Volume II: To See More, To Know More

Fire and Rescue

I smiled and kissed Peter once more before heading for the door to his apartment. "Thanks for the help," I said.

He smiled back, then pulled me in one more time for another kiss before I left for the night. "You're welcome."

I laughed a bit, walking out of the door. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied before shutting it behind me. I walked to the elevator, then entered it, pulling out my phone. After a few moments, the elevator doors opened and I stepped out onto the ground floor, then walked out into the dimly lit street. I walked through the city quickly on my usual route, though I was held up when an explosion rang out.

I jumped, looking to the building across the street that people were running from. Flames were flying from the windows and smoke was rising into the atmosphere. I ducked into an alleyway, making my cloak shift and putting a spell on to blur my face and distort my voice. My robes were soon on me as I flew up and to the windows of the building.

I knew that it wasn't the best idea and that I should've left it to the firefighters, but I felt like time was of the essence. I stopped at a window with a woman and two children in it. It seemed to be an apartment building or a hotel. I flew down, avoiding the flames and held out my arms. "I'll get them to safety." The woman looked reluctant, but handed me a child anyways. I quickly flew her down, then went back for the boy.

After I helped the children, I scanned the rest of the windows. Everybody needed help. I took the woman from her window and helped her to safety, then moved to the next window where an elderly man was. I helped him to the ground as the fire department arrived. I flew back up, helping as many people as I could.

Just when it seemed that everybody was out, a woman got my attention. "Miss! Please, I can't find my little girl!"

"What? Wasn't she with you?"

"She was staying with a friend a few doors over!" The woman was hysterical, a man coming up beside her.

"She's not down here, Rox," he said, only making the woman sob harder.

"Which one?" I asked.

"That one, up there, three from the right," the man replied shakily.

"And her name??"

"Gwen!"

I turned around and looked at the window, then flew up and in, looking around. "Gwen?!" I shouted through the smoke, getting on my hands and knees to crawl. "Gwen?! If you're here, sweetheart, please say something! I'm here to get you out!"

I heard a small cough coming from a closet. I rushed over, standing to open it, then dropping down again to my knees. The girl all but collapsed into my arms. I held her gently before pulling back to look at her, beginning to cough myself. "Gwen," my already hoarse disguised voice said. "Crawl beside me, alright? To the window." She nodded a bit, crawling beside me.

That's when I heard creaking. I looked, but I couldn't see anything through the thick smoke, which was closing in on us fast. I rushed her toward the window, but when we were almost there, something fell on me, pinning my legs and lower back. I screamed, then coughed wildly. Gwen looked back at me in horror. I pulled my cloak from underneath the heavy object. "Cloakie... get her out," I rasped, my cloak flying off me to engulf the girl and fly her out the window.

I coughed more, trying to get myself out from underneath the heavy debris. I couldn't move. My cloak flew back through the window, then set itself on me. It shifted me back into civilian clothing and I let my spells dissipate so I looked and sounded normal. With the help of my cloak, I got some leverage and got out.