Max joined the
conversation. “So how do you like Bellingham? Jessica said you’d both recently
moved here from Tacoma.”
“We’ve settled
in; although, some of us still have boxes to unpack,” Ally responded, giving me
a sideways glance. “But everyone we meet seems really friendly.”
“We’ve got a
great mix of people in this town,” said Laci, who we’d learned was a long time
family friend and appeared to be Max’s girlfriend. “Lots of retired folks,
young families, and of course you can’t forget all us college students who keep
the town rockin’ when classes are in session.” She spoke with her hands, and
her natural blonde curls bounced around, sometimes covering her sparkling, blue
eyes. “We enroll around 13,000 students at Western each year.”
“Laci works at
the Viking Union up on Western’s campus, so she’s a great resource if you have
any questions,” Madison jumped in, like she didn’t want to be left out of the
conversation.
“That’s great, what
do you do up there?” Ally asked.
“She does all
kinds of things, like….” Madison started to say.
Max stopped her.
“Madison, I think Laci can speak for herself.”
“Sorry,” she
said nonchalantly, examining her white-tipped nails.
“No worries,”
Laci said with a wave of her hand. Swiping a couple loose curls away from her
face, she told us all about her job. Not long after, all our pizzas arrived.
They looked gourmet and the white sauce smelled wonderful.
“This is really
good pizza,” Ally said after a couple bites.
“I told Lexi
this place was great,” Jessica said.
“I prefer La
Fiamma myself.” Madison announced with a sigh. “Very upscale.”
“Maybe when mom
and dad are buying, but this place is my favorite,” Jessica said
good-naturedly, taking a sip of her soda.
Ally and I
exchanged glances. Suppressing a smile, Ally changed the subject. “I’m
surprised at the number of Canadian shoppers we have at the mall. I’m still
trying to get accustomed to this exchange rate stuff and how it fluctuates from
day to day.”
Max smiled
knowingly and seemed genuinely interested. “The Canadians are great for our
small economy, especially when the exchange rate favors their dollar.” He was
full of information and offered Ally all kinds of tidbits as she questioned him
about Canadian currency.
“So Ally works
at Macy’s, and Lexi you work at the store with Jessica, right?” Laci’s big eyes
flashed my way, and I nodded in affirmation.
Madison dabbed
her mouth with a napkin. “And now Max will be there, too.”
I looked
curiously at Max and said, “You work for the grocery chain? Are you
transferring?”
He nodded
slightly, and I studied his solemn face. In a business-like tone, he said,
“After much deliberation, I’ve decided to accept the Assistant Manager position
at the Sehome store. So yes, I will be working with you and Jessica soon.” His
traditional crew cut fit his serious demeanor perfectly.
Jessica reached
over and patted him on the shoulder. With the adoration of a younger sister,
she said, “I’ll be soooo glad to have you around.”
A family next to
us began singing happy birthday to a young girl with pigtails. She blushed
brightly, shrinking back in her chair.
“What about you
Madison?” I said when the song was over. “Do you work at one of the stores?”
“Are you
kidding?” She rolled her eyes and grunted, like I’d just asked her if she
worked at the garbage dump. “I’m a real estate agent. I also attend Western
where I’m pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management.” She
nodded her head once and looked expectantly at Ally and me.
Ally did not
disappoint. “Wow! That’s great. You must have had a clear vision of your career
path at a young age. I can relate with that.”
“Definitely,”
Madison said, tilting her sharp nose upwards. She proceeded to tell us all
about her clients and current listings. Afterwards, we spent some time sharing
stories with Madison dominating most of the conversation.
Dusk settled
heavily around us as we stood outside on the sidewalk and said our good-byes.
All at once, a sharp pain shot through my head and I knew the snapshots were
coming. Pretending I needed to tie my shoe, I leaned down and closed my eyes. I
didn’t know how I was going to escape this group and run off without arousing
suspicion, but I wouldn’t hesitate. Never again. For as long as I lived. However
long that might be. The snapshots came spiraling out of the black abyss:
An apartment
building in flames
People
running from the building
A woman
trapped under a large beam
A door with
the number 406
Unnerved, I shot
to my feet and bumped into Ally. After we made eye contact, understanding
dawned on her face, and she grabbed my arm.
