The Shrinker

CHAPTER TWELVE (PART-2)

Jamie sprang from the counter and put her coated-arms up before her face as she dashed into the fire as fast as she could. The flash of heat all around was tremendous and the flames licked at her threateningly but the terrifying moment passed quickly and she was through. She skidded to a halt five-feet from the fire and patted herself down in case she'd caught any flames.

At the far end of the storeroom, Suki Ramasveer was crouched on her knees, looking up in shock as Jamie entered. Beside her lay her father, flat on his back with a pile of boxes having collapsed on him in the chaos, covering his legs. He seemed semi-conscious, faintly groaning in his native Urdu. Her face full of fear, Suki asked, "Who're you?"

"Doesn't matter, we don't have time for questions!" Jamie said sharply. Sweat cascaded down her face by the bucketload, "We gotta get out! Can you stand?"

"Yes, but my papa's injured. I don't think he can get up and I can't move him alone," Suki answered fearfully, "I'm not leaving him, no way- -"

"You won't have to. Grab his right arm and I'll grab his left, then we pull him out this way together, understand?" Jamie instructed, desperately trying to keep calm. Suki rushed to do as she said; both grabbed Mr Ramasveer by an arm each, "One, two, three!"

The shop-owner yelled in pain as the two girls dragged him clear of the fallen pile, away from the far wall. They let him down a safe distance from the fire and Jamie shoved the remaining boxes on him aside. Her stomach turned to see the badly broken left leg, Oh for fuck sake, give me a break! No way in hell can this guy rush the fire...

While Suki was occupied with sharing desperate words with her barely aware father in their native Urdu, Jamie looked anxiously at the wall of fire trapping them, which had grown. She had only one option left and desperately tried to think of a way she could shrink flames.

You're able to shrink just part of a target, remember? Concentrate upon the more static areas of the fire and try reducing just those.

That might just work. Thanks Trudy! Jamie gave the fire an intent look, The edges and upper areas of the fire are what shifts, so I should focus instead on the centre and bottom areas. How can I do this without being seen?

"We're trapped, we're all going to die here!" Suki wailed in despair.

"No we're not, we'll be just fine," declared Jamie, with more confidence than she felt. Her heart raced in terror and adrenaline. She knelt beside Suki and put her hands on her shoulders, "Listen carefully; I want you to help me get your dad to his feet and carry him. We should manage his weight with one of us either side. Then we'll rush through that fire."

Suki's jaw dropped, "Are you crazy? There's no way we can go through there quick enough, we'll be set alight! We could trip into the fire or drop my papa into it! There's no way it'll work!"

"What else do you suggest?" Jamie asked impatiently, "That we'll do nothing and just let the flames take us here anyways? Possible death or certain death; what's it to be, Suki?"

Suki stared from the fire to her, then nodded, "Fine, let's try it. I'll believe in the grace of God, the mercy of Jesus and the divinity of Muhammed. I'll pray with all my soul that we'll make it unscathed, and that God shall protect and keep us." Suki frowned in suspicion, "Now I think about it, your voice sounds familiar and I've seen your eyes somewhere before. Who ARE you?"

"We've no time to play twenty questions!" Jamie yelled impatiently, "Help me get him up, then we rush it. Oh and make sure you have your eyes closed as we go through the fire, ok? Good, you take the left side, I'll take the right. One, two, three!"