I swung through the air and landed on the fire escape with a thud. I stumbled slamming into the window which sent waves of pain through my side. I fell to the floor and struggled to stand up. I hoisted myself up and picked up Amy, then opened the window. I fell inside with a crash and Amy landed on top of me. I wheezed, struggling to breathe. It felt like my lungs were being crushed. I coughed, tasting iron in my mouth. The door to Amy’s room swung open and I heard a gasp. I could hear shouting, but I could barely make it out, as the edges of my vision started to fade.

Suddenly Amy was pulled off of me and I could breathe again. I breathed deeply, my side shouting at me to stop. I sat up steadying myself on the floor. I watched as Heather kneeled over Amy, her face filled with concentration as she checked her pulse. Amy’s mum stood in the doorway, her hand over her mouth as she stared at Amy lying on the floor. I ripped my mask off, my face hot. My shoulder still burned with a steadily underlying stinging pain growing worse by the second. My side throbbed painfully and every breathe felt like torture. The pain was getting worse.

I leant against the wall closing my eyes and breathing heavily. I needed to sleep. I just needed to rest my head. I heard a voice calling out to me, but it sounded distant. Then I was shaken awake. I opened my eyes. It was Heather.

“Lucas, stay with me. Don’t fall asleep. Just try to keep your eyes open” she said. I nodded, sitting up straight again. She was right, that wasn’t a good idea.

There was groan behind her and I watched as Amy sat up, holding her head. Her mum pulled her into a hug, crying. Heather rushed back over to her and pulled stuff out of her medical bag. Amy looked confused as Heather asked her a bunch of questions then shined a light in her face. She swatted the light away and turned away from it. She looked at me and frowned, before turning back to her mum and Heather.

“H-how did I get here?” she stuttered.

“Amy it’s ok. You’re safe now” her mum said.

“Just try to relax ok, I think you hit your head” Heather said.

“What about the fire? Is everyone ok?” Amy asked. I felt my heart sink as the others glanced at me. Amy turned to look at me as well.

“Lucas?! Are you ok? What happened?” Amy said, panicked. I tried to say something but coughed hard and fell to the floor breathing heavily as I clutched my side. I couldn’t breathe properly. It felt like my left side was heavy and I couldn’t breathe.

Amy rushed over to my side.

“Lucas!” she said, kneeling over me her face riddled with concern.

“Amy! You have to sit down. Let look at him” Heather said, her voice shaky. Amy stepped back and Heather replaced her pulling out a stethoscope and placing it against my back.

“I’m sorry” I wheezed looking at Amy’s feet. I glanced up at her. ”I heard their screams and ran anyway. I took you and ran. I was scared. I’m sorry” I said, trying not to cry.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“What?” Amy said, the realisation apparent in her voice.

“I’m sorry”

“Lucas stop talking. You need to focus on breathing” Heather said, her voice shakier than before.

“You left people in the burning building?!” Amy shouted, incredulous. I sat up pushing Heather away.

“I had to! You were hurt and I had to worry about you first!” I said. A look of horror crossed her face and she stood up getting ready to fly out the window.

“Amy no!” her mother shouted. Amy froze as she went to jump out.

“W-where are my wings?” she stuttered.

“Amy sit down” Heather said pleading.

“Where the hell are my wings?!” Amy screamed, the panic in her voice apparent. I forced myself to stand up and reached out for her. She slapped my hand away.

“D-don’t touch me” she said, her eyes on the verge of tears. I felt my heart shatter. Amy was distraught and I couldn’t do anything. No, there was something I could do.

“I can go back. I can help” I said. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and nodded. I webbed my mask up to me and forced myself through the window, pulling my mask on. I dived off the fire escape and fired a web as Heather shouted after me. I swung through the streets towards the smoke as my body screamed at me. I swung faster than I had before. I couldn’t let Amy down. I’d made enough mistakes already, I couldn’t fuck this up.

I reached the street and felt my heart sink as I brought myself to a stop on a building far away. Smoke still billowed from the remains, but the fire was gone. Police cars and fire trucks sat in a semi-circle around the building. The armoured guy sat in the back of one of the police cars, his helmet off, looking defeated. I couldn’t see the fire woman anywhere. But there were tarps on the floor. Tarps covering bodies. At least seven people who had made it out had died.

I leapt up onto the building I was on and sat down. I watched as the grey smoke billowed into the sky and hung my head. I felt sick. I couldn’t go back to Amy and tell her this. She’d blame herself and me. I needed to go home. But where was that? Dammit. I had to get back to school. The only thing that could make this day worse was getting expelled.

-

I slipped inside through the bathroom window and landed to the ground without a sound. I winced and sat down on the toilet, breathing deeply. It wasn’t getting any easier to breathe. I stood up and felt my legs give out from under me. I crashed to the floor.

“Lucas?” an alarmed voice said. It was Eric.

“I’m fine” I said. Shit.

“You sure, you’ve been in their a while” he said.

“I’m f-“ I broke out into a coughing fit, spraying blood all over the floor. Shit. Shit this was seriously bad.

“Lucas?!” Eric said more alarmed, “Why can I smell smoke?”

Shit, shit, shit. I pulled off my mask and gloves. Wincing I threw my school uniform on over the top. I webbed together the gap in the buttons and covered it with my tie. I glanced at myself in the mirror. Shit. I had a slight bruise on the left side face and I stunk of smoke, and burnt flesh.

“Lucas?!” Eric said. I sprayed myself with deodorant still wheezing and then threw open the bathroom door.

“I’m fine” I said, stepping past him.

“Why’re you still in uniform?” he asked.

“Why does it matter?” I shot back. He stared at me, frowning for a few seconds.

“What’s wrong man? You look terrible? Were you crying?” he asked.

“It doesn’t matter” I said flopping onto my bed. I winced and tried to lay still closing my eyes.

“Lucas?” Eric asked.

“Just leave me a-” I broke into a coughing fit and fell off the side of the bed. I crashed to the floor and rolled onto my front coughing harder. Blood covered the floor.

“Holy shit man! I’ll get someone! Just stay here!” Eric said. He rushed to the door but I webbed him back, pulling him to the floor.

“Don’t. Please” I said, coughing. Shit. Shit. I lay on my hands and knees, taking a second to try and make sense of this absurd situation.

“Don’t tell anyone” I whispered, “just please, don’t tell anyone.”

I looked up at Eric who just stared at me then at the web in shock.

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone!” I shouted, standing up with clenched fists. He nodded silently and I felt a wave of relief wash over me before I crashed back to the floor.

“Lucas?” he said tentatively making his way over to me.

“S-sorry for shouting” I wheezed.

“No, no, it’s ok. I just… is it bad? Are you dying?” he said, his hands shaking.

“No, I- I just hurt my side. I’ll be fine” I said.

“Ok. Do you want me to get anything or?”

“No, no” I said as tears welled up in my eyes. “I just- I just need a second”