You and Devon had broken things off two months ago, you hadn't talked ever since and the fight you two had was still not cleared up and was filled with misunderstandings and accusations.

You lived in an apartment right on top of some elderly lady with alzheimer. The entire building was a little run down and old with thin walls, but it was the only thing you could afford as a broke college student in debt and with unsupportive parents.

Unfortunately, said elderly lady left the stove on last night before heading out. She hadn't returned home ever since and probably got lost somewhere, she going missing in evenings or nights happened before during fall or winter. And while the whole building was asleep, her kitchen started catching fire, quickly spreading over her entire apartment and waking everyone. And also you woke up to the fire right below, smoke filling your lungs.

The smoke detectors hadn't been working because you took them out because they're overly sensitive and they kept going off each time you're cooking something. You woke up late. When you left your apartment the fire already crawled up the stairs and prevented you from leaving. The laminate was awfully hot under your feet as you ran back. The emergency exit was on that side of the hallway as well and you didn't reach it from your apartment's location because the flames were too close and blocking the way.

So in your despair you went back inside your apartment, your socks almost slipping away on the floor as you rounded a corner. You opened a window to lean outside, seeing a couple civilians and neighbors from the same building who managed to flee in time. The police cars were there as well as fire engine and ambulances, blocking the road to the story building.

They were talking with each other and getting ready to put the flames out, you were starting to panick as the fire lit up the building in the dead of the night. You looked down; it was too high for you to jump out and land without dying. And you were unable to climb out because there was nothing to hold onto. You were stuck.

And the closer the flames crept to your apartment and the more smoke filled your lungs, the more lightheaded you were starting to feel from the smoke. And from down on the pavement, Devon stood among his colleagues of the fire department. He obviously knew this was your house and he had noticed you at the windowsill looking through the black smoke that rose high. You had been cornered by the fire he knew you were so afraid of. You hated the heat and you hated fire, it was no secret to Devon.

It's the same house in which you had gotten complaints from the neighbor next door because you and Devon were too loud during your 'night activities'. The same house where he'd pick you up from to go on silly dates that ended with both of you laughing and stumbling back up the stairs, failing to be quiet and serious. Where you had gotten your first asthma attack and Devon started to panic because he didn't know what was going on. The same house he'd spend the night at simply because you didn't want to be alone and called him in tears at midnight.

The same house's door Devon had slammed shut when he left in his rage after accusing you of cheating. There were rumors you had slept with your professor, fear creeped up into his heart.

You had the top apartment, you hadn't managed to get out in time and couldn't get down. He was worried, he could see your figure behind the wall of black smoke, looking around desperately for help. Your knees buckled just a bit until you're leaning against the windowsill and holding on the side of the window to try and get at least some oxygen, but everything that hit your face was the thick smoke from the flames right below your apartment. The shirt with which you had covered your nose and mouth didn't prevent you from inhaling the smoke and it didn't take long for you to start coughing and struggling to breath more. Sweat formed on your skin as the air got warmer each minute, it was a miracle the floor didn't break in under you yet.