Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
“Keep movin’, girl! Don’t stop!”
“Luke!” I called out to my son, the smoke so thick and dark I’d lost sight of him and Aneshya as I lagged behind.
“We’re at the stairs!” Luke coughed again, his voice faint in the distance separating us. I could hear Aneshya coughing too. I hated that they had trouble breathing but was also grateful they were on the move. “Hurry, Mom!”
“I’m coming, Luke!” I crawled faster. Mr. Knoxville touched my ankle, urging me forward each time I hesitated. “Keep going! Get your sister out!”
“You keep goin’ too, girl. We’re gonna get outta here!” Mr. Knoxville’s voice was tight, and he coughed several times as he continually shoved me along.
The roar of the flames was growing louder. Heat billowed in a great rush from the flames I was certain were ready to bear down on us.
I heard the children cry out. Pain? Were they hurt?
“Luke! Aneshya!” When I sucked in another breath to scream again, I breathed in smoke which started a coughing fit. My lungs burned and spasmed, making it nearly impossible to take in another breath. I tried to keep moving, but it was all I could do to breathe. Panic tightened around my neck. With the smoke suffocating me, it really felt as if someone were actually strangling me.
I stumbled to my feet, needing to get to my kids as fast as I could and crawling wasn’t getting it done. I called out to them with every breath I could suck in. Then strong hands grabbed my shoulders. In the blackness of the smoke all around me, those hands were the first indication I had there was someone in front of me.
“Get down.” The gruff voice was muffled, and I realized he had on a mask. Firefighter? Then he shoved me back to the floor and pushed me to give me direction. “Keep crawling that way. The stairs are a few yards in front of you.”
“My children! Did you see --”
“They’re on the way out.”
“Mr. Knoxville’s behind me --”
“I’ll get him.”
“Danny --”
“I said go, woman! We’ll be right behind you.” He urged me onward, and all I could do was crawl in the direction he said. I hoped, since he’d sent me in that direction, he knew the way was clear. I trusted that my children were in that direction.
The farther I went, the heavier the smoke. Right up until I descended half the flight of stairs on my hands and knees. Coughing, I stood and hurried as fast as I could. With the receding smoke, it was easier to breathe. To move.
“Mom!”
“Luke?” I sobbed in relief as I recognized my son’s voice.
“There she is, Luke!” Aneshya sounded strong. Not like she’d been hurt or couldn’t breathe.
Then I was in the arms of my son, my daughter clinging tightly to me as they moved me out of the apartment building. I barely made it out into the grass before I collapsed, my legs finally giving out. I clutched Aneshya to me as tightly as I could. Luke had his arms around me but was still trying to get me to move farther away from the building.
“It’s not safe here, Mom. We need to get farther back.”
“Mr. Knoxville.” Panic filled me. Did the older man get out? “He was right behind me. Where is he?”
“The fireman said he’d make sure you both got out.” Aneshya tugged at me, following her brother’s lead as usual. “Come on, Mom. Let’s go.”
Each breath seemed to bring on more coughing, but I sucked in a deep breath of clean air and managed to get the coughing mostly under control. “Where are the other firemen?” I looked around, not seeing anyone other than a few bystanders. I could hear sirens off in the distance getting closer, but no one was here yet.
“Not sure,” Luke said with a frown. “But he said he would get you and Mr. Knoxville out and for us to go on.”
“We were waiting for you.” Aneshya’s voice broke and tears made tracks through the streaks of soot on her face. “I thought you’d gotten lost.”
It was then Mr. Knoxville stumbled through the same exit we’d managed to escape through. The fireman was right behind him.
“Mr. Knoxville! Oh, my God! Are you all right?” I hurried in his direction, trying to put the man’s arm around my shoulders so he could lean on me if necessary. I should have known better. My knees were weak already. There was no way I could hold the older man’s weight. Instead, I found him holding me up with an arm around my waist as he urged us farther away from the building which was engulfed in flames.
The guy coming up behind Mr. Knoxville was huge. He towered over all of us and was solidly built. He still had on a full-face mask with SCBA gear but I could see his face through the clear plate. The man looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him.