Only Human
I trudge down the empty hallway tired and defeated. For all sixteen years of my life I had worked diligently so that I may find my purpose, but I am weary of it all. I gave it my all but now I am empty inside. I see no light at the end of the tunnel, no savior to lift me from my struggles. I am an empty shell.
My name is Kevin and I am what some people claim a genius. By sixteen now I have already finished college with a Masters in Computer Engineering and a Bachelors in Robotics. I struggled greatly as a child coming from a broken household and lived in poverty for years. Because of this I devoted my whole life to academics. When other kids were playing outside I was studying Newton’s Laws. It was difficult but I was able to gain recognition from my teachers and quickly progressed through primary and secondary school. By 10 I had already started to attended college.
College graduation has just ended and now I stand alone by myself in the science building of my college. In this quite hall way I look back at my life and realize that I hate it. I have never done anything I enjoy. All my life was endless studying. I don’t hold a single goal or ambition. What does my life even mean? What is the point of my achievements if I have never actually enjoyed life?
As I contemplated my existence I suddenly heard one of the hallway doors opening. A young female came hurrying out with a look of distress on her face as small black tendrils of smoke crept out of the doorway behind. Frantically she surveyed the area before she finally spotted me. Eyes filled with tears she sprinted towards me before collapsing.
“Please help me. I was trying to work with some chemicals but somehow the ventilation hood stopped working and somehow the materials caught fire. Please help me”
Before I could make sense of the sobbing girl an explosion erupted from the room and I got knocked back all the way to the end of the hall. Upon impact my head hit the back wall I became incapacitated.
As I slowly regained consciousness I smelled the faint sulfuric stench of the chemical blaze. I jolted awake and before me I saw the conflagration. During the time I was unconscious the fire had proliferated throughout building. At my side was the girl still alive but unconscious from the blast. Still shaken from the blast I slowly risen and looked for a way to escape. Sadly the only way I was getting out would be by going to door at the other end of the hall and making my way down the emergency stair case.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Fueled by adrenaline I threw the unconscious girl over my right shoulder and started my trek across the blazing t. As I approached the doorway of which the initial fire was started I felt the intense heat coming out. I covered my face with my shirt and shield it with my left arm which ended up getting scorched by the stray licks of flames rolling of the walls.
I endured the intense heat and was able to finally make it to the door leading to the stair case. I reached out to open it and like an idiot grabbed the searing hot metal of the latch panic bar. Instantly pain surged from my hand and the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Filled with frustration and pain I roared out and kicked the door open. I rushed through and started my decent. I bounded down the stairs as fast I could with the girl over my shoulder and in what felt like an eternity later made it down two stories to ground level.
I kicked open the door and revealed yet another catastrophe. The first floor had already caught on fire and judging by the way the ceiling was starting to bulge I didn’t have much time till the whole place was going to give.
Not caring anymore if I got injured I bolted towards the exit as fast as I could. Half way till I reached the exit I felt the girl regain consciousness. She woke up abruptly and started screaming her head off yelling for help. Eventually she went limp and resolved to weeping as I carried her.
Instinctively I tried to calm her but I am still full of uncertainty. “We are going make believe in me. We are going to live.”
As I made it to the door I saw the ceiling come crashing down and in a last ditch effort kicked it open and threw the girl through it. For a brief moment before I was crushed by the ruble I made eye contact with the girl and with tears in my eyes I said my final good bye.
Immense pain pulsated throughout my body as it was being crushed. I felt the life leaving my body as I slowly drifted into darkness. My life on earth is over, ended abruptly by a tragic fire. At the very least I was able to save someone before I perished.
I closed my eyes for the first and last time in my life with a sense of fulfillment. Unexpectedly all the pain left my body at that moment. I opened my eyes to see what has happened but surprisingly found myself in a bed within a stark white room. Is this Heaven?