A/N: Though you might not be able to tell by this chapter, I have rewritten this story and am updating it and replacing chapters for it, so please go back and re-read them. -AuthorOfTomorrow216

Chapter One

I attract trouble like fresh blood calls to a shark. That's also part of the reason why I'm in a burning building. The other part? Well, naturally, I want to blame someone else, but the truth is that I might just be the death of me.

The thick and heavy smoke gagged me and clung to my worn clothes like those irritable stickers you get by running through weeds. I needed to find a way out or I was toast, quite literally. Any other day I would have laughed at my lame joke. When the fire was trying to embrace me like a wicked step mother was not the time for jokes, much less lame ones.

The only good thing about being in this situation was that I have been in worse. Trust me; I'd take a burning building over a car chase with a car that stalled in the middle of an intersection any day. You could say that I have been extremely lucky that I have lived my seventeen years with all of my near-death experiences. I would say that it really didn't matter much if I ended up as an unrecognizable crispy piece of human in the next two minutes.

I nearly danced to keep my body or my clothes from catching fire. Debris was everywhere, threatening to trip me, especially the pieces that were trying to add to the internal heating. Sweat was dripping down my face, getting into my eyes and blurring my vision. Even if I bragged about my exciting life all the time, would I give it up for a day to sleep in past five in the morning? Or maybe splurge and eat a full meal? Hell yeah, but that didn't seem to be happening any time soon.

"Come on out, kiddy!" yelled a man who was definitely 'too close for comfort.' At least I had something to look forward too. If I died, hopefully these idiots would too. Instead of waiting for me to get out of the burning building or waiting till after I boiled; the people chasing me decided to confront me in it. If I got out of here alive hopefully I would be the only one. If not, I should throw in my apron right now.

"We know you're here," another man nearly cooed. I clenched my jaw, why wouldn't these guys just leave me alone? I looked around wildly trying to find a way out. I spotted a window that had cracked from the heat. I smiled and carefully stepped around pieces of ceiling that were starting to give way. I heard an ominous creaking sound and looked above me. Never a good idea. More creaking ensued and I finally got the clue when a crossbeam gave way and landed not even two feet away from me.

I had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming curse words. I couldn't risk those men hearing me, they were already too close. Finally getting my heart to beat at a somewhat normal pace I took one bound and made it to the broken window. I found a piece of broken furniture and cleared the edges of the window so I wouldn't gut myself. Sticking my head out the frame I sucked in a large breath of semi-fresh air. I lifted an arm and tried to wipe sweat out of my eyes. I looked down and my stomach summersaulted. I didn't think that I had traveled up that far.

"There he is!" yelled another man. I looked back at him and his two cronies. I looked back out of the window and swallowed a lump in my throat. I stepped a few feet back and took a few deep breathes. Either way I was sure I was going to die. I think anyone would rather perish on their own terms. I ran forward and jumped.