening crunch.
"Oh My GOD!" Someone called out and soon, the six were thrown to the floor, "Everyone get down!" Soon, the building let out a sickening squeal and suddenly, Enjolras had the feeling of falling.
And it was in those seconds, those few seconds, that he thought of Eponine.
"I never got to tell Eponine how I felt! It can't end like this! God in Heaven, look down on us with mercy!" Enj cried out, tears stinging his face, "I can't die yet! I want to live!"
And it was then that he felt Marius' hand squeeze his. And then everything went to black.