A dull ache stretched from my knees to the muscles in my thighs as the weight of disaster and smoke in the air anchored me to the floor. I fought the invisible weight to stand, and the door handle was hot when I pulled it open to rush out into the hallway.
Tapestries hung on the high ceiling were tangling with falling beams corroded from the heat of fires. Fires painted scarlet flowers on the carpet that stretched across the long floor before incinerating it completely. The flames then reached the painted walls and danced across the crumbling surfaces. I took in the horrifying sight through the thick smoke that surrounded me.
