Free Alien Storm by A. G. Taylor

others. “I think there’s still people down there.”
    Not waiting for their response, he started down the stairs against the tide of people, getting pushed and shoved in the process. Octavio shook his head and folded his arms.
    â€œI’m not risking my neck.”
    Nestor grabbed his brother’s arm and pulled him after Robert, who had already reached the next landing down. They followed down quickly, ignoring the warnings from various people that the lower floors were completely ablaze. At the landing of the seventh they caught up with the younger boy, who was standing in the doorway onto that level.
    â€œThere’s still people below,” he said urgently. “I’m going down to help them. You two check out this floor.”
    With that, he disappeared.
    â€œI wish he’d stop doing that,” Octavio said with a groan as he followed Nestor through the door onto the seventh.
    They found themselves standing in an L-shaped corridor almost identical to the ones in their tower block. The only difference was that here the musty smell was overpowered by the acrid stench of smoke rising from the lower levels. At the end of the corridor a forgotten girl, no older than Louise, stood in an open doorway, her face frozen in fear. Nestor started forward, but Octavio caught his arm.
    â€œNo! There’s danger!”
    Before Nestor could protest, there was a muffled explosion and an apartment door to their right was ripped clean off its hinges. Flames leaped out of the open doorway and the boys hit the floor to avoid being fried. Thinking fast, Nestor raised his hands and using his aerokinetic power, directed a blast of air at the flames. There was a roaring sound and the fire grew in intensity, spreading along the ceiling above them.
    â€œYou’re feeding it, you idiot!” Octavio cried.
    Nestor clenched his fist, stopping the air blast. “Right. Bad idea.”
    The fire passed over them, igniting the ageing wallpaper along the corridor and spreading down.
    Octavio looked round frantically. “It’s surrounding us!”
    â€œOkay, let me try this…”
    Nestor blasted the flames again, only this time using a different concentration of air. Thick and white, it immediately drove back the fire above them. Octavio looked at his brother and nodded.
    â€œIt’s working!”
    â€œThe oxygen fed the fire!” Nestor shouted above the howling air as he went to work extinguishing the flames around them. “I extracted the carbon dioxide from the air and used that instead.”
    â€œThanks for the science lesson,” Octavio said sarcastically. Nestor had succeeded in extinguishing the fire in the corridor and proceeded to blast CO 2 into the burning apartment. With the flames out, they could now see that a section of ceiling had been brought down in the blast, including a large iron support that blocked their path.
    â€œWhat about the girl?” Nestor asked.
    Octavio sighed and shook his head. “You deal with the fire. I’ll do the heavy lifting.”
    He walked to the mass of debris blocking the corridor and peered through to the other side. The girl stood in the doorway of the apartment as if her feet were rooted to the spot.
    â€œHey!” Octavio shouted. “Get back! I’m going to move this stuff!”
    If she heard him, the girl showed no sign, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead, not moving a muscle.
    â€œGreat,” Octavio sighed, taking a step back. He raised his hands and closed his eyes, visualizing the iron girder that blocked his way. Imagining it no heavier than a feather, he made it rise into the air and over to one side in his mind. There was a metallic grinding sound and he opened his eyes to see the girder floating near the ceiling. Easy . His first instinct was to send it flying down the corridor out of the way, but then he remembered the girl.
    â€œCome on!” he shouted, turning his attention to where she