Ariana stumbled across the burnt floor, swaying slightly on her feet. She panted through the heat as sweat dripped down her temples.

Surveying the surroundings, she found the private room at the corner of the corridor. She clutched the fire extinguisher in her hands and ran towards the room.

She slowly turned the doorknob and discovered that there was a metal lock on the door!

Murder!

The word flashed in her mind as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. A rising suspicion entered her mind. What if the fire had been premeditated? If not, then how could only the private room with Theodore be locked? she banged her closed fist on the door repeatedly, and shouted, "Theodore, are you there?"

She pressed her ear against the hot surface of the door and heard a gruff voice answering after a few seconds, "Ariana? Who let you in? You need to leave!"

Ariana ignored his words and rather shook the wooded door roughly.

"The door is locked. Step back and I'll break the lock!"

“Listen to me. Leave me alone."

Ariana could barely hear his low voice through the thick door, but she ignored his pleas anyway.

“Have you stepped back? I'm going to smash it!" Focused solely on opening the door, she positioned the fire extinguisher over her head and aimed for the metal lock.

The wet towel that she had been using to breathe fell off her face and onto the ground. She was so frantic in her efforts to break the lock that she didn't notice until her lungs started burning. Despite her pain and coughing, she persisted in smashing the lock until her arms began to shake.

She screamed her frustration as the lock bent out of form but still hung securely on the door.

Gritting her teeth, Ariana smashed it with all her strength, using every last bit of her energy.

She had to save Theodore, and if he was going to die, she would be dying right next tohim.

The whistle of the fire engine finally came from downstairs. Ariana dared not slow down. Like a deranged robot, she repeated the action of smashing the lock.

“Leave quickly, Ariana. The firefighters are here now. The firemen will save me. It's too dangerous here. Listen to me. You need to leave!" Theodore's anxious voice rang out from inside.

Regardless of the concern in his words, Ariana didn't stop and was drenched in sweat.

"It will be broken open soon. Hold on."

The fire had spread and was nearing her. She could feel the heat on her back but ignored it in her efforts to open the door. As the flames flickered over the backs of her ankles, she rapidly swiveled and put them out with a spray from the fire extinguisher. She didn't have time to take a breath because as soon as she got the flames under control, she got back to work on the lock.