Joanne through the years.

Fire

Dianne
"What?" my eyes immediately filled with panic.
"What are we going to do?" Caspar stood up and ran over to the door.  He began kicking and punching it.  I could see smoke coming underneath it.  Jack and Josh began helping Caspar.  All three of them were throwing their whole body weights against the door repeatedly. The lock broke and smoke immediately filled the room.  Caspar ran out to check the seriousness of the fie whilst the rest of us all fell about coughing before pulling off our jumpers and placing them against our mouths to provide us with a bit more oxygen.  It would buy us a little more time.  Caspar came back into the room moments later.
"We can probably get down the staircase if we hurry" he called and we all stood up and ran to the door.  We ran down the stairs.   I stopped on the second floor.  The smoke was thick here but there was still no sign of a fire.  I could barely see anyone.  I suddenly realised that Joe wasn't with us.
"Where's Joe?" I screamed but the rest of the boys didn't hear me and continued charging down the stairs.  I looked longingly down the stairs.  I didn't want to die.  I had so much left to do with my life.  But I couldn't live with the knowledge that I knew that Joe hadn't made it out but yet still hadn't gone back for him.  I turned around and hurried back up the stairs to the fourth floor.  I burst back into the room.  Joe was still curled up in the corner.  I closed the door over to limit the amount of smoke that could get in and ran over to him. "Why didn't you come? Can you walk?" I asked. "Come on, I'll carry you" I made to pick him up but he stopped me.  
"Save yourself Di" he croaked.  He held up his hands to reveal the thick chains that bound him to the wall.  My heart sank and I burst into tears.
"I'm not leaving you" I sobbed and hugged him.
"Please Dianne.  Please go.  I don't want you to die.  Save yourself and go live your dream.  Go dance" he hugged me back before trying to pull away in an attempt to encourage me to leave without him but I just held on tighter.
"I'm not leaving you" I cried.
"Go.  I  want you to be safe.  I want you to live because I love you Dianne.  I love you so flipping much" he cried.
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.
"I love you too " we leaned in and were about to kiss when there was a loud smashing sound outside the door as the staircase collapsed.  I jumped up.  What did we do now.  I spotted a window in the corner.  It was small but we could probably fit through it and if not then it would definitely buy us some more air.  I ran over and tried to open it.  It was stuck.  I pushed harder. It opened slightly.  I pushed harder.  It opened a smidge more.  I gave it one big final push and the whole window came off.  The wood around it must have rotting.  I breathed in the fresh oxygen.  There was no where for us to go.  We would fall to our deaths if we went out there. I could see smoke billowing out of the building below us.  I turned back to Joe.  He looked like he was about to faint.  I glanced at the wall in which Joes chains were attached.  Surely if I smashed the wall around the chains then he would be free.  I looked around for something to use.  There were numerous items in the room but none of them seemed likely to break a wall.  I spotted a clothes rail.  I grabbed it and ran it through the wall.  It made a small dent.  I rammed it repeatedly at the wall around the chain.  At long last the wall broke and Joe pulled the chain out. It was still attached at his hands but at least he wasnt stuck to the wall.  I did the same to the other one.  Joe was free.  The room was now so full of smoke that I thought that I would faint.  My head began to spin but I pulled a semi-conscious Joe over to the window where we both gulped in fresh air.  I could hear sirens in the distance.
"We're gonna make it through this" I stroked Joes hair.  Just then the door was blasted off and fire rolled into the room, licking up the walls. Joe and I both retreated closer to the window.  We both stuck our heads out and screamed at the top of our lungs.  The fire engine came into view.
"Help! Help!" I called out the window.  The fire engine stopped and a fire man hopped out, pointed to me and began calling to the rest of his team.
"We're almost there Joey" I whispered but there was no reply. "Joe?" I looked down to see Joe on the ground as the fire ravaged his leg.  He was out cold. "JOE!" I screamed and pulled him up.  I ripped the lower half of his trouser leg off then wrapped his leg up in my jumper to put the fire out. "Joe.  Wake up.  Please wake up" I shouted but there was no response.  I pulled Joe up to the window with me and looked out of it. A ladder was descending from the fire engine up to Joe and me. Whenever it reached the window the fire man held out his hand.
"Take my hand" he called.
"Take him first" I shouted back, indicating towards Joe.
"I can only take one at a time.  I'll come back for him."
I nodded and grabbed his hand.  The last thing I remember before everything went black was the fire man catching me before I fell, but in that moment, I let go of Joes hand.