The Trench

Chapter 37 - The Fire (Part 1)

Austins POV

As soon as we enter the barn isle the musty smell of smoke hits me, at that moment Riley whips around and locks eyes with me. They're filled with worry and panic and my heart squeezes in my chest knowing she's in distress.

As if our thoughts were in sync I start hunting for the source, we can smell the smoke but I don't see where it's coming from. Riley runs to the tack room again comes back out with two halters, starting with the first two stalls she escorts the horses out of the barn; starting the emergency evacuation.

I start climbing the ladder to the hayloft, the ladder is at the end of the barn isle by the entry to the arena. I get to the top and pop my head over the edge of the floor and the smell of smoke is more intense, it's partnered with the sickening sound of crackling of hay on fire. I see the source, there are about eight hay bales in the top left corner already on fire. Spreading the flames like a sickness to the rest of the loft.

I pull myself through the opening and whip my jacket off, attempting to put the flames out by smothering them. It's no use and the fire starts to spread around me as I search for a fire extinguisher. I find the sign by the opening , but the peg below it where the extinguisher should reside is empty. The smoke is getting thicker and it's getting more difficult to breathe, I contemplate getting a hose but there's no time.

It'll be too late.

"RILEY!" I take the ladder stairs two at a time and jump down to the concrete below, making my knee crack, with the smoke chasing me into the isle. "It's spreading too fast, we have to evacuate. The hay is on fire."

She's on the phone but nods quickly at me, shouting the address to the person on the other line. "Get halters Austin, get everyone out NOW!" She screams, her voice cracking, as she runs the two horses out the door, one in each hand trotting on either side of her.

I run as fast as possible to the front of the barn, grabbing two halters from their pegs and running towards the back of the isle again. I fling open the stall closest to the stairs and get the halter ready in my hand, my fingers fumble with the straps and buckles and I curse myself under my breath. The grey horse in front of me is snorting and it's eyes are white, it's body tense as I finally wrap the halter around it's face and secure the buckles.

I step out of the stall, I don't even have to pull on the lead before it bolts down the isle towards the exit almost ripping the rope from my hands. I keep up with it out the doorway and through the snow to the gate where Riley is leading the rest. From the corner of my eye I see the owners flying down the drive in their UTV and skidding to a stop. As I'm unclipping the lead I turn back and run towards the barn, and I look up. Flames are shooting out of the windows in the loft, the entire top of the building on fire.

We're not going to get them all out. The realization dawned on me as my legs carry me towards the barn again and I can faintly hear sirens in the distance.

I get to the doorway and a large black body hurls past me, knocking into my shoulder and sending me to the ground shooting pain through my knee again. I see Riley and the two barn owners sprinting horses out, smoke billowing after them out the door like demons chasing them into the night. I run inside and grab another horse, choking and sputtering as my lungs fill with the thick smog. As I'm leading two horses I see a white horse still locked in a stall, I quickly fling the door open and the horse trots out into the isle behind us.

As I pass Riley outside I holler at her, trying to yell over the sirens pulling into the gravel lot.

"Just open the stalls! They'll leave!" She frantically shakes her head and rubs her hand over her forehead leaving soot on her pale skin. I'm about to tell her I opened the stall for a white horse, it came out after me and it would work for the others also. I take a look around and I don't see it, assuming it had followed someone to the field. At that moment Mary and Kyle come up towards us, watching as the firefighters rush to put out the flames.

"I think we got them all out, Riley go count the field!" Riley nods without argument and sprints back to the gate, hopping on top. I see her pointing and counting to herself, pausing, and quickly counting again and again before scanning the field.

She races back towards us, tears streaming down her face and her breath coming out in vapors against the chilly air.

"There's only nineteen in the field, I can't see Hallow." She says frantically as she sobs into her hands, at that moment we hear a faint whinny coming from inside the barn. Riley's head snaps up and before I could grab her she's running towards the barn, my fingers grazing her coat as she dodges my grasp.

I see a firefighter grab her by the waist and pull her back. She struggled and squirmed until finally she escapes his arms and runs back into the smoke and flames. I chase after her only to be caught by two guys in suits, refusing to let me enter and my heart breaks.

I can only stand there and watch her silhouette disappear, rather inspired by her strength and bravery. Risking her life, running into a burning building, to save the life of another living creature. I also feel useless, I should be in there. Seconds seem like hours as I wait for her to reappear from the building, it feels like a knife is twisting in my stomach as I wait for any signs of her.

As we're waiting we hear a loud crack coming from inside, and a part of the roof collapses sending sparks into the air.