F3 Inferno

     Fire. That was the first thought. It had also been the last thought. I blinked my eyes open against heat. It wasn't a natural heat, though. Blue liquid poured down the walls. It might as well have been lava. I looked around, and the man who had caused it all lay five feet into the room. The magical device had annihilated itself on contact with the wall.

     I had to get out of here. I took a step towards the fallen man, and was driven back. The heat was too intense. I huddled into my leather jacket, wrapping sleeves around my hands, and plunged back in. This time I got three steps, and managed to touch his foot before I couldn't stand the heat any more. Every part of my body screamed to leave, that the heat was simply too intense to try and save the man. The blue ooze hit the floor, and started to run towards the center of the room.
     I felt fire in the soles of my shoes. I opened the door in the hopes that heat would escape, but it didn't seem to help at all. I even felt the doorknob sizzle through my jacket. I took a look at the guy on the floor. His clothing smoldered. This was it. It was now or never. I made a surge, and grabbed his foot. I hauled on him, moving him all of three feet before his clothing burst into flame. I jumped back, from the combustion, feeling my own clothes on fire as well.
     In a desperate moment, I decided. I left the room at full speed, shucking out of my jacket and tossing it ahead of me. It smoldered, and I had to check the rest of me to make sure no part of me combusted. I got a safe distance away, and looked back. The air shimmered with heat at the end of the hallway. I saw the flicker of orange yellow flame as the man combusted. At least he was unconscious. At least he—
     I heard the scream, and hid my face, saying a prayer for the man's suffering to end quickly. There was nothing else I could do.