Tommy
Smoke slowly fills the house, and I nearly choke on it as it burns my lungs. Finally, the fire alarms go off. “Remy, take Didi outside. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”
“What about you?” she asks as he pulls her away, the house now an inferno of chaos. She pulls away from him, and I grab her shoulders.
“I’ll be right there, okay? I’m not letting anyone die in this house tonight.
” She clings to me even harder. “Didi, go. I’ll be right behind you.
” I glance over at the guy who passed out near us and the few others who are high on something.
Talia may not care about the lives of these people, but I won’t let them die.
I may worship death, but not this way. This ain’t right. Talia went too far this time.
She gives me a pleading look before Remy swoops her away. I let out a deep breath, knowing she will be safe with him.
I step over to the guy who passed-out and kick him. “Hey. Wake up. You gotta get outta here.” His head droops to the side in response.
I curse and grab him, pulling him away from the kitchen, which is now completely consumed with flames. I carry him all the way outside, where I throw him on the ground and rush back inside to see if anyone else is left.
I head up the stairs two at a time and push open a bedroom door, where a guy has a chick bent over on the bed.
“Hey, beat it,” the guy hollers, hip-deep inside the girl with her skirt hiked up her backside. “Can’t you see we’re busy in here.”
I fold my arms. “Dude. Can you smell the smoke or hear the damn alarm? The place is going up in flames.”
The girl yanks her skirt down. “Oh, shit.”
“The fire is in the kitchen, but the whole place is gonna burn up. You have to go now before the flames trap you in the house.” The two of them bolt out without even saying thank you for saving their damn lives.
I dash through the remaining rooms of the house, helping everyone escape and find one guy in the bathtub, foaming at the mouth.
I curse and lug him over my shoulder, covering my mouth as I push my way through the smoky house and drop him on the lawn as soon as I get outside. He wasn’t light.
I spend the next few seconds coughing, sucking in fresh air, composing myself. When I catch my breath, I glance up at a lawn full of people staring at me. At least forty of them, all my classmates from school. There are more people at this party than I thought.
“House is clear,” I announce to the crowd, and they all cheer.
Remy, who is standing on the side with a swaying Didi, motions for me to go, just as the red and blue lights shine through the towering trees and the police show up.
This isn’t the kind of attention we need right now.
The police will want to talk to me. I have to get out of here before that happens.
As soon as I reach them, I instinctively grab Didi and hug her, making sure she is alright. Her skin is flawless, with not even a speck of ash on it.
She slaps my arm. “Why did you do that, Tommy? You scared the living hell out of me.”
Remy just shakes his head. “You’re a piece of work sometimes, man.”
I shrug. “Whatever, dude. Sometimes I like to play hero.”
He jerks his head as a few people point at us, and the cops glance in our direction before they make their way over to us.
“Come on. Let’s go,” he says.
The four of us walk over toward where Bax’s vehicle is parked down the street. We walk hand in hand in a row, with the house shimmering in low flames behind us.
Bax turns around to admire his handiwork, and we turn to look, too. In one second, the flames engulf the entire house.
Shadowface, it seems, has taken over the night.