Adaline awoke from her deep sleep to the smell of burning wood and the sound of the girls around her screaming. Her eyes widened and she quickly jumped out of the bunk she was using that week at Snow Camp. She couldn’t believe she had slept through all of this madness! Everywhere she looked bright; burning flames arched their way up the walls and licked at curtains and blankets. It looked as if most of the girls had gotten out but as far as Adaline could see only a few were left. Adaline coughed and shielded her eyes from the stinging smoke. She got down on her hands and knees and slowly made her way through the smoke filled room, trying to feel her way by pushing aside burnt clothing and objects. The dark smoke enclosed around her and the bright flames got closer and closer until Adaline could feel the heat on her face.

I need to keep going, she thought desperately. She was almost absolutely sure the stairway was in the direction she was going. Adaline breathed in a sigh of relief when she saw the staircase but fell back coughing from inhaling the smoke. She knew she had to get out of the room before the fire consumed her but just as she was going to descend the stairs she heard a muffled cry for help nearby. She wanted to help so she cried out,

“Hello? Where are you? We need to get out this place is going to come crashing down!” She listened carefully and heard another cry from a dark corner next to her. She made her way towards it through the smoke and was surprised to see her friend, May, huddling in the corner with a damp cloth over her mouth.

“May, come on!” she urged in between coughs. The smoke was gathering far too quickly now and Adaline was getting worried. But May’s eyes were wide with fear and she wasn’t planning on moving. Suddenly a beam from the ceiling came crashing down and fell on top of Adaline’s head. May sat there speechless in fear. What was she going to do?