Page 101 of Under the Influence

Lainey pulls him back by his hand, “Don’t listen to him. You don’t have to do what he says.”

Drayton kisses her temple, “I know.”

He walks away, the high weeds crunching under his shoes. This place is overgrown and hasn’t been taken care of in years. It used to be an old paper mill or something. I’m not entirely sure, but I know that no one has occupied this building in at least twenty years.

I look from left to right, suddenly feeling a little uneasy about Nash sending Drayton inside the building alone. It is abandoned, but the people that hang around here leave dead bodies behind. At least they did recently. He wants to scare him, but we don’t need to risk his life. Not to mention there is no electricity, so it is pitch black.

The metal steps creak beneath Drayton’s feet, and he pulls out his phone for a flashlight.

Nash pulls me away from everyone, pulling a zippo lighter from the pocket of his jeans, “Call the fire station. Tell them there’s been an accident.”

Fear fills my lungs, and I smell smoke because he must’ve already started a fire somewhere else. I try to talk him out of it, “Nash, no. You won’t get away with this. It’s arson, and not to mention it’s how his dad and little sister died. It’s cruel.”

“We’ll tell them it was an accident, and we won’t hurt him. Not physically.”

Before I can stop him, Drayton disappears inside the building, and Nash swings himself around the railing and up the stairs, shoving a metal bar between the handles of the two steel doors.

A thick lump instantly fills my throat, and my heart feels like it could burst at any minute. I have to stop him.

“What are you doing!” Lainey screams, closing the gap between her and Nash, pounding her fists into his chest. Nash pushes her away, and Drayton slams against the doors.

“Guys! Let me out!”

Nash walks around and busts a window, flipping the zippo open and tossing it inside. The floor beneath is instantly covered in flames.

“Nash, you son of a bitch! This isn’t funny!”

Lainey tries to move the metal, but Nash has it wedged in pretty good. Nothing a girl who weighs a buck-o-five can move.

“Dray!” she yells. “Dray, just hang on, we’re gonna get you out!”

He doesn’t respond to her.

“Nash,” I warn. “Come on, this is too much. Move the bar.”

He stands frozen, staring at the door as Crew moves to help Lainey pull against the metal bar.

“No,” Nash quips. “Don’t.”

Crew lowers his hand, stepping back, earning a hateful look from Lainey. The sirens are approaching in the distance, and I grab Nash by the shirt, pushing him, “Open the door, Nash. You’ve gone too far.”

I mean it. This is too much. Nash just stares at me, almost challenging me to help them. I glance back over my shoulder and see Lainey struggling.

I cave.

I walk over to where Lainey is pulling against the bar and give it one good pull, but it’s stuck. It’s wedged in there, and its shape is hard to get a good grip on.

I hear the faint sound of Drayton coughing, and I start to panic, screaming at Nash, “Nash, help me get him out!”

He stands unfazed, staring while I walk along the side of the building, searching for another door or a window low enough to bust. Lainey frantically helps me, screaming at everyone else, “Are you all serious right now? You’re all just going to stand there and let him die!”

The flames are visible on one side of the building where Nash threw the lighter in, and the smoke is billowing out into the night air. Lainey finds a window, pulling her hoodie over her head and wrapping it tightly around her hand.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I’m breaking the window, Carson.”

I know she won’t be strong enough to do it, so I grab the hoodie from her. Acting fast, I throw my fist into the old window, shattering it. I yell for Drayton, but I don’t see him. I hear the coughing get closer, and I see Madden and Drayton appear around the corner of the building. There must’ve been another door that Madden was able to use to get him out.