Burning for her

Chapter 29

No matter how smoothly it went, I was happy to be out anyway. I dropped my stuff into the back seat, ready to get in, when a loud voice stopped me in my motions. "Clara!"

My head spun around with a frown, looking at Olivia, running towards me. What the hell?

"Were you with Abigail?" She was panting, out of breath, worry on her face when she arrived in front of me.

"No." I shook my head, confused at... everything.

"Fuck! Is she home?" She cursed, starting to breathe even quicker.

"I don't know." I really didn't. I hated that I didn't. "Olivia. Breathe." I grabbed her shoulders. "What is going on?"

"She isn't picking up."

"And?!" I was starting to get more and more frustrated. She was talking nonsense, not answering clearly.

"You didn't hear?" She frowned, typing something on her phone.

"I obviously didn't. What are you talking about?" She didn't answer, searching for something on her phone. I grabbed the device, pulling it away harshly. "I'm really starting to lose my patience." I warned her.

"There was a fire in the studio."

"What?!" If I thought my heart was beating fast when I arrived here I was wrong. That was nothing compared to the rapidness of my heart at that moment.

"It was on the news, I thought you knew." She reached out for her phone again, calling someone. "I just found out that there were people in the building. They said there weren't at first."

"Where is Abigail?" I looked down at my watch. It was 7:23. There was a 99% chance that she was there.

"I don't fucking know. The last time we talked was on her way over to the studio. Since then she hasn't answered."

I think it was only a few seconds, but it felt like long minutes as I stared at her. I didn't like what I heard. I fucking didn't. "Get in." I opened my own door, already starting the engine before Olivia was inside.

"If first they said there was no one inside and then changed that means they found someone after. With time passing. Right?"

I didn't answer Olivia. I completely ignored her.

"That means that, that someone was in there, in the burning building for a while, right?"

"Stop." I whispered. I was basically begging for her.

"What if-"

"Stop!" I said louder. Harsher. Harsh enough to scare her and get her to shut up finally.

I thought about myself as a pretty brave person. I faced challenges before, but what I felt on the 15 drive was nothing compared to any previous experience with fear I have ever had.

It felt like I was standing on a cliff, looking down, feeling dizzy. My heart leaped, pounded faster. The sound of it was louder than the whole world around me, closing out any outside noise. There was a heavy ache in my chest, like a heavy stone was sitting on it.

It was more than just fear, it was a hollow feeling inside me, choking me, threatening to kill me right there and then. The tightness in my throat didn't ease the feeling. It was nothing like fear or being scared. With every passing moment there was a growing sharp pain in my head.

It felt like the ground beneath me wasn't solid anymore. Like all I could do was stand there and wait to drown, wait for the ground to close up above me. I've already felt it coming. I hoped it was only a momentary discomfort, my body reacting to my worry. The last thing I wanted was to have a panic attack while driving. In front of Olivia.