Click! Clack!
In the darkness, a tiny flame flared, then went out after a deep drag on a cigarette.
Harsh sucking sounds rose and fell in the dark, as if they were gulping fresh air; with every exhale, smoke slowly fed the darkness a hazy gray mist.
Inside the sealed-off high-rise, in this cramped room, one or more people were huddled together. They were extremely on edge, almost itching to move in a way they couldn't quite name. The flicker of smoke changed the air in the room, and maybe it was exactly that stench that made staying here unbearable, so someone decided to take it a step further—he wanted out, badly!
"What are you doing?" Just as the man was about to push open the door, someone grabbed his arm. From deeper inside came a voice that wasn't exactly low, but carried a warning.
"Going out. This place is suffocating!" The answer came as if it were only natural.
"No."
