Page 153 of The Friend Scheme
Another Molotov flies in through the shattered window. It hits the far wall, crunches, and explodes in a huge orange fireball. Through the flames and smoke, I can just see the wall of glass bottles behind the bar. It’s all alcohol.
If that gets hit…
Something pulls on my wrist, yanking me to the ground.
It’s Cassidy.
“What are you doing?” she shouts. “Move!”
She army-crawls along the ground, cutting a path through the bar, dodging anything that’s aflame. The ground is hot, and I think I’m starting to breathe in smoke. I’m coughing, and feel light-headed. I know that’s bad.
Up ahead, I see the back door.
Someone is standing in front of it, holding it open, shepherding people out.
I’m nearly there.
Once I get outside, I’ll be safe.
We go around a burning table and then finally reach the exit. Cassidy sprints out. I follow her and make it outside, into the cool night air. I cough, hacking up my lungs. Through watering eyes I check and see that she’s fine. Thank God.
I’m safe.
Then it hits me.
Luke. And Dad.
I rush around, checking all the people who are huddled outside. I spot Cassidy talking to her mom, along with Vince and his family. I see Tony and Grandma and almost everyone else in my family.
But Luke and Dad aren’t here.
My stomach plummets.
They’re still in there.
I need to go back. I have to.
I can’t lose them.
I move toward the door. It’s like I’m on autopilot. Someone grabs me and pulls me back. They hold me so tight I can’t move.
“What are you doing?”
I turn and see that it’s Vince, holding me.
“They’re still in there!” My throat hurts, and my voice sounds hoarse. “They didn’t get out!”
“Matt, if you go in, you’ll die, too. Do you think they want that?”
But I can’t just stand here. So I fight against him as hard as I can. He manages to hold me tight.
I wish I were stronger.
We watch the bar burn. The flames are towering, and a pillar ofthick black smoke is rising up into the sky.Please, I think. I’m not religious, but I pray sometimes. I think it’s a leftover from the Catholic masses Dad used to make us go to before he gave up on trying to make Luke and me religious. So I don’t know if anyone is listening, but now feels like the right time to pray.
Smoke is billowing out of the doorway. I think it’s getting thicker. As a group, we move down the alley, away from the burning building.
I can’t lose my family tonight. I just can’t.
