Briar Preparatory Academy

Smoke

Celeste POV

My breath hitches in my throat and my heart skips several beats.

The library. The library with countless halls and corridors meant to make someone get lost.

I jump out of my seat and sprint away from the table

"Celeste, what-" Seth starts to ask.

"Rory." I say slowly, before breaking off into a sprint, shoving people out of the way and running out of the cafeteria as fast as I possibly can. As soon as I push the doors open, I see the huge column of smoke and fire. I push myself harder to run faster, get there sooner. I have to get to her. I bolt up the stairs leading to the library and yank open the doors. I bolt into the main entry and instantly pull my shirt up to cover my face.

"RORY!" I scream out. I have to find her.

I run down the long hallway and throw open the first door, the metal already incredibly hot. The scorching metal leaves blisters on the palm of my hand where I grabbed the handle. With every breath I take in, my lungs feel heavier and heavier. It's like trying to inhale velvet: impossible. I run down the corridor and down the stairs. Just as I am about to turn into the next hall, the wooden beam in the roof above me comes flying down, blocking the most obvious entrance. In my clouded state of mind, I desperately reach for the flaming beam. I grasp it with my bare hands, causing pain to shoot up them. It feels like someone is slicing my hands with a dagger fresh off the coals. I ignore the pain and keep pushing until I can open the door just a crack.

"RORY!" I scream again. No response. I pause for what I know is only a second, but feels like an eternity and look around myself. I see the walls of my home crumbling around me, falling to pieces and burning. The walls I used to think were impenetrable and untouchable, crumbling around me like dust.

I've reached the bottom floor. This is where I last saw her. I navigate my way around the falling debris, and make my way over to the window seat where I helped her study. Her backpack is on the ground, relatively untouched, and her book lay smoldering in the corner.

I grab the backpack and swing it over my shoulder. She will want this when we get out. I look up just in time to see one of the supporting beams from the ceiling fall down, and I know I don't have much time. My mind flicks to all the important books stored in this library. All will be turned to ashes.

"RORY!" I call out again. And this time, I hear a bloodcurdling scream in response. It could be coming from anywhere. The bottom floor is connected to all the ventilation and duct work, so it could be echoing through any of those, or it could just be from a floor above. My heart pounds in my chest as I glance behind the shelves in the main library on this floor. I won't have time to search every room. The entire building will be ashes before then. I'm not worried about me at this point; all I care about is Rory getting out.

"Celeste!" I hear a familiar voice call my name. I recognize it as Seth.

"Seth!" I yell back. I open the door that leads out to the stairs and start climbing them. I almost run straight into Seth, who was hidden by the dark smoke.

"Come on Celeste! We need to get out of here!" He yells to me, panic obvious in his voice. His eyes are illuminated in the flickering of the angry fire that rages around us. Gone from his eyes is the happy, joking manner that used to be there, replaced with the look of a scared operative. In that split second, I make an important decision.

"Okay! Go! I'm right behind you!" I respond. As I said. Ignorance is bliss.

We bolt up the stairs to the next landing. We are on the second floor now. He continues running, not even pausing. I take a deep breath and do what I always planned. I stop as he continues running up the stairs. I slip into the second floor. There are countless rooms and corridors; I would never be able to check them all. I cough and wheeze, smoke filling my lungs. My entire body feels like fire. The heat is unbearable. My hands are numb from grabbing on to the flaming board to get to the third floor. They hurt like nothing I've ever experienced before. Tears brim in my eyes, but I tell myself it's from the smoke, not the pain. I count down from 15 until I think Seth is out of the building and to safety.