“What is that
smell?” Laci asked, crinkling her nose and sniffing the air. “I think…oh no
look over there,” she said urgently, pointing at plumes of black smoke rising
steadily into the air only a couple blocks away.
“Something big
is on fire,” Max said impatiently. Sirens wailed in the distance. “We better
check it out. Maybe we can help.” He seized Laci’s hand, and they took off in a
sprint. After slipping out of her heels, Madison shot off, hot on their trail.
Ally, Jessica,
and I followed in their wake, but they pounded the pavement hard. The distance
between us grew significantly. “Damn they’re fast,” I called out.
Running at my
side, Jessica puffed, “Track stars in high school.”
All of them?
Moments later we rounded a corner and located the source of the smoke. Ally and
Jessica cried out in horror, and even though I’d been expecting it, I was
overwhelmed. Hot flames shot from the roof and burst through the top floor
windows of a six story apartment building. Glass popped and shattered to the
ground as windows blew out from the heat. Screaming people ran out the front
entrance, while others climbed through ground floor windows and accepted help
from strangers. A crowd was gathering.
“Listen Lexi,”
Jessica said, glancing at me nervously and clasping my shoulder, “There are
going to be people who need my help. I know you won’t be able to heal in the
same capacity as me, but your touch will still be soothing. It will be
beneficial to anyone who is suffering from smoke inhalation or minor burns. If
you stick by my side, I’ll show you how to help.”
“Of course I
will,” I said hurriedly. “But first I need to see if I can get people out of
the building.” I gave Ally a hard look and shoved her towards Jessica. “Ally
will work with you until I get back.” Before Jessica could speak, I turned and
sprinted away.
That didn’t stop
her from yelling hysterically behind me, “Stop Lexi! You can’t run into a
burning building.”
I ignored her
and made a beeline for the entrance. Fire trucks roared around the corner with
sirens blaring. Once inside, I struggled up a narrow stairwell against a steady
stream of hysterical residents. Some were barefoot and wearing pajamas. Many
carried whimpering children, frightened pets, or personal belongings. The
higher I went, the smokier the air became. I pulled my t-shirt over my mouth
and breathed through it like it was a mask.
Once I reached
the fourth floor, I stopped and touched the heavy door with the back of my
hand. Finding it cool, I opened it, but reeled back in surprise when a warm
blast smacked me in the face. Cautiously, I peered down the hallway. The smoke
was thick and visibility was limited. What worried me most were the loud
crackles traveling on the hot, dry air. Blood coursed through my veins, and I
questioned my sanity as I slowly progressed down the vacant corridor.
I was reading
the numbers on the doors when one flew open. A big man, wearing only a white
t-shirt and boxers, almost plowed over me. A white poodle yelped madly in his
arms. The man grabbed my shoulder and shouted, “Lady, you’re going the wrong
direction. The stairs are that way.” He pointed and started dragging me with
him, his dog nipping at my arm. “This whole place could go up in flames.”
“Sir,” I yelled
and snatched my arm away, “There’s someone trapped down there, and they need
me. You go ahead.”
“You’re crazy,
and you’re gonna get yourself killed. You need to come with me now!” he bellowed
and swiped at me, but I ducked and dodged away. Coughing and gasping, he said,
“Whatever. If you wanna get yourself killed, that’s your problem.” He staggered
down the hallway, hollering vulgar words.
I hurried the
opposite direction through coiling gray smoke. The air sizzled, and I dropped
to the floor. At the far end of the hallway, orange flames snapped across the
ceiling, and my nerves tingled. I said a silent prayer that room 406 wasn’t
already engulfed in flames.
Luckily it
wasn’t, but I did find it locked. Screaming in frustration, I sat down and
kicked at the door like a crazed person. I was sweaty, winded, and worn down
when it finally flew open, but I crawled inside and slammed it shut behind me.
The apartment was dark, and the air was smoky but not as bad as the hallway.
Screams from another room boosted my adrenaline another notch, and I jumped to
my feet and ran to investigate. Shock stopped me short at the bedroom entrance.
