Walking in the Wind One Direction EDITING

32. Where there's smoke there is fire

"Oh my god!" Jade jumps up, her eyes wide with panic.

"We've got to get out of here," Daisy gasps, her voice trembling as the heat begins to intensify.

I scramble to my feet and sprint to the door. "Let's go!" I shout, grabbing the burning hot handle and yanking it open. Flames roar to life on the other side, blazing like a wall of fire and heat. The intense wave pushes me back as I slam the door shut. "Or not," I mutter, my voice shaking.

This isn't supposed to happen... This isn't...

"That—that's our only way out!" Jade cries, her hands clutching her hair.

Daisy spins around, her eyes darting wildly across the room. "There has to be another way. A window, something!" she says, but her voice sounds small against the crackling of the fire.

"We're going to die in here!" Jade wails. She's pacing now, tears streaming down her face, her panic rising.

"Help!" Daisy screams suddenly, her voice raw. I join her. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP US!"

The three of us yell together, our desperate cries filling the room, but the only response is the sound of the fire raging closer. Smoke seeps under the door, curling into the air like poisonous fingers. It's spreading fast. My chest tightens, my throat burns, and each breath feels harder than the last.

"*Cough* I—*cough* I can't breathe," Jade chokes, stumbling backward.

"Quick! Get on the ground!" I shout, throwing myself down onto the floor, where the air is marginally clearer.

"*Cough* Why?" Daisy asks, her voice strained, but she drops to the ground beside me. Jade follows, coughing so hard she can barely move.

"It's the smoke," I wheeze, my lungs screaming for relief. "It rises—we can breathe down here longer."

For a moment, all we can hear is the fire, louder now, crackling like some hungry monster. The smoke grows thicker, pressing on us like an invisible weight. Daisy starts yelling again, her voice hoarse and frantic. "HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE!"

No one answers. There's no sound of footsteps, no other voices—just the fire, the alarm, and our ragged coughing.

Jade's sobbing beside me, her hand reaching for mine. "I—I *cough* love you, sis..." Her voice is so small it nearly breaks me.

Tears stream down my face as I squeeze her hand. My eyes sting, my throat feels like sandpaper, and panic gnaws at the edges of my mind. "Don't... don't start that," I whisper, forcing the words out through coughs. "Someone will come... *cough* they have to."

The heat grows unbearable. My body feels heavy, like I'm sinking into the floor. I try to keep my eyes open, but my vision blurs, and the smoke burns too much. I hear Daisy stop screaming, her silence making my heart twist.

I try to speak again, to reassure Jade, but my voice won't come. The room feels far away now. "They'll come for..." I mumble, the words slurring.

And then everything goes black.

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I'm really busy but I promise more is coming this month. Also, I'd rather write slow and good than fast and rubbish. Thank you for being patient 🫶🏻