The men hadn't introduced themselves. She hadn't met them. She hadn't been caught by Cindy.
How did all of that happen? Flower doesn't know. All she hears is a loud boom before the building erupted in screams. Screams so desperate and heartbreaking, Flower wishes she could save them. The rest is a blur. Aaron quickly grabs her and shoves her out the door. He might have said something to her, but she doesn't hear him over the noise. She runs down the stairs to the fourth floor. There, the place is crowded. All the students there are scrambling to get out. What are they running away from? Flower doesn't know and doesn't want to know. Did Aaron tell her something important? It doesn't matter now. The people in front of her, men and women alike, are pushing and shoving each other to get to the exit first. Caring only about their lives. In the haze of panic, Flower worries if this would end up like the mob near the mall. The students are running down the stairs and yet it seems like she hasn't moved at all. Is that just her? The students around her are all adults, eighteen and older. So when a younger person is stuck in the mob, Flower easily picks them out. Behind her stands Ary. Usually the triplets are together, but this time Ary is by herself. Why? Doesn't matter. She lets the people behind her push in front of her like they want until she reaches Ary. The pressure, the movement, the suffocation all shows on Ary's face.
"ARY." The girl continues looking around nervously trying to stay on her own two feet."
"ARY. ARY" Deja vu. Flower tries to get closer to her. She moves right next to her and the girl jumps.
Her face is terrified and is stripped of its usual cockiness.
"What is going on Flower?" She shouts over the crowd.
"I don't know but something is wrong. Take my hand." Ary looks at the girl's hand like it's poisonous.
Come on Ary, this isn't the time to be worried about our status.
"Take me hand so we can help each other stay on our feet and not be crushed in this mob." A loud boom like a piece of concrete crashing into the building shakes the ground and people's screams are renewed. But Ary is still staring at Flower's hand. Annoyance blooms in Flower. She can't believe this girl. She wants to say something but Ary beats her to it.
"How can I trust you?" Flower stares at her, sure that the screams have altered her hearing.
"What?"
"How do I know you won't use me to stay on your feet, then let me go when you are done to save your own life?" Flower stares. A young man behind her trips and falls on top of her. Flower forces herself to not scream even though he's heavy. She tries to slide from under him but the people are too much and she doesn't have enough space to get out. For the third time in the last few minutes the mob with Macy flashes in her head. This time she might not survive. She is suffocating. The students walk over her like she doesn't exist with only themselves in mind. The young girl becomes desperate but she hears a voice in her head.
"You have to think in the most hopeless of situations. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you, but you are too clouded by panic that you ignore or sometimes push it away yourself. Just breathe and think"
Flower feels like crying. Out of all the times she could remember her mother it happens right now. The memory is blurry from a young age. Her mother's voice is soft but it grew rougher after time. Sometimes it would pop in her mind and this is the worst timing yet. But she forces herself to think. The brain needs oxygen to work. I guess I'll have to train my brain to work otherwise. She tries to look at her situation, the way she was able to see herself in the mob that day. From another perspective. Flower has never been good with finding the positive in things or people, but now she has to try. She is under a man suffocating but at least nobody is stepping on her. That's something good isn't it. The man on top of her finally gets off and Flower feels like she just inhaled in her first breath. The man finally got off, but she'd lost her protection. A stomp cracks on her back so painfully, the girl is sure it broke a bone. She lets out a scream, but it is nothing compared to the noise around her and nobody hears her. People step on her fingers, hair, legs.
At least they didn't break any bones, is all the young girl could think about without passing out. Her vision goes blurry and Flower fights to stay conscious again. Why is this deja vu? Then, the girl is choking, her shirt closing in on her neck adding more pressure for the girl to pass out.
" If you see any member of the Five Families: run." She should've listened. Anger swells in her chest. Anger at herself. In a split second, Flower has had a decision. If she is going to pass out or even be killed because of this she'll do it on her own terms. The shirt is still choking her and Flower stops fighting the urge to black out. Her vision darkens then shakes as she crashes into someone and is holding on to their chest. Who could be helping her? A shaky voice sounds near her ears.
"Come on Flower! Snap out of it! We need to live!" Ary?
"Flower. Flower, look we are on the third floor now we went down two sets of stairs. Isn't that good? Wake up." The girl doesn't have any arm space to look at Flower and see if she's alright. The girl's mind spins and she clutches onto Ary.
"Ary, let me hold your hand and we will be able to stand." She screams.
"Your back is at a slightly weird angle. It's not dislocated but it still might hurt and take time to heal. It is better if you don't walk by yourself."
" I didn't know you knew so much about the human body." Flower is surprised even throughout the pain. Ary blushes.
"The human body is quite interesting and complex. I enjoy learning about it but that is no way for a Baha to act. I hope you keep this to yourself." She says softly into Flower's ears. Flower almost laughs but a pain stabs into her stomach and she winces in pain. She grips Ary's shoulder tighter to stay standing.
"That's cool." She says in between ragged breaths.
"Thanks." Then they fall into a surprisingly comfortable silence. Well not complete silence anyway. People are still shuffling past each other but the screams have lowered just a bit. Flower tries to walk as much as she can with the support of Ary. As more time passes the less screams and accidents there are. It turns into a crowded place with zero interactions. People calm down and nobody is trampled anymore. By the time they get to and out of the first floor, Flower is sure, thirty minutes have passed. The girls are one of the last people to exit the ruined building.