Dancing on Glass

Hellfire

Cinderella just stared in confusion at the figure that appeared through the smoke, not entirely believing she was seeing what her eyes told her she was, suspicious of her muddled, intoxicated mind.

But then Jazz was stumbling through, coughing and squinting through the smoke, dressed in his same old shabby garments, hat pulled low to shield his eyes, sword and dagger glinting at his hip like he was going hunting, a soaking wet cape over one arm.

He looked so completely out of place in the blazing smoke and choking heat, like a dream in a nightmare.

"Cinderella," he choked out.

"Key," she coughed, pointing to the key that hung on the wall.

He looked around and snatched it off the wall, running across the room, throwing the wet cape around her, the cold of the water wonderful against her fiery skin.

She showed him her chained ankle.

He let out a vile curse as he shoved the key into the lock and twisted.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

Forcing it to turn, his muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt as he tried to command it to turn.

It didn't move.

The pair looked at each other, silver-blue eyes meeting honey and tears formed in both, tears that had nothing to do with the smoke.

It was the wrong key.

It wasn't going to unlock the chain no matter what Jazz willed it to do.

Cinderella found his hand and gripped it tightly, her voice failing her as tears choked her.

Jazz threw his arms around her, holding her tight, eyes wide as he desperately scanned the room for an answer.

Below them they heard a loud crack then scream as something gave way.

The tower could fall.

What if it fell with Jazz still inside?

Cinderella shoved him back.

"You have to go!" she shouted.

"I'm not leaving you here!" he shouted back, both coughing as smoke filled their mouths.

"You have to go!" she shouted again, eyes scanning the room. They fell on the sword and dagger at his hip and blinked. Without a second thought, she snatched the dagger from its sheath. "Leave this with me," she said.

"What?" Jazz asked, startled, "What are you doing?"

Without a word, Cinderella drove the dagger down, jamming it into the notch of one of the screws that locked the two halves of the cuff together as the back of her ankle.

She began to twist, as hard as she could to try and loosen the bolt.

"Go!" she shouted at Jazz.

Jazz just reached passed her, his body wrapping around hers as he took hold of the dagger, repositioned it and, together, they forced the screw to turn.

It gave way with a sudden jolt; loosening all in one go and they were able to unscrew it with their fingers.

Without pause, Jazz moved to the second screw and again they both forced the screw loose.

It was barely off her ankle before Jazz grabbed her arm and wrenched Cinderella to her feet, pausing only to shove her worn out shoes onto her feet to protect them then throwing her towards the stairs and forcing her down ahead of him.

They ran, almost racing the flames.

When Cinderella threw the kitchen door open, flames roared at her, making her scream and stumble back towards Jazz who wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

They stared.

Jazz's eyes flicked to the main kitchen door he had run through but flaming beams had fallen and now blocked it.

Moving Cinderella back he ran to the back door and pulled but it was also locked.

Cinderella ran to the door that hid the tunnel and pulled but it was also locked.

Jazz slammed his shoulder into the back door but it didn't even tremble and a sudden burst of flames from his left forced him back, making him recoil, reaching for Cinderella.

"What do we do?" he muttered and his voice trembled with fear, his hand clutching hers tightly as they backed towards the stairs.

Cinderella didn't reply. She continued to stare at the raging fires before them before something clicked in her mind and she looked towards the mantelpiece where several vases sat.

"There!" she said, pointing to them, "can you knock down those vases?"

Jazz darted the flames and struck them down with a single swing of his arm and the vases shattered across the floor.

And out fell what Cinderella had been praying for. Dia's keys were still there where she'd left them the night Vanessa and her company had vanished down the tunnel.

Gripping the hot metal with the damp cape, she stuffed the first key into the lock and threw the side door open. Next she unlocked the trap door and heaved it up, throwing it back and diving into the tunnel, still cool and dark and untouched.

She raced forwards towards the exit, wincing at the deafening grinding and creaking and moaning overhead.

The relief at the cool moonlight appearing up ahead made her near collapse in relief but not until she was through the gates.

Her hands collided with the bars, a second's horror that they may be locked once again flashing through her, but they swung open, silent against the night and she fell out, crashing into the undergrowth of the forest.

She whirled around, gazing up, eyes wide as she stared up at the back of the manor.

An entire wing was ablaze.

It stood against the night sky like some sort of monster that came from below and dragged hellfire up with it.

Breathing hard, she looked down from the house, back to the tunnel and blinked.

She looked around her, then behind, then to the tunnel again.

"Jazz?" she called, stumbling to her feet, the cape slipping from her shoulders.

No one answered.

"Jazz!" she cried, her eyes widening.

Jazz hadn't followed her out.

~~~

Next up: Tomorrow

Art By: Image of Fire from Vampire Wars

I'll need to change the title 'Cinderella' at some point

Need to figure out a title -.-