Getting Home

Part 20

Hurry, Ava! You don't have much time!

I sprinted directly towards the stairwell—I didn't even glance at the garage exit.

I sprinted towards Henry.

I heard heavy, metal crashes behind me as I ran. My legs went as fast as they could, no thoughts in my mind—I didn't even realize I was still holding the police belt and the AED defibrillator in my arms. The air felt abuzz, electrically-charged; like the heavy thick buzzing humidity that fills the air before a thunder storm.

Pebbles and rocks began to pass by from behind me, tumbling and shooting ahead of me.

Faster!

Running is hard—running is soaking-wet jeans is harder.

The ground began to violently vibrate, almost making me fall. Larger pieces of rock and concrete began to whizz by my head... fast.

It sounded like bullets whining and ricocheting past my face.

Don't look behind, go faster. FASTER.

I was almost to the alcove at the stairwell.

It's right there!

Something big and heavy and hard hit my back, knocking the breath out of me and propelling me forward. I flew through the opening of the stairwell so fast my toes barely skipped along the ground, running down the first six steps at one giant full-speed gallop.

I literally have no idea how I didn't fall and break my neck.

I glanced up only one time as I rushed down the stairs. A big bunch of rocks and rubble blasted through the alcove on the landing above me, collapsing and collecting into a pile on the top of the stairwell—completely blocking the way I had come.

Committed now.

Oh my God, did the building just collapse?

As I got closer to the bottom of the stairwell, I could begin to see an orange glow, hazy and smoky, emanating from the exit.

It was also getting warmer.

I had to stop at the bottom of the stairs—I stayed in the little alcove, still holding the police belt and AED. I was panting so hard, the awareness of needing oxygen suddenly returning to my brain and making it so I couldn't stop taking huge, whooping gasps of air.

Then I started coughing from the smoke.

Everything down here was burning bright orange, lighting up the murky dark smoke that lay ahead of me. I could see jail cells and bars, thick windows, even a payphone attached to a wall.

And flames.

Out of the water and into the fire.

That was great and all, but what the hell was I really supposed to do? Just randomly wander around a burning jail hoping I happen to stumble across Henry? How could a jail even be on fire? So stupid.

Somebody screamed somewhere far up ahead in the dim, smoky dark—a piercing shriek that wound up in pitch, increasing until it morphed into manic, squealing laughter that echoed and reverberated all around me.

It instantly cut off, the laughing echo slowly fading away.

Inmates.

Oh my God, I am NOT going in there.

Yeah. You are.

I had to. Henry was in there. I should probably technically dead anyways, so... just keep going, I guess.

The rocks above me, the ones that were collapsed on the top floor stairwell landing, began to shift and move around.

It was still coming.

Oh my God, Ava, you have to go. NOW.

I looked down at the broken police belt and AED still cradled in my arms.

Drop it all. Hurry up. I hesitated—drop the AED defibrillator?

It had literally just saved my life...

Maybe it could again.

There was something else. It was stupid, but... just having it with me brought me... comfort?

My memory flashed to something I saw on one of those survival shows my dad always watched—the guy had said that in a survival situation, even if sometimes a thing had no useable value, and there was no real reason to take it with you—that if all it did was make you feel better...

Then take it.

And taking the stupid defibrillator made me feel better.

Rocks and pebbles began to crumble and trickle down the stairs, ticking and plinking as they bounced down.

No time. Go now.

There was a strap on the back of the AED box, presumably so you could sling it over your shoulder, I guess. I quickly looped the strap through the broken buckle-ends of the police belt, tying it in a knot, which kept the belt-ends held together.

There was a writing pen on the belt—I jammed it down into the AED shock button, forcing it to stay down and on.

Go Ava! No time!

I slung the police belt over my shoulder, wearing it across my chest like a bandolier—the holstered pistol lay draped over my heart; the AED box rested against my back like a backpack, its strap keeping the belt connected.

God, this thing is heavy!

Bigger rocks began to tumble and crumble down the staircase; dust floated and puffed down lightly on my head.

Hurry up!

I yanked a wire out from the police radio that now hung off my hip, quickly tying my wet, gross-feeling hair into a ponytail with it. Black, tactical gloves dangled off the police belt up by my shoulder—I snatched them off, slipping them on and grabbing the AED lead-wires that dangled behind me. I wound one wire down each arm—one side at a time, as quickly as I could—all the way down to each hand, where I tucked the wire under the Velcro on the back of both gloves, running the leads into the thick, leathered palms of my hands.

This is so stupid, Ava. It won't even work.

I don't care. It makes me feel better.

The screaming suddenly arose again somewhere ahead of me, piercing and loud, startling me so bad I jumped. There were more voices screaming now—an overlapping cacophony of frantic screaming and frenzied laughing.

You want me to hurry into THAT?

Henry was trapped in there.

The rocks on the landing above me suddenly exploded, shooting debris and pulverized rock ricocheting off the walls and blasting down the stairs. I caught a flash of black—

Time's up!

I darted forward, out of the alcove, straight into the smoke.

And was immediately grabbed.