When the World Ends

19; Daye

     "BETHANY!" I yell, sprinting through the lobby. "PHONE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TELL THEM TO HURRY. ACROSS THE STREET!" I fly out the front doors and dart across the street, checking to see if any people are gathering. From my right, I hear a commotion and decide to follow it. Dashing around the corner, I see a large group of people, and they're all looking up at the same thing. A young lady, clinging to an infant, stuck on the eighth floor. She made it to the fire escape, but the ladder isn't releasing. We can't wait on the fire department and with how she's violently tugging on the ladder release, she's already panicking.

From the crowd, I hear a few people muttering about my sudden appearance in the public eye, but I have no time to greet them. I tug the cape free from my uniform, struggle with the zipper at the back of my uniform jacket. Eventually I get it off and, toss both of them onto the ground. Quickly cuffing the sleeves of the spandex long sleeve I wear underneath, I say my prayers, and one deep breath later, I run into the building. Locating the stairs was easy. They sit to the right and spiral around the building. Racing up, two at a time, I arrive at the eighth story in no time. I see why the lady can't come out the front door. Some debris from the ceiling had crashed through and was blocking the way in. Not seeming to be anything more than a couple pieces of rebar in some cement, I squat down and put all my weight against the concerte. 

The rubble doesn't want to budge, but then I begin to hear some crackling. At first the piece begins to move, or so I thought. Instead of moving to the side, it begins to sink. I jump up and step back just in time for the floor to cave in, swallowing the cement whole. One second later and I would have followed it down. Turning back to the door, now overcome with adrenaline, I ignore the burning in my lungs and kick the door open, or what is left of it, and dash across the apartment to the young lady. 

     "Forget the release!" I shout, over the roar of the flames around us. "Come on! I have to get you out!" I beckon the lady closer, grabbing her arm and pulling her near. Reaching into my pants pocket, I pull out my kerchief and it to her. "Tuck the baby into your shirt, keeping their face just under the line of your collar, and hold this over your face." Scooping her into my arms once the baby is situated, I get a firm grip and turn to dash back across the apartment and make it halfway across, stopping just shy of the ceiling caving in on top of us. Darting around the debris and over the back of the sofa, I land on the other side and barrel my way out the door, keeping the woman's head pressed against my chest.

When we make it to the stairs, at the rate everything is collapsing around us, it would take too much time to run down the stairs. I move up next to the railing and lift myself onto it, using my right hand in front of me around the railing to gauge how fast we move. Sliding down the railing, floor after floor saved us at least three minutes. 

Back in the lobby, I make no pause and run straight for the door. The threshold! I can see it! Giving my last spurt of energy, I charge through the door and thought I'd made it all the way through. At the last second, something clips my left calf and sends me lurching forward.  Releasing the woman, she did exactly as I hoped she would and rolled out of my arms, landing on her feet with an incredulous look on her face. Glancing back, I see that my leg isn't trapped. Scurrying away, I make my across the street and collapse onto my back in the grass at the same time the building falls straight down to the ground. I take several deep breaths, squinting my eyes shut. 

     'What have I just done?' I think to myself. 'I just saved that ladies life. Good. But am I crazy?!' I manage to roll onto my left side, a dry, hacking cough taking over my whole body. From this spot across the street, I can see all of the apartment tenants gathered around the woman and the baby. Then, at once, they all turn around and look at me. With the coughing finally stopped, I collapse again, flat on my back. Before I black out, I hear the sirens growing closer and closer.

All I hear is faint voices around me, all a chaotic buzz. Each voice is saying something radically different.

     "Is he still alive?" One of them asks.

     "Yes. I think so. His chest is moving." Another one says.

     "Does anyone know how to take a pulse?"

And then I hear someone more official. A list of medical terms being shouted. It must be a paramedic. There is a sharp pain on the right side of my face. Over, and over. A rapid stinging. 

     "Wake up, Elector!" A new voice commands. The sharp stinging won't cease. "Here! Bring the oxygen here!" A heavy weight on my face and the sudden influx of oxygen forced into my lungs causes me to gasp, sucking in a deep breath as my eyes fly open. On first instinct, I try to sit up and then calm down enough to notice that I am surrounded by a mixed group of people. To my left, a paramedic is hunched over me, carefully turning the dial on the oxygen tank. I didn't expect the paramedic to be a woman. 

     "Elector, can you hear me?" She calls, tilting my head towards her. 

I nod, looking away from her, at each of the people around me. There! By my feet. The lady I rescued, still clutching her baby to her chest. Now, tears are streaming down her face, and she has her free hand resting on my right shin. Against better judgement, I pull the oxygen mask off of my face and slowly work my way into a sitting position.

Before I can even process what just happened, the lady I saved launches herself to my side and cries, "Thank you Elector. Thank you for saving my baby." 

I force a faint smile and bring my hands to my face, rubbing it roughly. "Did everyone else make it?" I croak out.

     The lot around me confirms that everyone made it out. The paramedic adds, "And even if they hadn't, I'd not let you back in there."

I shoot her a dirty look. Taking a deep breath, I force out, "I'd risk my life a thousand times to save every person in that building if I had to." Another deep breath. "That's the job of a leader. Perhaps it's something you wouldn't understand." I spit out my words, trying to stagger to my feet. Each of the men around me offers help up. I take the nearest hand and allow them to pull me to my feet. 

     "Now, with everyone safe and the leader of the free world revived, I have work to attend to." I glare at the paramedic one more time. "And don't think I didn't know that you were slapping me, trying to get me to come to. Thank you for aiding me, but hit me again and I'll take your hand." I stagger off, pausing long enough to bend down and retrieve my coat and cape from the edge of the pile of rubble. 

Pausing on the other side of the corner of the building, I lean against the wall and grab my chest, doubling over. Sucking in one breath after another, I wait until I'm certain I can stand upright before I trudge my way back to the school.  

Of all the people I want to see right now, Shan and his cronies are huddled in front of the school, watching the action from a distance. 

     "Oh, Elector. You've seen better days." He taunts. "Didn't your father teach you better?"

I sigh, wiping the front of my hand across my forehead. "If you can't tell from me being fully bathed in soot, ash and sweat, I'll have you know I just saved someone from that building burning back there." I weakly gesture to the scene behind me with the hand holding my clothes, and then add, "But you'll never know that kind of honor because you operate on ego and not merit." Ignoring any other idiotic remarks, I pass them and barely make it into the lobby. 

     "Bethany, Alfred is out with Angel. Phone someone else to take me home. I'm done for today." I plop down on the bench just inside the door, tucking my head between my knees.