Sleeping With Money (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 23🌻

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"I'm so sorry, sir! Siiir! Siiiiir!" First kept screaming, out of his mind with guilt.

Gulf grabbed him and fled the factory with Mew. They all seemed fine, but maybe they just couldn't feel the pain yet.

When they reached a safe distance, Gulf turned back to look at the factory. Huge plumes of smoke billowed from the windows, while sparks scattered across the ground. It was only a matter of time before the whole building turned into a giant bonfire.

Mew phoned the fire department and then hung up the phone.

"Hope the old man wasn't in there," he said grimly.

Nearby, some old women had gathered. They were talking about the old man. First asked them about Rachan. They told him he was supposed to be away on a trip.

So the old man was gone...

"But I heard he suddenly got sick and couldn't go," a woman said sadly. "Hope he got out. Hope he got out okay."

"Oh, my. I do hope he's okay," another woman fretted.

Gulf heard them muttering to each other.

Was he sleeping inside?

Now First was sprawled on the ground in a daze. Gulf grabbed his neck and shook him viciously.

"Bastard! You said the old man wasn't inside!" he screamed.

"Huh? He's not, I'm sure," First answered, bewildered.

"He is in there. They said he was sleeping," Gulf growled.

Before he realized what he was doing, Gulf moved into action. He spotted some buckets, filled them with water, and poured it over his head. This was the third tine he'd been soaked from head to toe in this place.

His body shook with cold as he ran toward the factory. He would not let Rachan die in there.

"Gulf! Gulf, wait!" Mew cried out from behind him.

Gulf didn't have time to listen right now. He dashed around the factory to get to Rachan's home. His dripping wet suit slowed him, but he finally made it. He was relieved to see the fire hadn't reached the house yet. He kicked the door down and ran inside. Thick black smoke obscured everything.

"Old man!" he yelled. "Old man! Are you in here?!"

He ran to the kitchen, then the bathroom. He looked for Rachan in every room on the first floor, then tore up the narrow stairs, two at a time.

"Old man!" he called out. "Are you up here?"

His vision got more and more clouded by the black smoke, but the rooms looked empty. He pulled off the blankets on the bed. Rachan wasn't there, either.

Is he in the factory?

Gulf tumbled down the stairs and dashed outside. He took a deep breath and surveyed the scene before him. It was an inferno, but it wouldn't stop him from saving Rachan. He kicked open the factory door.

"Ah!" he cried out.

He immediately sensed something unusual was happening.

An explosion?!

The flames came at him like they were alive. Then he heard a loud, earth-shaking roar and knew for sure that something had exploded in the factory.

No way could he rescue Rachan now. The worst had happened.

TBC