When my mind returned to where I lay in bed, still half asleep, I could still hear the ringing sound. I awoke a little bit more, but my mind was still hazy and groggy in the early morning. Goodness, what was that ringing sound? I didn’t have an alarm clock, so that wasn’t a possibility. Why did I smell smoke?... Just then, Ms. Ledezma came rushing into my room in a flustered hurry.
“Essie! Get up! The smoke alarm is going off! Follow me! There’s no time to lose!â€? she said quickly. Rubbing my eyes, I helplessly followed. I still had a blanket wrapped around me. We sprinted along the hallway and went down the staircase. As my consciousness fully surfaced, an important thing occurred to me. “Casimir! Where is he? He has to be okay! Someone has to find him!â€?
I turned around to go back, but Ms. Ledezma beckoned me to keep going forward.