I Confess

Murph rolled his eyes, but then he turned around. ‘Oh shit.’

Edie ran for the door.

Murph pointed to the corner. ‘Laura! Throw me that sheet, and that brush.’

Laura grabbed them and flung them at him. He threw the sheet on to the flames and used the handle of the brush to poke at it. The smoke bomb was still smoking.

Edie cried out from the door. ‘OK – this isn’t funny! Murph!’

‘What’s wrong with you now?’ he said.

Edie was holding up the doorknob.

‘What’s that?’ said Murph. ‘Did that come off? I didn’t do that. I swear to God!’

Murph’s eyes were so filled with fear that Edie started to cry. ‘Oh, God! No! No! No!’ She turned to the door and started slapping her hands against it. ‘Help us! Help! Help! Help!’

‘Shut the fuck up!’ said Laura, lunging for her. ‘For fuck’s sake. We’re going to get caught! We’ll be fucked!’

‘We’re surely fucked if we can’t get out,’ said Murph, striding past Laura to the door. Clare and Helen followed.

‘Seriously – how are we supposed to get out?’ said Edie.

Behind them, Jessie stood up, swaying, holding her drink high, trying not to spill it.

Laura was pointing to the hole where the doorknob should have been. ‘Can you not just turn the thing inside it?’

‘You can’t,’ said Murph. ‘You have to slide something in between the door and the frame to knock the latch back.’

Edie was sobbing.

‘Shut up,’ said Laura. ‘It’s not like we’re not going to get out.’

‘And I don’t think that sheet worked,’ said Jessie.

The others turned around, and saw the flames crawling along it.

‘Jessie! Get up, for God’s sake!’ said Clare.

‘Get over here!’ said Laura.

‘Will I throw some cider on it?’ said Jessie.

‘No!’ said Laura. ‘Get the fuck away from it!’

‘Don’t throw anything on it except water,’ said Clare.

‘Lads – what’s in those bottles under the counter?’ said Laura. ‘Could any of them be water? Those ones look like camping bottles.’

Jessie bent, put down her can, and picked up a bottle.

‘No, no, no!’ said Clare. ‘Don’t let her near anything! Don’t!’

Jessie started unscrewing the lid. ‘I’m only smelling it.’ She put it too close to her mouth, and tipped some on to her lips. ‘Oh, God no,’ she said, recoiling. ‘That’s kerosene.’ She swung the bottle wide, and everyone watched, horrified, as it sent an arc of fuel across the room.

‘Nooo!’ said Edie, hammering on the door, screaming for help.

‘Get her, Murph!’ shouted Helen, pointing at Jessie.

Flames were starting to rise. Murph reached a hand towards Jessie. ‘Get the fuck over here now.’

‘I’m coming, I’m coming,’ said Jessie. ‘Relax.’ But she took a step sideways, leaned too far, and then staggered back to the other counter.

‘OK – don’t move,’ said Murph. ‘You’re OK, there’s no fire there, but as soon as I get this fucking door open, head for Laura – her jacket’s nice and white, grab the back of it, and go.’

Edie and Laura were slamming their hands against the door, screaming for help. Murph pushed in behind them and hammered at the door with the side of his fist.

They heard a shout from outside, ‘Hello? Hello?’ It was a boy’s voice.

They all screamed. ‘In here! In here! We’re trapped!’ They banged on the door again.

‘Hold on!’ he said. ‘I have a key. Hold on! Stop banging!’

‘It won’t work!’ shouted Murph. ‘The lock’s fucked. Who’s that? Is that Patrick?’

‘Yes!’

‘Help!’ Edie started screaming. ‘It’s Edie! Help!’

‘Thanks be to fuck, Patrick!’ said Murph. ‘Thanks be to fuck!’

‘OK – wait! Wait!’ he said. ‘I’ll get something.’

‘Hurry up!’ said Edie.

‘Hurry the fuck up!’ said Laura.

They could hear him rattling around outside. ‘OK, OK. Stand back a bit.’

‘Jesus, I don’t know if we want to do that,’ said Murph.

‘You’ve not much choice,’ Patrick said. They could hear the sound of metal in between the door and the door frame. ‘Get back!’

They all held hands, and took a small step back. They heard the bang of a hammer against the metal, and the ping as it slid off.

‘Come on t’fuck!’ said Murph. ‘Jesus Christ! Hurry the fuck up!’

‘Shhh!’ said Helen, elbowing him. ‘You’re doing a great job, Patrick!’ she shouted. ‘Keep going. Keep going! Keep your eyes on it, your hand out of the way, and go.’