Aurora (#1)

t h i r t y - t w o

I threw my bag on the ground and wrapped my scarf around my nose and mouth. When he was distracted I ran to the door. It was a reckless thing to do, but Anya was scared and so was her daughter. I couldn't let them die in there. I ignored all the screams of the firemen and the public who were gathered outside to witness this event. 

I saw what the firemen meant by unstable when I rushed up the stairs. but I managed to reach the first floor. Her front door was hanging on one of it's hinges, as the fire ate away at the wood.

"Anya!" I screamed into the smoke. I coughed violently as I inhaled a lungful of smoke. I managed to get down to the first floor where my friend was living. "Anya!" I shouted again.

"Rori!" I heard a faint reply.

"Anya! Where are you?" I screamed.

"I'm in the bedroom!" she screamed back. I scrambled my way around her apartment till I found a door. The smoke was thickening up but I could still see quite clearly. I opened the door and found Anya cradling Katia. Her child was crying as Anya tried to calm her down. "Worwi!" she screamed and held her arms out to me. I hugged her quickly, "We'll okay Kitty Kat. Don't worry. I'll get you out." I stroked her hair. "Don't cry. You're a brave girl aren't you? I'll take you for an ice cream after okay?" The little girl nodded tearfully.

"We've got to get out now." I said. Anya nodded and got up. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and helped her through the apartment. When we got out the smoke was thicker and the fire was rising up the stairs. "We can't go down." I shouted.

"What are we going to do?" She looked at me frightened.

"I have an idea. Lets get back inside." We hustled back in. I ran to the bathroom and soaked two towels before bringing them to Anya. "Tie this round your mouth and nose." I instructed as I tied the second wet cloth around Katia's face. "It'll help you breathe properly."

"What about you?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." I said as I lead them to the bedroom again. I left the door open as I stripped the bed. "Give me as many bed sheets as you can." I said as I began tearing them in half and tying them end to end. I looked out the window and could see all the emergency services outside while a crowd gathered. From what I could see up on the first floor was that chaos was breaking out. Most of the residents in our apartment block were out though I couldn't be sure. I caught sight of Christian looking up at the burning block. He was fighting the firemen as they held him back. My heart fluttered at the thought he came back. He came back for me.

I ducked back inside and threw open the cupboard in which I found Katia's baby carrier.

"Katia, I know you're too big for this now, but will you please put this on?" I knelt down to Katia's height. She nodded and I helped her wear the harness. "Just sit here tightly okay?" I placed her by the window as I went back to tying the bed sheets together. Anya helped and soon we had a rope long enough to reach the ground.

"We're going to have to tie Katia to this and lower her out the window." Anya was crying by now but she nodded. I stood up and stuck my head out the open window.

"Rori!" I heard Christian shout.

"Christian!"

"Rori!"

"Christian listen to me! I have to lower Katia down out the window. Catch her!" I shouted down. The strain on my voice caused me to cough. I gasped for air and gripped the window sill.

"Rori! I'm coming to get you!" he shouted.

"No don't! There's no way in or out. Just do this. For me!" I shouted down. I didn't wait for him to reply when I tied the end to Katia's carrier.