I was going to burn to death.
The thought alone spurred me on. I used my good leg to push against the floor while I used my hands to pull myself. I felt around for my bag with every inch I gained, and I eventually grabbed the strap of it.
I coughed as I dug through it and fumbled with my phone as I gripped onto it with shaking hands. I couldn't see the screen because my eyes stung so bad and blurred with the mixture of my tears and smoke that filled them.
I focused and used the swipe motion to unlock my phone. I saw the light grow bright, and I could make out the light-green phone app that brought me to my call list. I pressed it and then hit the last person who called me.
"Miss Collins?" I heard a shout from outside the door.
I screamed, "Help me, please!"
"Miss Collins!" a familiar young male's voice shouted. "Are you in there? I see smoke."
Caleb.
"Caleb!" I screamed. "Help me."
"Miss Collins!" his voice hollered. "I'm goin' to get you out of there!"
I heard banging on the door and I whimpered. He was trying his very best to kick it in.
"Aideen?" I heard a voice shout.
I didn't know who it was, my ears were starting to ring. I cried out as my mind refocused on the pain in my leg.
"Help me!" I cried and spluttered.
"Aideen!"
I blinked my eyes and looked down to my phone.
Someone answered my call.
"I'm at the school," I screamed. "He is goin' to kill me. He set everythin' on fire-" I cut myself off when a fit of coughing hit me.
"Aideen!" I heard his voice, screaming.
Kane?
I whimpered, "Kane. It's Big Phil. He's tryin' to-"
I coughed again and dropped my phone in the process. I couldn't see a thing so I tried to feel around for it, but I couldn't find it.
I screamed, "No!"
I searched for my phone as a table next to me collapsed and the burning timber fell against me and burned my arm. I bellowed in pain and kicked myself away from the fire.
"Miss Collins!" Caleb's voice screamed. "I'm goin' to pull the fire alarm- Hey! Let go of me!"
I looked up as my classroom door opened and a body was thrust into the room. The door slammed closed once more and this time laughter followed.
"There, you have a little brat to keep you company."
"You bastard!" I bellowed.
Philip laughed, "Give my regards to Marco, Miss Collins."
I was about to reply when I suddenly felt hands on my arms. I screamed with fright because I couldn't see anybody in front of me. The room was growing thick with smoke, and laying low on the floor seemed to be the only option.
"It's me," a voice said then coughed, "Caleb."
Caleb.
Oh, God.
"Caleb," I spluttered. "Get out of here right now."
"And leave you?" he asked, coughing. "No. Come on."
I cried, "Me leg, I think it's broken."
"Fuck," Caleb growled then hooked his arm around my waist and pulled. He grunted as he hoisted me up to my feet.
I instantly began to wheeze when I stood upright. The smoke was thicker, the flames were higher, and my throat felt like it was on fire.
"The window," I coughed.
I cried in pain as Caleb pulled me along with him. He rested me against a desk that wasn't ablaze and tried to open the window closest to us, but it wouldn't budge.
"It's locked!" he shouted and covered his mouth and nose with his hands.
I did the same thing.
"Try smashin' it," I said, coughing into my hands.
My throat started to feel like a razor blade was wedged in it, and the more I talked and breathed, the more lodged it became.
"Cover your face!" I heard Celeb shout.
I did as he asked and covered my face. Seconds later I heard a loud crash as Caleb slammed one of the chairs into the window. I heard the glass shatter then Caleb's voice.
"Help us!" he roared out the window. "Please, we're trapped! Help us!"
I heard people's voices shout in reaction to Caleb's plea.
"There's a fire in the school!" a woman screamed. "People are trapped!"
A man shouted, "Call nine-nine-nine! Quickly!"
The school was situated in the middle of a housing estate so all around us were houses.
"Help us!" Caleb screamed again.
I leaned over the desk to rest a little. It was then I realised I couldn't feel the pain in my leg anymore. I couldn't feel anything, but the overwhelming tiredness that filled me.
"Miss Collins!" Caleb shouted.
I felt his hands on me then.
"Hey," he coughed, "wake up!"
I leaned into him and closed my eyes.
