Page 6 of Burn

Get to the ground floor.

My head spins, and my lungs beg for oxygen.

It feels like I’m choking.

Tears stream down my face due to the toxic environment surrounding me. Even without the smoke blurring my vision, my eyes remain too hazy. I navigated with my free hand along the railing, counting each platform to determine my location and remaining distance. I think I’m on the third floor when I notice the smoke is lighter, but it does nothing to clear my mind, and I begin to sway.

Get him out.

Stormy blue eyes flash in my mind. My head throbs, pressure mounting at the front of my skull.

“Keep going, Adrian.”A sweet, ghost-like voice urges me forward.

My heart rate slows; that voice sounds like home. I push toward it, toward those eyes.

“Come home, Adrian.”

The radio cracklesin my ear.

I’m trying.

“Liberty — this is Command. Where the hell are you? Do you have visuals on McCoy?”

Nothing comes out when I try to respond. The fire’s heat sears my throat. I know I’m losing the battle against the time I have to get us out. The weight of the rookie on my shoulder suddenly becomes unbearable, and McCoy slips off my shoulder, hitting the concrete landing we’re on. I reach for him, unable to tell if my movement is purposeful or I’m just falling.

Pain explodes through my shoulder as I slam into the concrete next to McCoy.

“Adrian…”the voice beckons softly, curling around me like smoke.

My mind screams at me.

Get. Up.

McCoy’s PASS device kicks on, a high-pitched, wailing alarm designed to alert others when a firefighter goes down. The sound echoes through the stairwell, bouncing off the concrete and confirming what I already know.

We’re in trouble.

A few seconds later, mine joins it; the sound is unbearable, drowning out the building alarms, the distant sound of the fire, and that voice. I close my eyes, desperate to relieve the burning sensation.

There’s so much I haven’t done and so much I haven’t said to so many people. I focus on steadying my breathing and slowing my heart rate. Each inhale feels like razor blades in my throat and lungs. A calmness washes over me, followed by silence, and I am weightless. My mind flashes with glimpses of moments throughout my life: hockey games with my dad, learning to ride my bike, graduating college. These pivotal moments shaped who and where I am. The flashes turn to long,dark hair and stormy blue eyes, while that sweet vanilla scent masks the foul odor of burning synthetics.

Warm and comforting, nostalgic.

I see what we could have been if I hadn’t so royally fucked everything up. Movies, walks, marriage, kids, and slow dancing in our home. It feels so real, as if she’s standing right in front of me, a sea of flames behind her. She doesn’t seem to notice them; her expression is relaxed and calm. I reach out — if I could touch her one more time and tell her I’m sorry, maybe this could be okay. I haven’t finished here, but I can accept the outcome if I can just tell her how fucking sorry I am.

Her head tilts slightly, her eyes sparkling as a wide smile spreads across her face. It’s magic, and my heart stutters.

Finally.

Yeah… it was worth it.

Lane

The buzzing sound of my phone jars me out of sleep. I grab it and see a blocked number. I decline the call and roll over, pressing my face into the pillow. It’s 5:45 A.M.

These scam callers really need to check the time zone they’re calling.

I’m drifting back to sleep when it buzzes again. I let out an audible groan that has Dave shifting in his sleep next to me. I grab my phone and see the blocked number again. I decline it again and check the notifications; this is the fourth time it’s called in the last ten minutes.

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