No waiting. go. out the fire escape like you planned.
From Create Your Own Story
You climb out onto the fire escape and immediately find yourself in the downpour. With the wind, the rain is coming in sideways and so strong it feels like little needles stinging your face. You reach out and shut the window, swing your bag over your shoulder, and try to light your way down the stairs with the flashlight with your other hand shielding your face. It's a difficult and slow climb, with your footing threatening to slip out from under your with every turn.
When you get to the first floor landing, you shrink back suddenly when you hear a cacophony of gunshots ring out on the street not far from the mouth of the alley. Sounds like multiple guns, all firing quickly, and hunker down for a moment waiting, listening, flipping off your light and hoping you haven't been seen. It feels like the staccato of gunfire goes on forever, but after just thirty seconds it all dies down, and then it's over. You flick your light back on, push the ladder down with your heel, and climb as quickly as you can.
The alley is dark, littered with trash and so many dumpsters that you crouch down and afford yourself a minute to get your bearings. All you can hear is the distant wail of sirens, the sound of the heavy rain, and the occasional clap of thunder as you sort yourself out. You can head out onto the street to try and get a better look at what's happening out there, but you already know that's a high risk. You can run further into the alley, between buildings, deeper into the darkness until you can get a better idea, but anything could be waiting in the shadows.
Neither feel like great options, and you start to wonder if you'd have just been better off locking your doors and hiding under your bed.
