VI
My heart is pounding. My lungs are raw. I slip my hand into Topi’s. Miro has always looked after us and Emilia has always been his favourite. He will keep her safe. I know he will.
The footsteps cross the roof again. Something else hits the side of the building. The footsteps go back. There’s a shout from outside. It’s not just screaming. It’s words. Someone else is out there. Someone like us.
“Run.” Topi sits up, suddenly alert. “We need to run.”
“I don’t know where Miro and Emilia are.”
“Doesn’t matter. You know that.” He shakes his head. “You shouldn’t still be in here.”
We listen at every door for sounds of movement on the other side. As Topi pulls open a silent door, I see them, Miro and Emilia. Emilia is on all fours and Miro is holding her hair and rubbing her back. When he sees me, he puts his arm around her shoulder and pulls her to her feet.
Topi is through the door first, then Miro with Emilia and I’m last. When I pull the door, the light flares and I hear shearing metal. Something falls through the roof as the door slams.
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A Writer's Life for Me 