Crossfire

You wake up one day and feel the call to service. The thought of blood makes you squeamish you could never be a paramedic or doctor. The police academy is hard to get into, but the local fire department is accepting new recruits. Being a firefighter is a chivalrous job. From fighting fires to rescuing cats in trees, you think it’s a fit, so you decide to visit Volunteer Fire Station 116. The chief’s eyes light up when you walk in and show interest in joining. Recruiting new firefighters gets harder with each generation. The chief gives you the tour and you share your drive to serve. He invites you to his office to go over some paperwork and discuss the on-site training requirements. After reviewing some things in the office the chief’s walkie talkie chirps and he excuses himself into the hallway to respond. You can’t clearly hear the messages from the talkie, but you clearly hear the chief exclaim “I QUIT.” Seconds later you hear a key rattling in the door and heavy footsteps run into the distance of the hallway and down the stairs. You’re trapped. And you hear a BANG under your feet from the first floor. The smell of something burning fills your nostrils. You’re locked in to the chief’s office and a fire has sparked down below. Fires like these have been known to spread fast! You’re not trained for this. But it turns out you better learn fast. Trial by fire has taken on a new meaning. Your mission is to signal for help by alerting a nearby fire department and escaping before you run out of oxygen … or get engulfed in flames.