Temptation & Trouble (Surrender to Them 2)

I finished another drink and watched some of the second movie. I definitely didn’t need another refill, but I was past the point of good decisions. I walked back to the kitchen, filled my glass again, and reached for the cigarette. It only took me a few seconds to locate a book of matches, and I quickly ignited one. The smoke was harsh in my throat and made my lungs hurt, but I didn’t cough. It wasn’t as pleasant as I remembered, especially after not smoking for so long, but the nicotine rush was familiar. I walked back into the living room, plopped down on the couch and pulled more poison into my lungs. I used an empty soda can as an ashtray as I took a few more puffs. My eyes were heavy, and the last thing I saw before they forced themselves closed was the haze floating above my eyes as I exhaled.

“Oh fuck, what’s going on?” I blinked in surprise and sat up on my couch as a siren pulled me out of my drunken slumber.

My eyes struggled to focus, and I immediately started to cough as smoke filled my lungs. It was thick and tasted sour. I heard a crackling sound and felt an intense heat near my arm. I turned to see a raging inferno near my television that was spreading towards my curtains. A trail of burn marks on the carpet led to the blaze where the cigarette had apparently rolled before it started to burn out of control.

That woke me up completely as I realized my apartment was on fire. I jumped up from the couch, slammed my leg into the coffee table, and stumbled towards the blaze. I managed to catch myself before the flames touched my skin, but I went down to one knee. It was hard to breathe, and my head was spinning. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the carbon dioxide, but I knew I was in danger. I tried to get to my feet, but my knee was weak from hitting it against the coffee table. Adrenaline pushed me forward for a moment, and then I felt my world going black.

“There’s someone in here!” A loud voice echoed in my ears and I felt strong arms lifting me off the carpet.

It took me some time to realize what was going on exactly. I was vaguely aware that I was being carried out of my apartment by someone, and there were a lot of voices around me. It was only a momentary consciousness before I started to pass out again. When my eyes opened, I was laying on a stretcher and there was an oxygen mask on my face. There were lights and sirens all around me. I looked up towards the night sky, I saw billowing smoke and an orange glow coming from my apartment building. My thoughts began to process the sight as I looked around to see a lot of people in pajamas and night gowns on the sidewalk. Some of them looked at me with angry stares etched on their faces.

“Oh god, my apartment!” I sat up on the stretcher and pulled at the oxygen mask, but then someone put their hand on my shoulder.

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” The voice was calm, and I turned to see a man in a reflective yellow jacket sitting next to me. “The fire will be out soon.”

He adjusted the mask so that it was back in position across my nose and I felt my head spinning again. I lay back on the stretcher, but I didn’t pass out. I looked over at the man who was sitting next to me. He had soot around his eyes and a few speckles in his sandy colored hair. If I wasn’t struggling to breathe after speaking, I would have asked him what his name was. His attire, and the helmet on the ground next to him, suggested that he was a firefighter. The events of the evening began to pierce through the fog of alcohol and carbon dioxide swirling in my head. I set my apartment on fire. The last thing I remembered was holding the lit cigarette in my hand while I stared at the ceiling.

Oh god, what have I done?