Collapse

Chapter 4

The building sways causing more screaming. I have already seen the replica of this tower collapse. Ending lots of lives. Brandon’s will not end today, I promise myself, even if it means the end of mine.

I grab Brandon’s hand and pull him towards the exit through the smoky hall and down the stairs where the hole and the fire were. The fire is gone and the stairs are still intact. I hear something.

“Hello! Is anybody there?” someone shouts.

“Here!” I scream, “We’re up here!” A flashlight shines up. I start running down the unstable stairs then think better of it and half run, half walk the rest the way. Brandon rushes past me not thinking as I was and reaches the bottom before I do. When I reach the last steps a piece of debris snags on my jeans and I fall. When I reach the bottom step I can’t get up. When I try to a searing pain goes through my right leg. My eyes sting. I think it’s broken. Brandon screams and runs to my side.

        “She can’t get up.” He sobs.

“It’s okay, she’ll be fine,” The firefighter says as he examines my leg, “It broke straight through the bone, it will have hurt more, but it will heal faster.”

“Okay.” Brandon says, still sniffiling.

        “ What is your name?” The firefighter asks me.

“Libby,” I say weakly as the firefighter picks me up, “That’s Brandon.”

“My name is Cory.” He says, “Does your last name happen to be Carney?” He asks while carrying me and leading Brandon through the debris. I am puzzled but I gasp and nod my head. Brandon sniffles and nods as well. “Your mother, I think her name was Elizabeth? Is frantic about finding you.” I start crying. Brandon just cries even more. She’s alive. Our beautiful, smart, erratic mother is alive.

Before I know it we’re outside, and before I can blink my mother is in sight. Brandon runs straight into her arms.

“Where’s Libby?” She asks frantically. Brandon leads her over to where Cory stands, holding me, “Libby!” She says through sobs. “Libby what happened?”

“She fell when some debris snagged on her clothing.” Cory explains. “It broke her leg clean through, once I get her to an ambulance I’m sure they’ll happily take her to the hospital.” Once he and my family are into an ambulance, we head to the head to the hospital.