Alexander's Pov:
I finished my work fairly quickly, in hopes that the clock would strike 5 sooner. I can't wait for this long day of work to be over so that I may see my lovely wife, Elizabeth Hamilton. We are planning to go to a dinner for our anniversary tonight. She works just a few floors up along with her sisters Angelica and Peggy.
After cleaning up my station, I start smelling a bit of smoke, which is a scent I have grown use to because of the of cigarettes and cigars. I glace over at the door that remains locked all shift long, I'm not entirely sure why though... it seems dumb.
"Hamilton!" my boss Thomas Jefferson said while walking to me, "Why are you not working?! Time is money!" I honestly hate Jefferson with a passion. If I didn't need this job then I wouldn't take this but for my sake and my dearest Betsy's too... I want her to have the world and anything else she wants.
"I finished early sir..." I replied, trying to remain civil to him. "You should find more work then. I'll let it slide this time, considering it's so close to the shift ending." Jefferson said rolling his eyes, "Don't let it happen again." He walked away to go smoke in his office, like always. I don't understand how he got to be in charge of this, he's lazier than a sack of potatoes.
I sit peacefully waiting for the clock to turn to 5 when....
"FIRE!!"
Elizabeth's Pov:
"Peggy, you have to sew the waistline a bit tighter. It can't fall apart when being put on, now can it?" I say to my younger sister, who has just started the job as of last week and is still getting used to the terrible working conditions and how things are done around here. "Liza, I'm trying to! I just don't know how to do this or why I even chose this job. I know like nothing about sewing!" Peggy said, her voice full of frustration, "I honestly don't know why they even hired me.."
I give her a quick hug, which is hard to do because of the tables being so close together and leaving barley enough room to be safe, and take the needle from her and show her how to do it again. "Like that." I say giving it back to her. "Eliza!" Angelica said walking to my station, holding a box of buttons I had asked for, "Stop doing the work for her, you'll get her in trouble and yourself in bigger trouble!"
"Angelica, she needed help with it. It's fine." I reply, taking the buttons, "And plus, we have to make these waist shirts the best we possibly can to show that females can work as well as men can." She sighed heavily, "Yes I know but women should have always been able to work if they wanted too." I nod in agreement, slightly glancing at the clock as I do, "We should start cleaning up now, we leave in about 2 minutes."
As we are cleaning up, I turn to face the window and I see a smoke puff coming from below. 'That's strange...' I walk up to the window and look down. The ground isn't visible due to the smoke coming from one of the lower floors. I run back to Angelica, who is the only person aloud to use the telephone, "Angie, you need to call for help now!!" She looks at me confused, "Why? Nothing is wrong?" I take her hand and guide her to the window as fast as I can, "There might be fire, now please go call for help!!"
As she runs off, the smoke rises to the point that we can't see the sky or anything but smoke. My coworkers are now seeing the smoke and starting to panic, most of them rush to the door and try to shove it open due to the door being locked at all times. I run over to Peggy and take her away from her station.
"Liza, why is it so hot all of a sudden?" she asked me. I look back over at the window, the flames are visible now and more panic arises. "Pegs, there's a fire and we have to get out, let's go get Ang-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!", the doors thud open, and people start rushing out, showing a few trampled people on the floor. Angelica comes and takes my hand and starts running, as I drag Peggy with me.
Alexander's Pov:
I run out the door into the hallway and almost get trampled immediately. People are running in every direction, cramming in the elevators and racing down the stairwell. 'Maybe she's here already...' "ELIZAAA!!" I look around for her but it's hard to see with all the panicking people everywhere.
"Alexander!"
I turn to see my best friend John Laurens, who has a huge gash on the side of his face, running to me. "Are you okay?!" he asks, while almost getting shoved to the floor. "I'm fine but I can't find Eliza! Are you okay?!" I reply, looking at the gash. "Yes, I'm fine but I can't find Peggy! I think they might still be upstairs!" he says while looking around. "Let's go!" I yell while racing through the crowds of people, John following me. I hear a loud groan from something that sounds like metal but ignores it and keeps running.
I keep running and running till I reach the next floor, which doesn't have as many people. I look around and see people jumping down the elevator shaft then followed by cries of pain and people racing to the outside stairwell.
John goes into the work room, and comes out coughing and wheezing. I rush over to him, taking caution to the weak floors and falling debris. "They aren't on this floor! They must still be on the top!" John exclaims after quickly catching his breath and then racing to the stairs, I quickly follow.
"ALEXANDER!!!!"
I look up to be met with a kiss, Eliza's kiss. "Your're okay!" I say while hugging her and kissing the top of her head.
3rd Person Pov:
Eliza, hugging back, "Of course I am, but we have to go. Like now!!" She grabs his hand and runs down the stairs with John and her sisters following. They rush down 2 floors , to the floor the fire started on, and are almost to the other stairwell when she lets go of his hand, letting everyone rush ahead of her.
After slowing down and losing sight of the others, there is a loud crash form out side. Alexander looks around for Eliza and realizes she not there anymore and rushes back into the smoke and fire filled room. He looks around only to see Eliza, on the ground wheezing with a cut on her leg going deep into her skin. "Liza!" he kneels in front of her, "We have to go! Please get up!" "I want to but it hurts.... Please go and save yourself Hun..." Eliza says coughing afterwards.
Alexander doesn't listen to her cry for him to leave and looks around for another way to get out. The window, the fire escape, that could work! He ran to the window and saw that the fire escape was no longer there. It snapped off the building and about three floors down was Angelica.... dead..
Angelica's face seemed peaceful as blood dripped from her mouth. She was twisted in an unnatural way with a pole going through her lower stomach, the blood is seeping through her beautiful pale pink dress. Her skin has burns on it from running through the fire. The very little of the structure left groans before all falling, taking her body down with it, her head slams against the pavement. Blood pools around her head but still her face remains at peace..
Alexander goes back to Eliza, knowing that now there was no escape, with tears streaming down his face, "Liza-" "I know..." Eliza spoke tearfully and softly, "I know Alexander.." She stood up carefully and hugged him as no words could explain how she felt. Alexander hugged back and kissed her head. "Should we take the leap of faith..?" she said barely fighting back tears. Alexander knew what she meant. The window.
He nodded, knowing that if they jump her family would have a body to identify. He gently guided her to the window and they both stood holding hands, looking down at the panic and tried to prepare themselves for the release of death.
"Alexander... I was going to tell you tonight but.. we don't get tonight.. I'm with child.." Eliza said, voice shaking as she clings to him. Alexander couldn't believe it.. if people went stupid and caused this mess then he would have been a father... He kissed his wife passionately and held on to her. "I love you my dearest Besty. You are the best of wives and the best of woman..." Eliza cupped his cheek, "I love you too Alexander... with all my heart..."
And with that they jumped, Alexander said one last goodbye before they slam into the ground:
"I'll see you on the other side..."
Word Count: 1535
