Shining Heroes

Chapter 3

I barely made it to my class before the bell rang. Before the teacher entered the room I scrambled over to my seat next to Owen.

"Running late?" He teased before handing me a worksheet.

"Just a little bit of trouble, but I handled it."

"Good." He smiled and looked at the paper in front of him. "It looks like the final is a making a diagram of..."

Suddenly the fire alarm started to blare cutting him off.

"Rude." He spoke to the sky as if a person had cut him off.

We all filed out of the building whole the fire alarms blared above us.

"Is this a drill?" Owen asked as he nervously ran his hand through his blonde hair.

I took a deep breath through my nose and smoke began to fill me senses.

"I'm afraid not." I said quietly.

"Someone in the chem lab was playing with the bunsen burner." I over heard teachers whispering to eachother after we got outside.

"Room 430 clear!" My teacher yelled as other teachers copied with their room number.

Everyone listened carefully as the teachers yelled their room number in hopes that their friends and siblings room would be clear as well.

"They never called room 537." Someone barely whispered with fear in their voice.

537 was right next to the chem lab. It must have hit their immediately.

I looked at the second floor and I saw drake smoke pouring out the windows.

No one seemed to dare move to enter the building instead they forced us all to move farther away.

"If the fire reaches the gas tank the whole building could blow." I whispered to Owen. "And they're not doing anything about it." I watched at the teachers whispered among themselves to figure out where the missing student was.

"El I know what you're thinking. You will get seriously hurt." Owen warned as he grabbed my sleeve.

"Do you even hear the fire trucks? They wont get here in time." I whispered shouted to him.

"I'd rather you not die." He pulled me closer to him. "Maybe a hero will show up or are already in there and we just didnt see them."

"Maybe you're right." As soon as I said that he let go of my sleeve. "I'm sorry."

"Everyone we need to move further back!" A teacher yelled as everyone began to shuffle backwards.

"I'm sorry I cant risk it Owen." I didnt move with the group instead I began to sprint towards the building.

I could hear Owen yell my name as a teacher tried to grab me but I dodged their grasp while Owen wasn't as lucky when he tried to chase after me.

I swung the front doors open and was immediately greeted with thick smoke trying to escape. I covered my mouth and nose with the sleeve of Owen's hoodie as I rushed inside.

It wasnt exactly easy to see through the smoke, but it wasnt as hard as I had been told.

I found the stair almost immediately and made my way towards the chem lab.

"If you can hear me give me some kind of sign so I can find you!" I yelled as flames danced on the walls and ceiling.

At first I continued to keep heading towards the room until I heard a soft knocking on a metal pipe.

I carefully followed the sound when a support beam fell and covered over half of the hall way causing more flames and smoke to fill the area.

I jumped at the impact of the beam shaking the floor and in that moment I realized I didnt need to cover my mouth like I thought. While the smell of the smoke was strong I had no issue breathing.

I looked at the burning beam and the only reasonable way to get there would be to go over it. If I go under I risk the floor going out and it crushing me.

I took a few steps back so I could run and jump over it when another beam fell behind me but it completely took the foor with it.

It took me a split second to regain my balance.

"It looks like I'm gonna get a bit burned."

I quickly placed my hands on the burning beam infront of me and pushed myself over it.

I didnt allow my mind a second to worry about the heat the surrounded my palms and kept going forward until I could hear the knocking clear as day in the room. It wasnt room 537, but emergency chemical wash room. It attached directly to the chem lab.

"Keep going I'm almost there!"  I yelled when I started to heard heavy coughing. "Get close to the ground."

I tried to open the door but it seemed to be blocked. I ran to the other door and it was locked.

"If you're near the door you need to move now. I have to break it down." I yelled and waited a few seconds before slamming my shoulder against the door. I heard it creak but still wouldnt open so I kept going until to door gave and I fell to the ground with it.

As soon a si was in the room I saw a girl covered in soot and coughing violently into what seemed to be a singed lab coat.

"Hey I'm over here." I groaned as I got off of the door. "Let's get out of here."

I reached for her hand and I heard something creaking from above us and a large piece of the ceiling began to fall.

I dont remember moving towards the girl but before it could hit her I was standing over her and the chunk ceiling had disappeared and we were both coated in ash.

"How..." The girl started before coughing more.

"We need to go." I realized that I was suddenly extremely tired.

I pulled the girl off of the ground into the chem lab where the door was now engulfed in flames, but there was a few windows.

"We're trapped."

"Stay low we've got to open the window." I tried to force the window open but it was melted shut. "Screw it." I grabbed a metal stool and thre it at the window and sure enough the stool went through the window.

I looked out and saw a fire truck finally showed up.

"Over here!" I yelled from at them.

Sure enough the girl started to yell at them as well.

After a what felt like an hour of yelling they set up a net for us to jump into.

"You go first." I guided the girl onto the counter and she hesitated. "I promise they'll catch you."

After a few more encouraging words she finally jumped.

I had to wait for them to get her off of the net before I could jump out myself.

Finally it became my turn to jump but as I leaned out the window all of the energy I had left was gone. The last thing I remember I was falling into darkness.