and jump to my feet, scrambling away from the rolling grenade and the third feral, toward the pile of overturned tables on the other side of the room. I dove the last few feet and slammed against the wall as the explosion shook the building and sent debris flying into the two ferals, along with a puff of dust and particles. Luckily, the tables took the brunt of the splintered mess that had flown my way. Dusting myself off, I coughed as the smoke in the room began to build from the fire that smoldered at the exit and ran up the stairs. I wondered what other escape I had, knowing the fire was crawling along the gas trail to the bombs above and below.
I glanced at the windows. I ran toward them and peeked down to the street below. I was still too far up for a safe landing but I had to think of something. I quickly grabbed the sheets that lay over the stored tables and chairs but were now dusted with debris. I knotted the sheets end to end as fast as I could and tied one end to the pillar closest to the windows. I threw a chair into the window. It splintered into a spidery crack but remained intact. Cursing, I grabbed the chair and smacked at the window again. After the third try the window blew out, letting the cool crisp air from the outside rush in, sweeping up more debris and fanning the flames. I tied the sheets around me and prepared to jump but the blast above me reverberated through the walls, releasing more chunks of concrete and wood.
The vibration knocked me to my feet. On my back, I struggled to stand, watching as the roof came tumbling down to smash into the floor. It made its way right down through to the next floor, the weight splintering the wood and concrete. Gasping, I avoided the falling pieces of concrete as I tried to roll away, wrapping the sheet around me even more. I wasn’t fast enough. I felt the ground lurch as it gave way underneath me. I fell until the sheet snapped tight around me. The sheet remained wrapped around my body several times, pinning my right arm to my side as I tried to frantically free myself.
I glanced down into the now empty hole below me. The debris had had smashed a path down to the basement and the drop had to be more than thirty feet. I gulped, wondering if I would make it if I cut the sheet. I held onto the wrap with my left arm, feeling a raw ache on the side of my head where a warm wetness dripped down from it. The vampire bite in my arm seared from the pressure against it.
Damn! I was sure to have a seeping cut where my head had hit the side of the floor when I descended. Grunting, I wiggled like a caterpillar in a chrysalis, trying to break free of the restraints the sheets had become. Failing miserably, I stopped struggling and glanced around and above to see what I could do. Fortunately I was near the edge of the floor and wasn’t too far from being able to grip it. Grabbing the blanket, I pulled up on it, hoping to loosen its grip on me just enough to pull my other arm free. It worked and I shook the sheet loose from my arm. Now free to pull my body up with both hands, I started the tedious task of dragging my weight up with my arms. I now thanked myself for busting my own butt to work out and even though I had been slacking lately, my efforts were still noticeable.
The cloud of dust swirled away from me, clearing up the air as I grunted and worked my way up. Once I was an arm’s length away from the edge of what was left of the third floor, I reached up, grasping the ragged cement edge. It cut into my fingers with the sharp points of rebar and hard, rough concrete that crumbled a bit in my grasp. I gritted my teeth as I pulled myself further up the rope of sheets.
As my I lifted my head up to look back onto the third floor, I realized the sheets were on fire. Flames licked at the other end of it, which dangled above as the fire slowly crawled toward me. I tried to grip both hands onto the ledge but the burning flames had eaten into the material so badly that my
I glanced at the windows. I ran toward them and peeked down to the street below. I was still too far up for a safe landing but I had to think of something. I quickly grabbed the sheets that lay over the stored tables and chairs but were now dusted with debris. I knotted the sheets end to end as fast as I could and tied one end to the pillar closest to the windows. I threw a chair into the window. It splintered into a spidery crack but remained intact. Cursing, I grabbed the chair and smacked at the window again. After the third try the window blew out, letting the cool crisp air from the outside rush in, sweeping up more debris and fanning the flames. I tied the sheets around me and prepared to jump but the blast above me reverberated through the walls, releasing more chunks of concrete and wood.
The vibration knocked me to my feet. On my back, I struggled to stand, watching as the roof came tumbling down to smash into the floor. It made its way right down through to the next floor, the weight splintering the wood and concrete. Gasping, I avoided the falling pieces of concrete as I tried to roll away, wrapping the sheet around me even more. I wasn’t fast enough. I felt the ground lurch as it gave way underneath me. I fell until the sheet snapped tight around me. The sheet remained wrapped around my body several times, pinning my right arm to my side as I tried to frantically free myself.
I glanced down into the now empty hole below me. The debris had had smashed a path down to the basement and the drop had to be more than thirty feet. I gulped, wondering if I would make it if I cut the sheet. I held onto the wrap with my left arm, feeling a raw ache on the side of my head where a warm wetness dripped down from it. The vampire bite in my arm seared from the pressure against it.
Damn! I was sure to have a seeping cut where my head had hit the side of the floor when I descended. Grunting, I wiggled like a caterpillar in a chrysalis, trying to break free of the restraints the sheets had become. Failing miserably, I stopped struggling and glanced around and above to see what I could do. Fortunately I was near the edge of the floor and wasn’t too far from being able to grip it. Grabbing the blanket, I pulled up on it, hoping to loosen its grip on me just enough to pull my other arm free. It worked and I shook the sheet loose from my arm. Now free to pull my body up with both hands, I started the tedious task of dragging my weight up with my arms. I now thanked myself for busting my own butt to work out and even though I had been slacking lately, my efforts were still noticeable.
The cloud of dust swirled away from me, clearing up the air as I grunted and worked my way up. Once I was an arm’s length away from the edge of what was left of the third floor, I reached up, grasping the ragged cement edge. It cut into my fingers with the sharp points of rebar and hard, rough concrete that crumbled a bit in my grasp. I gritted my teeth as I pulled myself further up the rope of sheets.
As my I lifted my head up to look back onto the third floor, I realized the sheets were on fire. Flames licked at the other end of it, which dangled above as the fire slowly crawled toward me. I tried to grip both hands onto the ledge but the burning flames had eaten into the material so badly that my
Similar Books
