Trapped with the Animals

the fire

"please don't hurt her. she didn't do anything." i plead to the warden but she ignores me, walking over to the machine.

"why are you doing this?" i ask and she stops and looks towards me.

"i'm not doing anything!" she yells, resting her fingers on the knob.

nicky is sitting in the chair in her bra. wires are hooked up to the four corners of her chest and her mouth is gaged.

"just make this stop!" i yell back.

"nothing is going on austin, i'm  just helping you work on your problems." she says with a smile as she turns the knob.

nicky jolts in her chair as the electricity flows into her body. her muffled screams make me yank on the metal pipe my hands are cuffed around.

"i see you're having trouble understand the root of the problem here." she says, picking up a small electronic box from the cart. the hidden mic.

she winks at me as she smashes it onto the ground.

"you really think you could get away with that?" she says laughing.

"put me in the chair don't do this to her. she didn't do anything wrong please." i continue to beg but the warden turns the knob once again.

i feel tears fall down my face but i feel nothing but anger. i continue to yank on the handcuffs, causing my wrists to bleed.

when she finally turns it off, i notice nicky not moving. her hair is frizzed up and her eyes are shut.

"nicky baby please wake up!" i yell but she doesn't move. the warden walks towards her and lifts her eyelid to see if she actually passed out.

"you're nothing," she says as she turns the knob again. nickys body jolts upwards against the restrains, but she is silent.

i yank harder and harder on my handcuffs, ignoring the pain from my wrists.

"you're nobody," she says, the electricity still coursing through nickys body. i start to scream as i pull harder on the pipe.

"you're worthless!" the warden screams and i pull one last time. the pipe flies off the radiator and i jump to my feet.

before the warden has time to grab her baton, i lunge myself at her. we both crash into the floor but i manage to turn the knob off before we land.

my hands are still cuffed behind my back so i lift my leg as high as i can and knee her in the stomach.

that gives me just enough time to get back to my feet and jump over my arms to get the cuffs on the front side of my waist.

the warden lays sideways on the floor curled up in a ball holding her stomach. i hurry over towards the cart and pick up the key to my cuffs.

i struggle to hold the key as i try to fit it in the keyhole on my right hand. the warden slowly gets to her feet and whips out her baton.

my hands are violently shaking as i miss the whole over and over again. in between fast breaths i get a whiff of smoke in my nose.

the warden and i both freeze as we look at each other, and then to the radiator. it started a fire.

while the warden is distracted i finally get the key in the hole and turn it. the warden immediately notices and runs towards me, getting ready to swing her baton.

i catch it in my hand, and twist it out of hers. she lunges at me, hitting me in the side of the face.

i drop the baton and she gets on top of me, punching me over and over again. when my vision is about to fade to black, i throw one hard punch at her chin, sending her flying off me.

the fire continues to grow as i immediately run over towards nicky. i untie the ropes as fast as i can and rip the wires off her chest.

i rush over to the warden and take the walkie talkie off her belt. the smoke starts to choke me as i call in for help.

"there's a fire..." i start but i'm interrupted with a coughing fit.

"...in the basement... help." i say and i toss the radio aside. i look over and nickys eyes are open and she's coughing as well.

"nicky, you're okay?" i say as i help her to her feet. she looks confused and she starts to panic.

"w-what the hell is going on?" she chokes out and i pull her into a hug.

"get back!" we hear a man yell as he runs into the basement. we look over and it's a firefighter.

he runs right over to the warden and lifts her up.

"i'll send in backup just stay there." he instructs as he carries the warden upstairs.

"we can't stay here." i say to nicky but she doesn't look like she understands what's going on.

"nicky." i say grabbing her face. i look into her eyes, which are bloodshot and wide open.

"we need to go." i say and take her arm. i run towards the exit as parts of the ceiling collapse over the doorway.

a piece falls straight onto my arm, causing me to let go of nickys. i look over at nicky who is just staring into the flames.

"there's a fire." she says turning to me. my whole body freezes up as i stare into her big eyes. what did she do to you.

i start to panic, looking around the room for any way out. nicky remains still and stares into the flame, quickly causing the entire ceiling to collapse.

"cmon nicky."i say taking her hand as i notice a vent on the upper part of the basement wall.

"get on my shoulders." i say but she doesn't move. it doesn't even look like she can hear me.

after i realize she isn't listening i pick her up and lift her up to the vent.

"climb up nicky!" i yell and she doesn't move.

my legs are starting to give out and i can barely breathe through the smoke.
nicky finally climbs into the vent.

"help me !" i yell but her legs disappear into the wall.

i take a few steps back, the heat from the fire warming up my body. i run full force at the wall and try to climb up. my hand misses the vent by a few inches.

i start coughing, already out of breath as is. i slowly walk backwards and run at the wall again, missing the vent.

i fall to the floor and cover my mouth with my hand, trying to stop coughing.

the flame is about 2 feet from the wall, and i'm in the middle. i slowly get to my feet and stare up at the vent.

you can do this.

i jump as high as i can and reach my hand for the corner. i'm shocked when a hand grabs it and pulls me up.

"nicky." i say as i tumble into the vent. i can barely see through the smoke and my lungs are giving in.

"who are you?" nicky asks me the world around me falls dark.