• On my back, I gasp for air. The blood curdling shrieks of terror and confusion engulf my almost paralyzed body. I see feet stampede to both the left and right of me. At any point, they could trample over my body, and some do stomp on my hands, though I assume accidentally. There’s nothing I can do and no one I can turn to. It’s every man for his self, and as this realization hits me, a single tear runs down my cheek. Who would have guessed that that would be the end, my life not being coddled and helped along by the love of family and friends, but smothered by the overpriced footwear or secretaries and business people? I wait in silence, not looking for help any longer, resigned to my fate. If I am destined to die in such a grotesque way, I at least deserve my dignity and pride.
    A few minutes pass, and the room has been emptied. Paper, pens, and other such office supplies are strung all around the floor and desks. There’s a man knocked out on the floor. It was curious that he had not woken up during all of the commotion. Upon closer inspection, however, it can be seen that a part of his skull was caved in and bleeding profusely. He was clearly a casualty of the scuffle that had just occurred. I’m left alone, alive, but alone. At any minute, the building could collapse, taking me with it. I scan the room further for any sign of something that could help me exit the building. No doubt the elevators are offline, and I wouldn’t be able to reach the button regardless. I had to do something, and fast. Using all of my strength, I flipped myself over. I had not had to use so much strength in a while, since I had a personal assistant to do it for me; obviously the hired help was to my detriment in the long run. My arms were not what they used to be.
    Suddenly, the floor began to shake a second time. It had only been about four minutes since the last. This one, however, was different. It seemed more fine-tuned, as if it came from inside the very building, which seemed preposterous, considering how high the security was. Taking this explosion as a sign of my end, I gathered up what little strength I collected and dragged myself toward the window. Adrenaline rushed through my body as I got nearer and nearer to my destination. By this time, smoke had gotten into the room and would have smothered me, if I was not so low to the ground. The windows had shattered during the first explosion, giving me a chance at living. I reach the window, peak over the edge and see firemen attempting to rescue people on higher stories. Looking down, I saw two firemen had caught a woman in some kind of net or sheet that I had seen used in a few movies before that included people jumping out of high windows. This was my ticket. Adrenaline allowed me to wave my arms like a man about to die, which in this case, I was. The firemen moved their net toward my position. Tears ran down my face as my one wish for this moment came true, I would be saved. With the last bit of my strength, I sprung out of the window.
    Down, down, down I go. Adrenaline seeped out of each one of my pours. My hand grasped my chest in pain, as if it had caught afire. With each moment passing, the pain grew more and more unbearable, and my sight grew more and more blurry. I thought I had escaped my death, only to find that it had me from the start, and as my eyes lose their light, I think about the life that could have been led, and the life I would lead nevermore.