I'm warm. Very warm. Am I asleep, in my bed? Was that all a dream? I wish it was.
Or maybe I'm next to my fireplace... This warmth feels almost like fire...
Bang, bang!
Was that a door? Where am I?
I pry open my eyes, beginning to feel something hot against my skin. It really feels like my fireplace. I can't open my eyes very wide, though, because it's so bright.
Suddenly, it all comes back to me. I'm in the evidence room for the Freckles case. It shouldn't be hot in here.
My eyes shoot open, now, and all around me is bright licking flame. I'm in a corner of the room, sitting on a metal chair. I start to stand up -
Why can't I move?
I look down, scared as all hell, and see that my legs are attached to the legs of the chair with handcuffs. And then I notice that my arms are, too.
What the holy hell?!
"Help!" I scream, my voice raspy. Smoke is filling the top portion of the room, but I can't stop-drop-and-roll now. I cough violently. "Help me!"
Bang, bang!
Definitely the door. There's small dents in it.
"Zero-seven-two-three!" I scream, hoping someone hears me. "The PIN!"
The banging stops. I panic. They didn't hear me. They didn't hear me and they're leaving. They're-
Suddenly a metal bar is shoved through the side of the door, which I realize is a crowbar. But it's much thicker than a normal crowbar. The door opens slightly, and smoke pours out of the room.
"Help me!" I scream again. "I can't move!"
I cough. The smoke getting to me. The flames are rising higher, too, licking closer to where I sit. The heat is getting painful.
If these people don't hurry, I might die.
YOU ARE READING
The Bigger Picture
Mystery / ThrillerEmily Cossentino is a forensic scientist, specializing in autopsies. She has worked in the field for years. Ronny Hadfield is an all-around forensic scientist who does experiments on bodies in his spare time. Nathan Kalb is a up-and-coming detective...
