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There were some arguments, some yelling and only then, only when it was suddenly cold and still and quiet - the brute orange light up brightly, stark against the grim walls and floors, stark against the starless night outside - everyone inhaled the smoke at the same time and in an instant, the room plunged into an uproar, chaos and urgency mingling in the air.
Magdalene can't remember much, but she remembered pressing herself even closer to her dad's side, cheek squished against his shoulder, her thinking uncomfortably why is everyone falling over themselves to escape, why isn't her dad following them, it's so loud! It's so hot! She was fussing in her dad's arms, pleading him to pay attention to her, making him see that his baby is in obvious discomfort.
But this time instead of listening to her, instead of calming her down like he'd always prioritized, he covered her little nose and ran back to the entrance where the fire had started, eyes wide and haunted as the orange backdrop highlighted his old creases, Andreas! His rough voice thundered through the room, loud and roaring, from the back of his throat - and she remembered wondering, wondering wondering why when he finally escaped to the door later than everyone else, there were no Andreas after all.