Part of the ceiling had collapsed, and furniture from the upper floor had slid
down and scattered all over the room. But worst of all, a huge ceiling beam
held the lady from my snapshots pinned to the ground.
“Help me! Please
help me!” she cried when she spotted me. Drenched in sweat, with her nightgown
clinging to her body and her black hair pasted to her head, she looked to be in
pain.
Quickly, I
climbed through the mess of overturned furniture. “It’s going to be okay,” I
assured her but cringed when I glimpsed her crushed legs.
“Hurry,” she
said. “I can’t move my legs, and the smoke is getting thicker.” I nodded, and
she said, “Can you lift the beam?”
“I’ll try.” But
no matter how hard I heaved, it wouldn’t budge. We looked at each other in
despair.
“Now what?” she
asked, hacking away.
Coughing
uncontrollably myself, I said, “First, I get us wet towels to breathe through.
Then if I can find a flashlight, I’ll signal for help through the window.”
Once we had wet
washcloths and I had a flashlight in hand, I opened the window in the other
room. I shot the beam of light downwards and screamed at the top of my lungs.
The street was a mass of people, fire engines, and flashing lights. I prayed
someone would see my distress signal.
Something
crashed back in the bedroom, and the lady hollered, “More of the ceiling is
falling. Oh my God! I can see the fire burning in the room above.”
Totally
flustered, I hunched over and rushed to her side. I worked for a long time
tugging and shoving on the beam.
“Save yourself,”
she cried. “You still have time.”
I couldn’t
believe it. I was trying my best, and yet, it looked like I wasn’t going to be
able to save her. One thing I did know, there was no way I was walking away. If
this lady was going to die, then so was I. “No, I’m staying with you,” I said
and held her hand. Not long afterwards, she passed into unconsciousness. I
covered her with more wet towels and even placed one over my own head. Engulfed
by dense, gray smoke, my eyes stung, but I continued to tug at the board while
burning ashes drifted through the room and the heat intensified.
I’d all but
given up hope, when out of nowhere, a fireman burst into the bedroom. While I
took a couple breaths from his oxygen mask, I watched in disbelief as he lifted
the beam off her legs like it was a simple two by four. He hoisted the lady
over his shoulder and dragged me out of the room as chunks of burning debris
rained down on us. Upon exiting the room, something whistled and popped, and
then the rest of the ceiling collapsed. I heaved a sigh of relief at the open
window where I found another fireman at the top of a long, fire truck ladder.
Our descent
dragged on forever. I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until I was standing
safely on the ground and the woman was placed in an ambulance. I barely had
time to whisper words of gratitude to the fireman, who was looking at me rather
severely, when Ally almost plowed over me. Jessica joined in, and they hugged
and scolded me as an EMT placed an oxygen mask over my head. Luckily, I didn’t
have to wear it long. I didn’t have any shortness of breath, and I felt fine.
Jessica whispered something about how I could attribute my abundance of oxygen
to my Essence.
Once the
paramedics deemed me fit to go, Ally and I hung around awhile longer, assisting
where we could. When it looked like the fire department and paramedics had
everything under control, we said our good-byes to Jessica for a second time.
With a meaningful glance, Jessica said we’d talk soon. Max, Madison, and Laci
showed up just as we were leaving. They looked disheveled, but not nearly as
sooty as I did. On the way home, Ally informed me those three had carried
people out of the building, while she and Jessica tended to the victims. Ally
marveled at their speed and aptitude and was clearly impressed at having
witnessed Jessica’s skills firsthand.
Once we were
finally home, we collapsed onto the couch. As Ally thumbed through the mail she
said, “That was crazy insane! Talk about an adrenaline rush.” She paused and
frowned. “Oh yuk. It looks like we’ve gotten our first official bill – from the
power company. Hey, here’s
another
letter from your mom. Should we call
and tell her about the fire?”
“Absolutely not.
No need to scare her.” I leaned over and grabbed the letter. “She’s upset
enough about that comatose college student.” Rubbing my eyes, I said, “I can’t
believe this whole day. First, Essence and Amethysts. Then epic apartment
fires. I can’t take much more. What I need is a long hot shower to get rid of
this filth and maybe this headache, too.”