I was trapped. I couldn't get out of this house and nothing was visible. The air was covered in dark grey, thick smoke. I could just hear the sirens blasting in my hears. They felt so close yet they weren't coming close enough. The smoke covered me. I could almost feel it on my skin. The smell of it burned my nostrils, and I could taste it clogging my throat. All of my senses were blocked. I couldn't think, almost as if there was a wall in front of me blocking everything and anything I had left.  The house is burning, and I'm just sitting here...giving up. I have nothing left.

I couldn’t stand, so I began to crawl. I feel lost in the house. I don't know where I'm going. What if I don't get out? I feel defeated as if I have nothing left to look forward to. There was no use for me, like a torn cloth with holes. I'll never be the same after this. It's so much pressure, and it's all on me. I have to get out. I can't give up just like this, I told myself after seconds of debating. I began thinking clear. I was no longer frightened. I was determined, determined to get out of this mess, determined to stay alive. No feeling felt so clear to me before. I had to keep pushing myself. I can’t stop debating back and forth, back and forth.

Right now at this very moment of great suspense, I heard a crash. The house was falling in. Was it over? I thought again. Then my mind switched thinking -- nothing's over without a fight. Then another loud storming sound. Thinking to myself this sound was...different. Almost as if something came wrecking into the house. I was correct. I looked up slowly with a face of no emotion. I recognize my friend Charlie. Charlie was here to save me. I filled inside with hope. Charlie looked just as bad as I felt. He was covered in ash and burns appearing on his skin.  He was reaching out with his burnt hand, waiting for me to grab it so we could escape this fire pit. I could hear him yelling for me to hurry, but I didn't have the strength to move. That's when Charlie bent down and grabbed me firmly. He was risking his life to save mine.

“Come on Stephen! It's now or never if you want to make it out alive,” Charlie said to me.

“I can’t I’m too weak just leave me...I’ll be okay.”

“Charlie you have to try. LET'S GO!”

“Before you know it, I'll die from the smoke in my lungs.” I can't believe I just said that to my best friend knowing that he just risked his life for me and I'm just planning on dying.

“Fine if you're not walking I’ll carry you myself.”

He started to pick me up, and I could tell from his facial expressions that he hurt.

“I got you dude just relax,” said Charlie almost as if he couldn't feel a thing.I knew in that second that I was getting out of the house.

“I feel light headed.”

“Breath into this it helps.” Charlie knew that it was only a matter of time before I was going to pass out and I did too.

“Do you remember how to get out of this place?”

“I think you take a right here,” I said as I watched the walls burn.

“You think or you know?” he asked without giving me time to answer and rushing to the right.

I felt his hands losing me. Right then a beam from the ceiling gave out and landed on us. Everything fell silent. I woke up to flames inches from my face. I then remembered Charlie.

“CHARLIE!” I called out. There was no response. Again I called for him “CHARLIE”! Still nothing. I looked around. Then I saw him with the beam on his back. I crawled over to him and began shaking him violently.
“Go on...without me...I’m the weak one now,” just barely getting the words out of his mouth.

“You didn't let me go when I didn't believe, now it's my turn to help you.” I started to push the beam off with the little strength I had in me. Now both of us were on our hands and knees.

“I can't go on Stephen, just leave me.”

I pushed him up on my back and crawled till I was looking at a hole in the wall.I said loud and clear to Charlie “Look that’s our way out!” With no response from Charlie, I kept going. I could see my other roommates through the hole. They are all yelling at me to hurry.

Then I heard Charlie say, “Just a few more steps.” He had hope and that's all I needed at that moment. I was exiting through the hole. My friends pulling me and Charlie out.

I asked, “Why didn't you all come in and help?”

I wondered why they didn't help me and Charlie at the moment of near death, but that didn't matter, Charlie and I were out and help was on its way. Then I fell to the ground in a fast motion. I couldn't move and I didn't know where Charlie went. Did he fall off my back? Was he still in the house? Was Charlie alive? I didn't know the answers to these questions. It struck me with fright and horror. The next thing I knew, I was being loaded up in an ambulance...without Charlie.