Pieces [Wattpad's Editor's Choice]

53: pApEr HeArTs

It stopped raining.

Our campus fell silent.

We advise everyone to stay inside until we receive more information. That was the announcement made in our dorm before Isaac and I snuck out of it.

Yet here we were, and there was Arrow, trapped in the Wacky Lab while the science building burned.

"Arrow!" I screamed and ran towards the flames. He can't die...this can't be happening...

"Frannie!" Now Isaac was running after me, but his voice faded the harder I ran. Don't follow me...God don't follow me... I couldn't keep track of them both.

I stopped once I reached the doors and froze. Black smoke rolled towards me as if it wanted to consume the air outside.

"I'm calling the cops!" Isaac shouted. "Wait!"

He's in there...he's gonna die... By the time they got here...by the time they found him...

I could be fast. I could do it.

I ran inside the building.

I bolted through the halls, my shirt pulled up over my nose and mouth. Black smoke tickled my throat and burned my eyes. How'd it spread so fast? Every hallway breathed smoke.

My steps quickened as I turned down another hall, but the smoke thickened and the power outage left the entire building frustratingly dark. Where were the flames?

I coughed again and this time couldn't stop. I leaned up against a wall to catch my breath; my chest hurt and it didn't matter how much I inhaled: I felt like I was suffocating.

Breathe...breathe... I released the shirt from over my nose and mouth and put my hands on my knees like I'd inhale cleaner air.

Inhale...inh- I couldn't breathe. I couldn't fucking breathe.

My thoughts spun and I felt dizzy, lightheaded, the room melted, I was falling...no, I wasn't, that was the smoke moving. I think. I couldn't...he was...I needed...where the hell was I going?

I peered down the hall on my right and blinked back tears. Smoke rose towards the ceiling though I didn't see any flames. How big of an obstacle could that be? It was just smoke, not a person, not a wall, not a freaking zombie. It was smoke. It wouldn't kill me.

At least that's what I repeated to myself as I forced my aching body to carry me down the hall.

One step, two steps, inhale, hold breath, exhale, inhale, six steps... I'm fine. I'm okay. Still awake, still breathing, still moving, I could do it.

And finally, after several more turns and pauses against walls, I found the door to the Wacky Lab.

I wanted to scream, cry, fall to the ground and finally rest, but instead, I reached for the door and twisted the knob-but it was locked.

"Come on, open!" I twisted it, used both hands, kicked the door, pounded my fists, but it wouldn't budge. "Are you KIDDING me!? NO," kick, "open-" hit, "up!" Double fists.

When I chased after Isaac, I'd kicked Wuthering Heights out of the way.

"Arrow!" I hit the door over and over and over until my hand stung. "You idiot! I said wait!" I screamed into the door. My face burned and my forehead and back dripped with sweat and I couldn't breathe...so hot...

"There!" Someone shouted. "By the door!"

I turned just as several firefighters rushed towards me. Two of them started hosing down parts of the hall I hadn't realized caught fire, and one of them grabbed my arm.

"No!" I screamed. "He's down there!"

"Get her oxygen!" one shouted through his helmet. He secured his arms around my waist and held me tight against him. I kicked and pushed his arms down but he carried me towards the firefighter with the mask and quickly, they slipped it over my head.

My lungs opened. I inhaled deeply. I coughed, my body ached, and I felt too weak to move.

"Get her out of here!" A female shouted.

"Stop," I argued, forcing my eyes to stay open as smoke clouded my glasses. I lost track of the firefighters besides the one who towed me away from Arrow. No. I looked back just as metal clanked against metal.

The Wacky Lab. They crowbarred it open.

I elbowed my firefighter and stumbled to the ground, hit my knees on the tile, and pushed myself up as I ran towards the door.

"HEY!" one shouted just as I squeezed between two firefighters at the door and descended the stairs.

They didn't chase after me.

Down here, cold air pooled around my shoulders and I shivered. The air felt thin and damp, but not from humidity. It felt good. Good enough that I pulled off my oxygen mask and...inhaled. I slowed my steps and looked around but only blackness surrounded me.

"Arrow?" I called, reaching one arm out while digging through pocket for my phone. My skin prickled and goosebumps rose on my back, shoulders, and arms. Something about this felt...final. Nothing could frighten anyone down here besides the absolute silence that made the Wacky Lab hollow.

Not a single flame touched the Wacky Lab. The door was locked, but this wasn't where the fire started. The lightning must've struck another part of the building. It made a lot more sense: the Wacky Lab was the absolute basement of the building.

Once I found my phone, I turned on the light.

I was alone. No one was down here, not even the butterflies.

The cage of butterflies remained open on the floor, but not a single one flew around or lay dead on the ground.

"Arrow?" I called, shining my light around. He was...gone.

When I looked back at the table, I noticed a small piece of paper with jagged edges torn from a notebook. I picked it up.

ᶠ.ᵛ.
ᵐᵃʸᵇᵉ ᴵ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵍⁱᵛᵉ ˡᵒᵛᵉ, ᵇᵘᵗ ᴵ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵃˡˢᵒ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵗᵃᵏᵉ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ⁱᶠ ⁱᵗ ʷᵃˢⁿ'ᵗ ᵐⁱⁿᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵏᵉᵉᵖ. ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏ ʸᵒᵘ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵉˡˡⁱāᵗᵘˢ ˡⁱᶠᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᵍᵃᵛᵉ ᵐᵉ. ⁿᵘᵐqᵘᵃᵐ ᵖᵉʳⁱⁱᵗ ᵃᵐᵒʳ.
ᵃ.ᵃ.

My chest caved in and my heart collapsed. No more tape or glue or cheap staples holding it together.

He sacrificed his life. He chose death. Just like that, Arrow was gone.