You Make Me Feel So Alive

“Thanks have a great day” I said in a monotone voice. I wanted to go home already, today just wasn’t turning out to be the best. I had a half day today but even so. I looked at the clock. It was almost time for me to finally leave this place. However next thing I knew Martha came running over with a horrid expression plastered on her face.

“Martha? What’s wrong?” I asked a tiny bit worried myself.

“Th-the back room” she yelled in between breaths. When I still hadn’t understood what he meant she screamed “Fire!!!”

“OH!” I exclaimed rushing out from around the corner “Why didn’t you get the fire extinguisher?!”

I ran into the back room and sure enough there were startlingly large flames already seeming to lick the top of the ceiling of the room. I looked through the cabinets quickly looking for the extinguisher, but it was no where insight. I myself started to panic a bit. Where could the damn thing be?
“Shit” I mumbled as I stared at the glowing orange and red flames and at the cabinets behind it “And you don’t tell me that it’s in the fire? Martha get it together!”

I rushed to the front and quickly flipped the open sign to ‘closed’ while flipping my phone open. I quickly dialed ‘911’ when finally Martha spoke up “How are you not in a panic?!?!”

I looked at her, startled. I didn’t know what to say because it was true I really wasn’t startled or in a panic like her at all. Then again I never was the type to get all panicky about something. I shrugged and finally the 911 service picked up.

“Excuse me I’d like the firefighters come to come down to CD World right away” I stated calm, but with a little bit of worry in there somewhere.

“What’s the emergency?” they asked in a soothing voice.

“There’s a fire for god’s sake!” I yelled a bit pissed off now.

“Ok just stay calm and get out of the building miss” I rolled my eyes and gave an aggravated sigh and said goodbye. I then shoved Martha out of the building and gathered my stuff and Martha’s from behind the counter. Just as the smoke started to get bad I ran hurriedly to the door. I pulled the handle, but it didn’t give. I pulled it again hard, but then it hit my hand, it was scorching hot. I gasped and pulled my hand back while waving it around to cool it.

I got down on the ground and covered my mouth because of the smoke. In the mean time I wondered how the handle was so hot. I crawled over to one of the windows and stumbled backward when I saw the fire had already surrounded the whole building.

“Damn” I mumbled and I laid on the floor still covering my mouth and nose. Next thing I knew I started hacking and coughing. I started to cry from the smoke and from knowing that I might die today. I shook my head no way was I going down without a fight.

“HELP!” I screamed “HELP!”

I ran over to my stuff and scrambled the stuff around for my phone. I flipped it open and looked for someone I could call. Looking for Martha’s number would be the wisest, but she most likely knew I was already trapped inside.

This is going to be stupid of me but . . ., I thought as I dialed Craig’s number. The longer I waited the more I started to cry and cough.

“Hey Sam” he greeted happily.

“Hey” I coughed “Craig”

“Sam? Hey what’s the matter?” he asked a bit concerned.

“I’m so scared”

“Where are you I’m coming over” I coughed more violently.

“My work.”

“I’ll be right over” I was just about to protest, but he had already hung up. I crawled over to the door that wasn’t on fire yet and started banging on it.

“HEY!” I screamed as loud as I could. Where were those firefighters? I backed away from the door just in case the firefighters decided to burst in at any moment.

A few minutes later there was a loud bang at the door. I was very relieved that I was going to be able to get out of this hell hole.

“Hey!” I crocked as the men in there smoke masks came up to me. Two of the men held me up while giving me a mini mask for fresh air. When we got outside I was rushed so quickly to the ambulance truck I wasn’t able to see who had gathered by the building, but I was hoping that somewhere in the crowd was Craig.

They sat me at the edge of the open truck and shoved an air mask onto my mouth. I took deep breaths of the lovely fresh clean air. I was so relieved to get out of that building alive. Eventually I didn’t need it anymore but they let me remain seated where I was just in case I need medical attention for some reason. Then just as I was thinking about getting up to look for Craig I herd someone talking, someone who sounded just like Craig.

I got up and peeked my head around the side of the truck and sure enough there was Craig talking to Max.

“Yeah I know Max. I know I’m playing Sam.” Craig stated with a sigh. I was shocked and devastated not even a second after those words left his mouth.

“I was just making sure” Max replied.

“Well it was our plan from the start, I know. Find two gullible girls and give them a good time. Then ditch them and change our cell phone numbers if they don’t stop calling us” Craig whispered in an aggravated voice. The tears started to pour and I ran in the opposite direction. When the police saw me run they stepped in front of me and held me. I drew attention, but I didn’t care.

“Let me go!” I yelled crying harder.

“We can’t let you leave yet miss plus you might still be in critical condition” one of the cops informed.

“I just want to go home” I sobbed.

“We know this was a traumatic situation you were in, but we can’t let you go yet. We need all witnesses, there were some signs of arson” the other said. I nodded and they let me go and next thing I knew Craig was by my side. I glared at him and he gave me a confused look.

“Hey, Sam, you ok?” he asked worried as he put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off only walking farther away from him. “Did I do something?”

I abruptly turned around to look at him and said “Yes Craig you did do something!”

“What did I do?” he asked getting a bit defensive.

“Ok well maybe this will jog your memory” I coughed and tried to make my voice like Craig’s “I know Max. I know I’m playing Sam”

He stood there shocked. “You herd that?” I nodded angrily crossing my arms.

“I herd it all and you know what? I’m glad I did other wise I would have been stuck in your rock star good looks and smooth talk.” I paused “You know for a minute I actually thought you really cared for me and…. Well all I have to say is that I’m glad I know the truth now and how dare you use girls!”

Next thing I knew my hand was raised and I was bring it down with force to slap him across the face. However he was faster and caught my arm before I could hit him. Tears started to pour again and I ripped my arm out of his grasp.

“Look Sam you didn’t hear all of what I said other wi-” I cut him off.

“Well I herd enough!”

“But you didn’t hear when I sa-”

“NO STOP I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE YOU BASTERED!!!”

Craig sighed and hung his head low, but I spun on my heels and rushed out of there.