Chapter 7 - The Final Warning
The intense shockwave threw us violently against the hallway wall, knocking the breath completely out of my lungs.
Thick, black smoke immediately began pouring into the hallway from the downstairs living room.
Clara had clearly set a highly sophisticated explosive trap before coming up to the attic to find me.
She wanted to ensure the house burned entirely to the ground, destroying all the evidence of her crimes.
I held Harper tightly against my chest, covering her mouth with my shirt to filter out the toxic smoke.
The fire alarms screamed frantically, creating a deafening symphony of pure, unadulterated panic.
I carefully looked down the stairs and saw a massive wall of raging flames blocking the front door.
The entire lower level of the beautiful Victorian house was rapidly turning into a deadly inferno.
I knew we had to find another way out before the structural beams completely collapsed.
I carried Harper into the master bedroom and slammed the heavy oak door shut to block the intense heat.
I grabbed a heavy chair and smashed it violently against the large glass window overlooking the backyard.
The thick glass shattered completely, letting a rush of cold, fresh air into the suffocating room.
I looked down and saw a steep, terrifying drop to the hard concrete patio below.
It was far too high to jump without risking severely broken bones or even certain death.
I quickly tore the heavy bedsheets off the mattress and began tying them into a makeshift rope.
My trauma training kept my hands completely steady despite the massive adrenaline coursing through my veins.
I secured one end of the tight rope to the heavy wooden bed frame.
I carefully wrapped the other end securely around Harper's waist, creating a makeshift safety harness.
I told her she was the bravest girl in the entire world and that I would be right behind her.
Harper nodded bravely, her tiny face covered in dark soot and streaming tears.
I gently lowered her out of the broken window, feeling the immense heat of the fire licking at my back.
She reached the ground safely and quickly untied the heavy knot around her waist.
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Just as I prepared to climb down the sheets myself, the bedroom door was violently kicked open.
Clara stood in the doorway, her clothes partially on fire, holding a massive kitchen knife.
