the railing and eased herself down into a squat. She dangled for a few seconds from the edge and then dropped to the walkway below. The aeronaut boots absorbed some of the shock from the fall, but Chenda rocked backwards, and instinctively, she threw her hands back to catch herself. As her burned palms scraped along the rough walkway, she screamed in agony.
She wanted to faint, to lie there and cool her burns and bruises on the chilled paving stones, but a small part of her brain screamed at her: Get up!
The voice in her head kept getting louder. GET UP. Daniel may not be alone. You are not safe. GET UP!!!
Chenda shook her head to drive away her daze and crawled along on her elbows. Pressing her shoulder to the wall of the house, she pushed up with her legs and then staggered to her feet. As she took in mouthfuls of cold fresh air, her thinking cleared. She had to run away. By his own admission, Daniel was not working alone. She wasn't sure who else was a danger to her.
Ignoring the pain in her hands as the handles bit into her burns along her fingers, she picked up the carpet bag and ran for the tree line just past the south end the house. Several yards into the thick woods, she looked back. Smoke was pouring out of all the windows on the second floor. The belching flames illuminated the house staff as each servant ran out onto the lawn. Alme screamed as she saw the fire sparking out of her mistress’s window, and she fainted into the arms of the gardener.
Chenda wanted to run to the plump woman, and tell her not to be frightened, that she was alive and just fine, but her feet didn't move. She was held firm by that part of her brain that sensed the danger in revealing herself. Hide, and bide your time. You are not safe. Step by step, Chenda melted backwards into the woods.
An hour before dawn, Chenda arrived at the nearest trolley stop and boarded the first car that stopped there. The pain in her hands made fishing the fare out of her pouch-belt a flaming nightmare. It was all she could do not to scream. She eventually made her way downtown and into the university district. Finally, she reached Candice's apartment.
Chenda knocked weakly on the door frame and waited. Nothing happened. She knocked again, this time with all the strength she had left. She even kicked the drab door for emphasis. She swayed slightly as she stood there, tears of despair and exhaustion building in her eyes. When the door finally opened, Chenda fell through it.
“Gods above!” Candice squawked as she dove toward the floor to grab Chenda's limp body. “What happened to you?!” She reached under Chenda's arms and pulled her toward the small sofa. Candice knew she would never be able to lift the girl onto the couch, so she pulled several pillows and a cushion onto the floor and propped Chenda's back up against them. Chenda moaned and let her head fall backwards to rest on the seat, her arms flopping to the floor. Candice looked down into the young woman's face and gasped! She jumped away from her companion and raced back to the door, pulling the carpet bag in from where Chenda had dropped it and securing the lock. Chenda watched as Candice raced back across the small living room and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Candice...” she whimpered. In what she hoped was a safe place, Chenda finally gave in to the pain. Tears rolled tracks through the soot on Chenda's cheeks. She was sobbing as the professor reappeared with an armload of supplies and a large glass of water.
“I'm coming, deary. Just hold on,” Candice said in a motherly tone as she tried to decide where to begin. "Drink," she ordered, pressing the glass to the girl's lips. Between spasms of tears, Chenda sucked in the cool water, and it pushed some of the smoke out of her aching throat. With each swallow, she could feel Daniel's weight on her neck again. She shuddered.
“Let's peel you out of that coat and then you start telling me what happened.” Candice slowly
She wanted to faint, to lie there and cool her burns and bruises on the chilled paving stones, but a small part of her brain screamed at her: Get up!
The voice in her head kept getting louder. GET UP. Daniel may not be alone. You are not safe. GET UP!!!
Chenda shook her head to drive away her daze and crawled along on her elbows. Pressing her shoulder to the wall of the house, she pushed up with her legs and then staggered to her feet. As she took in mouthfuls of cold fresh air, her thinking cleared. She had to run away. By his own admission, Daniel was not working alone. She wasn't sure who else was a danger to her.
Ignoring the pain in her hands as the handles bit into her burns along her fingers, she picked up the carpet bag and ran for the tree line just past the south end the house. Several yards into the thick woods, she looked back. Smoke was pouring out of all the windows on the second floor. The belching flames illuminated the house staff as each servant ran out onto the lawn. Alme screamed as she saw the fire sparking out of her mistress’s window, and she fainted into the arms of the gardener.
Chenda wanted to run to the plump woman, and tell her not to be frightened, that she was alive and just fine, but her feet didn't move. She was held firm by that part of her brain that sensed the danger in revealing herself. Hide, and bide your time. You are not safe. Step by step, Chenda melted backwards into the woods.
An hour before dawn, Chenda arrived at the nearest trolley stop and boarded the first car that stopped there. The pain in her hands made fishing the fare out of her pouch-belt a flaming nightmare. It was all she could do not to scream. She eventually made her way downtown and into the university district. Finally, she reached Candice's apartment.
Chenda knocked weakly on the door frame and waited. Nothing happened. She knocked again, this time with all the strength she had left. She even kicked the drab door for emphasis. She swayed slightly as she stood there, tears of despair and exhaustion building in her eyes. When the door finally opened, Chenda fell through it.
“Gods above!” Candice squawked as she dove toward the floor to grab Chenda's limp body. “What happened to you?!” She reached under Chenda's arms and pulled her toward the small sofa. Candice knew she would never be able to lift the girl onto the couch, so she pulled several pillows and a cushion onto the floor and propped Chenda's back up against them. Chenda moaned and let her head fall backwards to rest on the seat, her arms flopping to the floor. Candice looked down into the young woman's face and gasped! She jumped away from her companion and raced back to the door, pulling the carpet bag in from where Chenda had dropped it and securing the lock. Chenda watched as Candice raced back across the small living room and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Candice...” she whimpered. In what she hoped was a safe place, Chenda finally gave in to the pain. Tears rolled tracks through the soot on Chenda's cheeks. She was sobbing as the professor reappeared with an armload of supplies and a large glass of water.
“I'm coming, deary. Just hold on,” Candice said in a motherly tone as she tried to decide where to begin. "Drink," she ordered, pressing the glass to the girl's lips. Between spasms of tears, Chenda sucked in the cool water, and it pushed some of the smoke out of her aching throat. With each swallow, she could feel Daniel's weight on her neck again. She shuddered.
“Let's peel you out of that coat and then you start telling me what happened.” Candice slowly
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