The Sixers: The Huntsmen of Death

Chapter 16

I got out of the taxi staring at the flames from the apartment building. There was a massive crowd outside the building staring up at the flames erupting. Some were in their pajamas, some were wrapped in towels, and some had their phones out recording the flames. There were no fire trucks, cops, or ambulances yet, so it must have just happened.

From one of the top windows, there was a young woman screaming out for help. The flames were spreading among the other apartments and smoke could be seen floating up towards the clouds. The woman coughed fiercely running back into the room. Why can't she just get out?

I waited for a few minutes eagerly waiting for the woman to emerge from the room, but she never came. I could hear the fire trucks and ambulances a distance away getting closer to the complex.

My feet stepped forward. I had no control of it. It just happened. I then felt myself run up the stairs into the flaming apartment building. My brothers screamed after me, but luckily didn't follow. The faint smell of smoke seeped into my lungs bringing back painful memories. I coughed as I ran up the stairs. I opened the apartment door to where I thought the woman was. I could feel the fire blazing onto my skin. Its warmth radiated over me.

"Hello?" I called out.

"In here!" the woman screamed. I looked over to where I heard the voice straining my eyes to see through the immense smoke and fire. I could faintly see her bodily figure at the door. She was trapped inside her bedroom unable to get out because of the flames in the kitchen. I looked for a weak point unable to find any way to get to her.

Shit. I looked behind me noticing the flames spreading among the other apartment rooms and onto the porch that I stood on. I knew the complex wouldn't stand much longer once it got fully onto the stairs, so I had to move fast.

"Do you have a blanket?" I tried to scream.

"Yes!" she yelled back.

"Wrap it around your body and cover your head. Put on an extra layer of pants that you can immediately rip off when you get over here!"

She didn't seem to move. She stood frozen staring into the flames. "I...I can't," she said. "I'm scared."

"It's going to be okay." I tried to reassure her, but I didn't know what to say. "You just need to trust me. I'll be right here."

She stood frozen for a bit before running back to her room. I waited. In that time, I felt the heat start to surround me. The porch was now fully immersed in flames. She came back out wrapped in a blanket and did exactly what I suggested. She got through the flames dropping the blanket on the ground and swiftly taking off her pair of black sweatpants that hung loosely on her waist. I breathed a sigh of relief smiling at her.

"Thank you," she said hugging me.

We were about to run back down the stairs to the cheering ground, when I heard a faint yelp coming from upstairs. I looked to the girl who appeared to have heard it to.

"Was that a dog?" she cried.

I took off back inside the girl's apartment grabbing a large blanket from the living room. "Go. Get off the porch before it breaks. I'll go find it." She did as I said but looked back hesitantly as I rushed up the cracking stairs.

I had the blanket wrapped around me and the fire swarmed near my feet, but I was able to jump around the small patches of flames. The dog's howl got louder. Adrenaline pumped through my body. It felt as if my body was in control of itself like another person had taken over.