Ego Rock

Chapter 3 - Things we lost in the fire

I am aware of the weight that the realization carries in it, however, this is no time to be standing around here.

"Shit, this smell..." The cat murmurs on my back as his fur stands up.

Six pairs of eyes are focused solely on you, instead of the building on fire. Five of them mean you harm. One of them is not in the crowd, but in one the buildings surrounding you. Can't say exactly where, but it's there, lurking.

"Hey, man, we need to get out of here ASAP." The cat whispers in my ear.

He's right. However, it's too late. If you go back from where you came, they'll just snatch you.

"What do I do, then?!" I said loudly as my hopelessness turned into despair.

"I don't know. Figure something out." The cat answered as he looked behind me, nervously trying to identify our pursuers. "I can't do shit if there's normal people looking."

Then it hit me. That weird feeling I felt when the cat attacked me. A strange mix of extreme fear and complete relaxation. My body started, once again, acting on it's own.

"What are you doing?" Xiáng asked as I walked past the security blockade. The firemen tried to stop me, but their hands could not reach me. Then, the cat's face twisted itself in a surprised expression. "Your eyes... dear gods..."

He knew that anything could happen and, since I had no control over it, he also did not. I felt a slight pain as he softly sank his claws on my clothes, bracing for impact. We were in for it now.

Followed by the screams of those who watched, I bolted inside the burning building. My entire body knew there was no time to mourn the things we lost in the fire.

One minute is the time your lungs can handle comfortably before needing to breathe. The fire burnt through a lot of the building, but let's hope the catwalk behind it is still in good shape. There is a window in the second floor from where you can reach it, so run up there.

Oh, no dice. The catwalk fell off, just like your art career. Not all is lost however. The next building has a window that can be reached with a long jump. Let's see if your knees can handle it.

Oh God.

Run to the end of this burning corridor. Be careful, the ceiling is starting to collapse. It won't take long for this building to turn into a crispy carcass. What took the firemen so long to get here?

Just run, for fuck's sake!

"This is it. This is the day I die." Xiáng sank his face on my shoulder, not looking at what would happen next.

And so, you ran. Through the fire and smoke, you followed the path laid out to the window and, when you reached it, you jumped. Funny, really, how the second floor seems way taller than what it naturally is when you're jumping from it.

Your body has never experienced these high amounts of adrenaline before. As you jump, you can feel the sweat dripping from your forehead. You can feel the cold night breeze contrasting with the heat coming from the building behind you. You feel the paralyzing fear of falling when you realize the distance between you and the ground. Was this the change you were so eager for?

No, it fucking wasn't.

You go through the window, shattering glass as you landed on the floor. Small cuts are made in your face and exposed arms, but the worst pain you feel is in your knees. The landing was a bit rough, one could say. However, there is no time to heal wounds or take breaths. This whole stunt might have bought you a few moments, but it won't take long for the pursuers to resume their chase. It's better than nothing, of course.