The Flipsyde

The speed run

Before I start, I have just one thing to say- unlucky number thirteen. You may fear for the characters' lives now 

---------------chapter 13 starts here--------------

I started rushing down the duct- never once taking my mind off the insanely stupid luck we had. I couldn't hear Jake behind me, but I had no time to stop and check- every second counted.

Luckily for me, I remembered the way out- I'd memorized it when we were making our way up.

Unluckily, I my hands were slowly getting sweatier- causing me to slip and land with a thud on the floor of the duct several times. I knew that if it came down to mere seconds, these falls could cost me my life..

As we reached about halfway back, I heard a slow hiss. I took a deep breath- I'd have to hold it for quite a while if I was going to make it back without breathing the fumes.

When I'd planned out my strategy, it had been simple. Hurry down. Don't breathe fumes. Get out alive.

The plan was simple. Far too simple. Never could I have imagined the terror that the sound of the fumes releasing would strike into my heart. Never could I have imagined the burn of the fumes on my face along with the rest of my body. Never could I have imagined the bursting pain from inside my lungs- those lungs which begged me to take one last breath..

My eyes burned like never before. Imagine a glass of water mixed with a sack of crystallized salt. Now throw that aside and drop pure chili powder onto your eyes. That's how it felt. 

I could see the next day's headlines. Kids die from inhaling fumigation compounds. Nice ring to it right? I mean it's way up their on your list of ways to die- alongside looking into the sunset, riding into the sunset and dying on a hospital bed watching the sunset. Well at least we'd be breathing fumes in a metallic air duct while the sun sets..

I got the urge to laugh at my own joke. But more importantly, it willed me on. Allowed me to hold that breath for what seemed like an eternity as I watched the end of the duct creep up, ever so slowly- ten feet, five feet, two feet.

I finally crashed through the grating at the end of the duct. By this time my eyes were burning. Everything blurred into nonexistence. Completely oblivious to my surroundings, I moved forward- gasping heavily for air. 

After half a minute or so, my vision started to clear  and that cloudiness over my head started to fade. I turned around to look for Jake- finding him face up on the ground- maybe a foot away from the duct, eyes closed.

"Jake? Are you okay?" I asked. I was afraid of the answer I might get.. Or worse- might not get..

He opened his eyes. "Get out of here. I'm probably too late to save now," he said- eyelids drooping.

I couldn't accept it. This couldn't be how it ends. Jake- the guy who dove off a speeding boat into the sea for a swim, dying in an air duct? That couldn't be the way things ended!

"Gotcha" I heard quietly from Jake's direction.

Did I hear that right? "Jake!" I said firmly. "Talk to me man"

"I said- gotcha," the reply came. "I didn't know the fumes affected your hearing as well," he said, slowly getting up.

I was both relieved and furious. But to be honest it shouldn't have surprised me. He was more likely to get hit by an ice cream truck while being struck by lightning while falling from an aircraft without a parachute than it was for him to die in an air duct of a hospital.

That didn't mean I forgave him for it though.

A few punches later, he lay on the ground again, while I caught my breath yet again.

As he stood up and replaced the grating, i let the events of the last few minutes sink in. We'd escaped by the skin of our teeth. 

Another day the stars were with me. How much longer could this last?

But I suppose that didn't matter.. For today, all was well.

-------------- End of chapter 13--------------

I hope you guys fell for it as well :p

In other news, my prologue is kinda stuck on 99 views so if any of you guys feel generous, please go ahead and open it once more to get it to that awesome landmark (though I probably should have asked y'all before trolling you)

Thanks again for reading :) next chapter will be up tomorrow