Stalemate

Mia coughed and spluttered as the smoke enveloped her. She could barely see her hand before her face as the acrid stench enveloped her. It smelled like the remains of a burned-out car, and it just kept coming.

Roxanne must have hooked up the explosive to a smoke bomb or machine. Mia tried to catch her bearings when she heard a cackle echoing through the haze.

“I can hear you, Mia.”

Mia froze, her breath catching in her throat. How was that possible with just a pair of glasses? This was like a horror movie chase.

She pricked her ears up, attempting to hear where Roxanne was and if she’d moved towards her. Mia had to get back in the game after such a disastrous start.

She thought she saw a human movement in the smoke. Mia spun away, coughing again as the smoke invaded her throat. How long would this smoke take to dissipate anyway?

“Come on, Mia. I’m getting closer.”

Mia turned, and her boot caught something. An inhuman sound escaped between her lips as she lost her footing and tumbled forward. Mia landed hard on the ground, stunning her.

Then she realized her luck.

Every fire safety lecture in the world said that heat and smoke rose with cooler, fresher air on the ground. Crucially, not only could she breathe better from this position, but her visibility also improved.

Mia tried to limit her movements as she twisted her head to see as far through the smoke as possible. The faint outline of Roxanne’s combat boots was a few feet away, searching for her. If she stayed still long enough, she might be able to wait out the swirling mist.