268 Letters

Chapter XXIV

Sorry, this chapter is a filler :(. I'm really sorry, I would write more but I need to go somewhere. But hey, at least I kept with my updating scheme? Give me some credits!

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 Chapter XXIV

I gasped, as the familiar smoke begins filling my lungs again. I begin choking on my own saliva, and Landon wraps his hand around my waist as I shudder down, trying to get the smoke out of my lungs. The amount of smoke had increased, and it showed no signs of stopping. I continue coughing and gagging, and at a point I felt like I was going to puke.

"Must...go...find..." I say between coughs, and I feel two hands placed on my shoulders and they whiz me around. Landon's eyes are...alarmed? Pleading? I can't even tell. The smoke was making my eyes water, and the world began to look like a mismatch of grey and red.

"Eiffel, I need you to stay outside." he says, and I immediately shake my head. There was no way I would-

I begin to cough violently, and my insides jumped every time I coughed.

"Eiffel..please. I'll get them. I'll get India, and.."

"Peru." I choke back another cough that rises. "I wanna..come.." I cough again and he shakes his head. He cups my face with his fingers, and I feel a blush rise on my cheek. Thank god the place was so red, so hopefully he wouldn't notice.

"Listen, I'll find them, I promise. I just need you to...stay back. I'm..worried about you, Eiffel. Don't force yourself like this, please." his eyes, oh his eyes. They're pleading, they're begging me, and how can I refuse?

I meekly nod my head, and he sighs in relief. He lets go of my face and now the fire isn't the only thing burning.

"Let me escort you." he offers me the tiniest of grins, encouraging me to smile, and I can't help it. I smile.

We walk out in silence, and he lets go of my hand. Finally, the air. I take a deep breath, trying to get rid of the disgusting smoke in my lungs. Landon gives me an almost stern look, and I look at him expectantly.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't move, ok?" I nod my head, because that's all I can do.

"Landon, wait." I say, and he turns back. To be honest, I'm not sure what I wanted to say, but I said what seemed like the most logical thing to say in this situation.

"Be safe, ok? Please don't hurt yourself." I say, and his crinkle a little but he nods curtly and goes back inside.

The reckless side of me wants to chase after him, and we can both go find India and Peru. But the logical side of me wants me to stay, to catch my breath. And I don't think I could've handled another round in that hell.

I waited anxiously, my heart hammering every time I hear even a sound. I walked briskly up and down the entrance, tapping my arm repeatedly. My breathing had finally returned to normal, and I didn't feel so suffocated. I bite my bottom lip anxiously, praying, wishing and hoping that India and Peru were okay. And of course, that Landon was fine.

Time kept ticking. And my patience kept running dry. I was usually patient, but how could I be when my friends were in there, possibly dying? My wild imagination didn't help. I kept thinking What if they are actually dying and wounded and I'm just standing here like an idiot? What if their calling for help? What if Paris is holding them hostage? What if..
I shut of my imagination. If I thought more, my head would probably explode into pieces.

After a few more minutes, my patience was dry and there was nothing to quench it. My reckless side won and I marched confidently towards the doors, even though inside I was terrified. With trembling hands, I grabbed the handles. They were warm, and I mentally prepared myself before swinging them open.

The smoke immediately began escaping, and I coughed again. No..I couldn't be so weak..

Bracing myself with my hands, I entered, and tried to calm myself.

You can do this, Eiffel. Just hold your breathe, don't blink, and don't think negatively.

Each step was more daunting than the last. It took almost all my courage and self-will to keep myself from not running out and wailing like a child. I knew I was stronger than this. I had endured years of beatings and abuse from my father, this is easy. Easy...

I didn't even know where I was going. The only sound was of spreading fire and my occasional coughs. My shoes sometimes squeaked against the hard flooring, making me jump. But overall, there was no human sound to be heard. No screams, no pleas of help, no nothing.

"Peru? India? Landon?" I called out, but still nothing. It's almost like I entered a different dimension, a different world.

I looked around me, and my heart tightened as I saw a gorgeous painting erupt into flames, merrily burning in the high fires. That painting was amazing...the colors were bright and pretty. Why would the fires be so sinister, to even burn up the most gorgeous things?

I continued walking aimlessly, and I didn't even know where I was going. Why didn't I just stay outside and wait? Why did I think I was smart enough to go in here by myself?

I could feel tears well up in my eyes, because of the smoke. I rubbed my eyes with my torn sleeve, trying to relax. I convinced myself i'm fine, I'm okay. I used every bit of my courage to tell myself I was going to find India and Peru and Landon and we would all escape together. I used all my logical thinking in believing in something that deep down I knew wasn't true. Deep down I knew I had just fallen into a trap I set for myself. I thought I could save them like a hero, yet the only thing I had done was nail my own coffin.

That's when a feeling hit me. No, it didn't hit me. It looked at me in the eye and waited for me to make a move, and I fell into it's trap. And now, that feeling was running in my body, my veins and slowly killing me. The feeling was called hopelessness. The feeling was utterly heart-wrenching and put the biggest lump in your throat. The feeling kicked you in the stomach repeatedly, and crushed every single one of your hopes into pieces. The feeling that made you desperate, desperate for survival. But most of all...

the feeling that made you feel completely useless and stupid.

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Thank you lovelies for reading <3. If you liked this chapter, leave it a vote and post a comment below! Sorry for this filler, I ABSOLUTELY PROMISE next chapter will be a little plotwisty and...romatic ;)? Stay tuned  ♪!

xx~D's ★