Infamy

Cat and Mouse - Pt 2

Everything was black, but then it slowly developed into a flickering orange. It was warm. Not just warm, it was getting hot, really hot.

Ryan slowly opened his eyes and was blasted by bright orange surrounding him.

Fire.

Ryan was jolted awake once he realized what was happening. He was in the middle of a burning building. He tried to get up, but then he realized he was tied to a chair, a rope was wrapped all the way around his torso. He began jerking around, to loose himself, but it was no use.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

Ryan's fingers felt around for a knot to no avail. In a hurried fear, Ryan crouched and stood in a squatting position, standing with his arms tied around the back of the chair, which was wooden. He quickly slammed his back against the ground.

"Gah!" Ryan shouted in bruising pain, the heat was tremendous as well, but his attempt worked to an extent. The legs and seat of the chair snapped, Ryan proceeded to kick and bash with his back until they were completely torn off. This left the back of the chair tied around Ryan's arms, locking them at his sides, but he could stand upright now. He hurriedly looked around the room, which was rather large, and filled with tall wooden shelves, which were all engulfed in flames.

Where is the exit, I can't see very far beyond the bright flames and smoke against the roof.

Ryan committed to one direction, sprinting through the flames, trying to jump and skip into the spots that weren't burning. After passing a few shelves, Ryan could make out a tight hallway that led to a door. Sweat ran down every part of his body as he realized that this door was his only chance at survival. Heat was pressing against his body in every direction.

Ryan heaved a cough as he readied himself to sprint, the fire was wrapped around the walls and roof of the hallway, meaning he would need to get a running start and dive through the open area. It would have been easier if his arms were loose, but he couldn't break the chair's back. And so he began running as fast as he could, once he reached the hallway, he felt his feet heating up, which gave him the signal to leap head first, without arms to break his fall. He felt the fire licking him from every angle as he flew through the air. Then he crashed onto the floor right by the door, his face crashed against the hot wooden floor, then he slid and his head slammed against the door. The rest of his body bruising up once it smacked against the ground. With an achy body and quickly depleting strength, Ryan stood up, turned his body against the door and began trying to grab the doorknob with his tied up hands.

"Come on, Come on!" Ryan uttered with urgency and anxiety as the fire crept closer to him. His sweaty hands found the knob and began trying to turn it open. That is when Ryan's hopes plummeted, it was locked from the outside.

"no...NO!" Ryan screamed in desperation. He began slamming his back against the door, in a last ditch attempt to break the chair off his back. It did not work, Ryan looked for the knot again, but it was against his bicep, where neither of his hands could reach.

"No. No. No. No! NO!" Ryan repeated over and over with shaking anxiety. There was no way out. Without any hope, Ryan continuously slammed his body against the door, desperately trying to break it down.

SLAM

"Come on...break" Ryan muttered as tears welled in his eyes, the fire was getting closer and closer by the minute.

SLAM

"Please...break..." Ryan said. He could feel the fire biting at his heels, this was it. He braced his body for his last attempt.