It was the heat. That’s what woke him up. Then, before Mark opened his eyes, he heard a loud crackling. Then, finally, his stomach lurched as he picked out human screams.
He threw off the bed covers, stumbling to the door. His hands slipped on the handle, the sweat making it hard to grip. He burst into the hallway. A fiery orange glow flooded in from the window at the far end. The shadows on the wall danced frantically as he ran the few steps to the kids’ room. He threw open the door.
Both were still asleep. “Kids! Suzie, Mickey! We need to go! Quickly.” He tried not scream at them, but he was panicking. He peeked behind the curtains as the kids stirred, and could see smoke billowing up from the floors below.
“Daddy, what is it?” Suzie’s voice was cracked, a dry throat from the heat.
“Come on, we’ve got to go,” said Mark, scooping Suzie out of the bed.
“What’s that noise?” Mickey’s voice came from the direction of the window.
“Mickey, come here! Stay away from there just now.” He took his hand, pulling him into the hallway.
An enormous, shuddering bang shook the floor.