Page 123 of The Devils They Are

I'm not imagining it. As I stare at the door, waiting for it to blast open in one way or another, I notice smoke trickling through the cracks. Almost immediately, the smell intoxicates the room, Hunter pivoting to look at it as well.

It must be getting close if the smoke has managed to get through the stage door and travel down the hallway. Coming in thick and hard, the white sheet seems to do little to stop it.

I see resignation appear on Hunter's face as he notices too, a grim expression forming.

"Give me the cell," I say to him, holding out my hand.

He passes it over without question, and I bring it to my face, taking a deep breath. "Rylan… Tai?"

"Bexley," Rylan answers instantly, a chill to his tone. "Tai's here too."

"I'm here, Peach Queen."

Hunter makes a final scoff of what I assume is meant to signify disgust, but there's no heart in it. Holding his gaze, I offer a tight smile, hating what I'm about to do but having no regrets.

"Look after yourselves. Tell everyone we love them."

"Don't you fucking dare hang up, Bexley—" Rylan snaps back but I'm already hitting the red button, ending the call.

Slowly passing the cell back to Hunter, he wordlessly pockets it. Within seconds, we hear the buzzing and vibration as they attempt to call back, but Hunter doesn't reach for it.

Smoke continues to flow into the dark room, that eerie orange glow returning through the gaps in the door. It's only a matter of minutes now. Hopefully it will be quick. I think I read somewhere once that burning is one of the most painful ways to go—but eventually, the nerves reach a point where they stop hurting. Unless we suffocate first. I guess that would be the merciful way to die in this situation.

A brief thought crosses my mind, making me laugh.

Hunter raises an eyebrow. "What's so funny?" he asks, perplexed that I could be laughing at a time like this.

"I could kill you," I smirk through the shadows. "Two birds, one stone. Save you from the fire killing you but also… you know, getting to end your existence."

"Good to see that death hasn't affected your warped sense of humor."

"Who said I was joking?"

Hunter drops his head back against the wall, humming when he suddenly pauses, stiffening.

"Bexley."

I eye him through my peripheral vision. "What?"

"Look," he nods his head toward the ceiling.

Lazily I follow his direction, frowning as small flashes of red and blue hit the corner of the room. It's faint, a reflection from nearby emergency vehicles parked further up near the entrance.

Hunter spins around, slamming his hand on the wall. He knocks a few times, placing his ear to the panel. "What's on the other side of this wall?"

"The grounds," I answer, trying to decipher what's going on in that thick head of his.

He sprints over to the dressing table, shoving his weight into it. "Help me push this to the wall."

My face wrinkles in confusion, eyes darting up.

The window…

Well, it's not so much a window as a porthole. It's barely wide enough to shove a child through. Back in freshman year, the academy removed all the unused A/Cs to relocate them to other parts of the building. You know, saving costs and all since the State doesn't like to part with funding. I had forgotten about them since no one has come down here in years. Instead of replacing the A/Cs at the later date, they installed glass panels to seal up the holes.

The dressing table crashes into the wall and Hunter wastes no time climbing onto it, reaching up high to bang his fist on the tiny glass pane.

"We're not going to be able to fit through there!" I yell, smoke irritating my eyes. I can barely see him in front of me, even though he's only a foot away. "Nor are we going to be able to reach it."

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