Chapter 7 - The Inferno WithinAt 7:56 PM, my truck screeched into our driveway, sliding across the wet grass before crashing into the porch steps.
Through the nursery window on the second floor, I saw a soft yellow light turn on.
No! No! No!
I threw the truck door open and sprinted toward the front door, Rex right at my heels, barking frantically. I slammed my shoulder into the front door, bursting into the living room.
"SARA! DON'T TOUCH THE HEATER!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.
A soft click echoed from the top of the stairs.
A split second later, a deep, muted BOOM rattled the house. The ceiling of the hallway buckled, and a wave of heat and black smoke rushed down the staircase.
"LEO!" Sara’s terrified scream cut through the roaring sound of sudden flames.
The gas line had detonated inside the nursery wall. Thick, choking smoke filled the upper level within seconds. I sprinted up the burning stairs, coughing violently as the heat scorched my skin.
"Sara! Where are you?!"
"I'm trapped in the bedroom! The closet door collapsed across the hallway!" she sobbed from behind a heavy oak door, her voice growing weaker as oxygen diminished.
The hallway floor was collapsing. Flames licked the walls, creating a blistering barrier between me and my wife. I tried to push through, but a burning beam fell from the ceiling, blocking my path and throwing me backward onto the carpet.
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I couldn't reach her. The smoke was suffocating me. My vision began to spot with blackness.
Then, a massive shape charged past me through the flames.