"Help me!" Caleb screamed. "I need help! Please!"
It felt like forever since Philip left the room, but for some reason it felt even longer since Caleb had smashed the window. It was like time slowed down and I was experiencing everything from a third person's viewpoint.
"We'll get you out of there, son," I heard a man shout as more glass shattered.
Caleb's hold tightened on me. "Me miss is with me. She's pregnant."
"Fuck!" a man's voice shouted. "We need to get them out of there."
I heard multiple voices then.
"The frame of the window won't break, I tried," Caleb said then coughed.
I gripped his arm. "You shouldn't... have come... back."
Caleb pressed his head on top of mine. "I was waitin' on me da to pick me up, he wasn't in the car park. I just said that so you would let me go early."
I laughed lightly, coughing whilst doing so.
"I heard a scream and was scared you went into labour or somethin'. I wasn't goin' to leave you all alone. Who was that man that did this? I didn't see him come up behind me."
I cried as I covered my stomach with my hands.
My baby.
"Aideen!"
I blinked my eyes open. "Kane?" I rasped.
"Mate, helped us break the frame."
"That's my girlfriend!" he shouted. "Move and we'll break it."
Kane.
"Hang on, Ado. We'll get you out in a second."
Nico.
I heard loud bangs then.
"Stomp on it, Dominic! Force it."
Everything happened quickly then. A loud crunching noise sounded and people cheered.
"They can fit out! Quick, climb in and get them!" a woman's voice hollered.
"No, get her out first!" Caleb coughed.
I felt a few pairs of hands grab me then I was lifted into the air. One second I was inside a boiling hot, smoke-filled classroom, the next I was outside surrounded by cold, clean air.
I greedily sucked it down into my lungs.
"Aideen?"
Gavin? Why was he even here?
"Oh, God!" Gavin's voice cried. "Aideen!"
"She'll be okay, man. We have her."
"Look at her!" Gavin's voice cried. "She's not okay. I have to ring me da and brothers."
I wanted to reach out to my brother, but the best I could do was open my eyes and look up. I saw Kane's face first, and I instantly began crying.
"I'm so sorry," I spluttered, "for what I said-"
"Stop it," he cut me off. "You have nothing to apologise for."
But I did. What I said was wrong, and I hurt him.
"It was him," I coughed.
Kane tried to lift me, but I screamed when the pain returned to my leg.
"No!" I cried. "He broke it."
Kane looked down at my leg and a look of pure anger filled him.
"I'm going to make him sorry for doing this, babydoll. I promise."
I shook my head. "Don't leave me."
Kane took hold of my hand. "Never."
I began to cough hard. Each cough felt like glass was cutting up my insides. I think I coughed up some blood-whatever it was it came up in little chunks.
"Oh, my God," my brother whimpered. "She's goin' to be okay, isn't she?"
I wanted to answer him, but my throat felt like it was burning.
"Yes!" Kane instantly replied to my brother and pulled me closer to him, wiping my mouth and chin with his hand. "She's going to be perfectly fucking fine. Where is the ambulance?"
"On the way, bro," Nico's voice shouted.
I didn't know where he was, and I didn't care enough to ask.
"Caleb-" I began.
"Is fine," Kane cut me off. "Dominic is with him."
Oh God, that was good.
I wanted to ask if he was okay, but I couldn't get the words out. My body started to droop as tiredness grabbed hold of me. My chest burned, my throat hurt terribly, my leg was pulsing with pain, and my eyes were starting to close.
I cried out when I felt my baby move.
I was relieved to feel her, but I was very aware that something was wrong with me. I felt wrong, I felt like... it was the end for me.
I was going to die.
"Save the baby!" I cried as the pain struck my chest. I squeezed Kane's hand as tight as I could. "Promise me th-that you'll choose her l-life over mine if it c-comes to it."
My voice didn't sound like my ow; it sounded like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
"Aideen," Kane spluttered and shook his head as he stared down at me. "You aren't going anywhere."
I didn't believe that. I felt like I wasn't going to wake up again once I feel asleep. My body didn't feel right. Everything was heavy, tired, and ready to give up.