| ... no e§cape from reality ... | .cameron .nofo

Smoke and oxygen never mixed well. That much I was sure of as the fire began in the dining room. Confusion and a smaller space was also another thing that reacted almost as badly as water on fire or girls with girls who slept with their boyfriends. The confusion that was in the dining hall was more than I had ever seen. I mean, it was bad enough already that a girl was hanging from the chandelier. Then the fire happened and everybody flipped out. Although that's kind of the understatement of the century. Everybody just sort of screamed and ran and it became a free for all. It was like the Hunger Games. I was sure that somebody even pushed somebody else to the ground.

But I picked out Lucan Hale from the crowd. And I made my way over to him. "Follow me! Now!" I had shouted, but who was I kidding. I wasn't very much help really. Fire was something I never encountered on a daily basis unless it was controlled. This definitely wasn't. I dropped to the floor, hoping to avoid as much smoke as possible. But it was already in my lungs and I was already feeling the huge urge to couch up one of them. But my eyes locked on a door. I sped up, ready to push it down. But there could be a fire behind it for all I knew. There probably was too. The large staff only sign meant that more kitchen appliances that could've started the fire could've been there.

My hand brushed along the bottom, a scorching heat wanting to lick off the skin. "This one is dangerous!" I shout out, running along, looking for another one. But as I left I could hear somebody yell, probably a kitchen staff member risking his life to get away. He'd be going down with the building, the building that was ready to come down on us too. But there was another door that stood right ahead. Last chance Mayson. It's gotta work. And as the side of my arm crashed against the wood and pushed the door open, showing the beautiful beach, I felt relieved. Straightening up again, I picked up my pace to top speed, bounding across the beach sand and through the green grass. Heat was still on my back, so I ripped my shirt away, tossing it in the direction of the ocean.

I continued at the quick pace until I was out of an explosion range. Well, at least where I thought the range would end. Crashing down on the sand, my breaths escaped in large bursts. I wanted to check if Lucan followed, but my head felt heavy and needed to stay down. "Holy shit. What the hell just happened?!" I muttered. Amadi, Gabby, Greenuck. They were all probably in there. There were many others who were bound to be still in there, many others that were surely dead. But I was out and I'm sure Lucan trusted me enough to follow. And as the salty ocean water licked its way up my leg, I felt safe. But who was I kidding. That was a bigger fire than an appliance could've made. And with our special decorations of bloody girls, something worried me. Something was up, and I just wished I wasn't next.