Time to Survive

Bientôt, Balz!

Balz POV

"Where's Kelsey?" Ricky gasped as I shoved him out the window; the room was empty, but the window was open and the curtains billowing. I was assuming that meant that the girls had got their asses out already.

I shuffled Devin through the window to Ricky, glancing behind me worriedly as smoke filled the room, becoming almost over bearing. She had been right behind me.

"Get him down, I'll go look for her," I told him, and he nodded, dragging Dev across the shingled porch roof to the edge, where he slowly started his way down, Devin draped over his skinny shoulders.

I hoped he could get down by himself.

I turned quickly, and pulled my rag over face hastily as I started back into the smoke, my eyes immediately watering and burning.

"Kelsey?"

Where the fuck was she?

I knelt by the stairs, trying to see something, anything, but it was all black, all hot and burning.
I wasn't even sure where the fire was, it was like it was just everywhere, consuming everything, eating away at the place we'd actually been able to call home for a few months.

Shit fuck hell, I thought, and then carefully made my way down the stairs, trying not to fall on my face as I did.

"Kelsey?" Why the hell couldn't that girl ever answer when you needed her too?

I flinched as I felt the stairs start to give under my weight, and I hastily staggered down them, hearing the wood splintering under the pressure of the heat.

God, where was she?

"Kelsey? Where are you?" I bellowed, smoke making me choke. "KELSEY!"

I couldn't stay in here much longer, I couldn't see anything --- my skin was burning ---.

Maybe she made it out regardless? Maybe she was outside with the others right now and I was down here like a dumbfuck looking for her.

She would do that to me.

I thought I heard something, and I dropped to the floor in panic.

I felt a whoosh of hot air sweep over my head.

I think my hair was singed.

I flinched, covering my head hastily, pressing low against the floor as the flames started to eat the stairs, finally spreading from the kitchen.

Well.

There went that exit.

Okay, first, find Kelsey, then find exit.

Sounds like a good plan.

Okay, Balz, let's get going.

I tried not to inhale as I raised my head again, and then I spied a foot.

That looks like a familiar foot.

I hesitated, Then Slowly Crawled forward. Fuck, even the floor was extremely hot against my skin, it was like crawling across fucking coals.

Fuck fuck fuck.

I curled my hand around the foot, and tugged, pulling the person closer to me.

Yeah, that was Kelsey, that mop of brown tangles of hers hiding her face. I quickly pressed my rag against her nose, her eyes closed, black streaks across her skin.

"Okay," I huffed, dragging her into my arms, "Let's go, buttercup."

God, She Was Heavy. How did someone so small weigh so.much?