“Goddamn it, ROSE!”
>A beam collapses from one side of the ceiling and blinds you with ash and ember.
>Forcing your eyes open again, the hallway is engulfed with fire and your fur has already begun to singe at the edges.
>A swift buck to the glowing beam dislocates it completely from the ceiling and you dash over it.
“Rose! Daddy’s coming!”
>In a flash you’re at your apartment door at the very end of the corridor.
>The handle is completely red; you slam a hoof beside it with all your might and the door gives a little.
>Again, again, AGAIN!
“GIVE, DAMMIT!”
>Why the hell did you get a reinforced door?!
>The deadbolt breaks free of its plate and the door opens, then shakes and recoils as the chain lock stops it from opening fully.
>Why the fuck is the chainlock closed?!
>From inside you can hear the cry of your daughter.
“Rosie, daddy’s here! Don’t worry sweetie!”
>You lapse into a coughing fit for a few seconds before you raise a hoof and strike the door.
>The damn lock just won’t give up!
>”Sir!” a muffled voice shouts, “Sir, we need to get out of here now!”
>A firefighter gallops down the hall, completely clad in protective equipment.
“My daughter, she’s still in there!”
>The floor collapses beneath the stallion as he nears, and he falls to the floor below.
>The cry of your daughter pulls you from the sight and you resume battering the door.
>After a moment of beating you hear a shrieking alarm from behind you.
“Just a few more hits! Just a few more fucking hits!” spit flies as you yell, “Rosie, Daddy’s going to get you out of here!”
>With a final strike the door practically flies off of its hinges as it swings open.
>Before the door hits the wall you’re already inside, running to your daughter’s room.
>You buck the door open and run in.
>A solid wall of pain stops you in your tracks and a BANG resonates through your head.
>You fall to the floor, hoof covering your barrel.
>It’s extremely hard to breathe, and inspecting your hoof you find that in addition to ash, it’s covered in blood.
>Looking over, a shotgun held by brackets is mounted to the floor, pointed up and at head height of the door.
>The door lock…
>The shotgun…
>Rosie sobs from her bed, her face covered in fear and tears as she shakes.
>Using the hooves not holding your chest you crawl towards her.
>With every breath you take a stabbing pain builds.
>You’re almost to her when you cough and choke.
>Every spasm sends more air out of your lung than you take back in.
>You can’t crawl anymore.
>You can’t do anything but look helplessly at your daughter.
>You try to speak, but only a weak R comes out.
>A tipping feeling overcomes you and there’s nothing but darkness.