Picture a bright winter morning in the university district. The birds are singing, the busses are running, the sky is clear and blue. Runners dodge cyclists on the Burke-Gilman trail. At around 9:30 AM, it's college-student dawn, and the Terry hall is dark and silent.
I, our protagonist, have spent my morning at the chemistry placement exam. This is my fifth morning going to Schimtz hall--(side note: they had, at least at this time, a terrible system. Students had to line up outside the testing rooms from the building's opening time, hoping for a spot in the small room--this is the only morning I wasn't turned away after waiting for over an hour).
My bedroom is as dark and silent as the rest of Terry Hall. Stephanie, my roommate, sleeps peacefully on her lofted bed, as I take my morning biology quiz. Until--
Ding!
My oatmeal is done!
I open the microwave door, and a cloud of smoke comes out. Despite the open window, the room is filling quickly with smoke, and the individual room alarm is blaring. Stephanie continues to sleep peacefully as the air thickens, and I, hungry and very confused about what happened to my oatmeal, become suddenly convinced she's going to die of smoke inhalation. I yell at her to wake up, and open the door to the hallway.
For a moment, nothing happens. Then, a wall of smoke leaves the room, filling the hallway. The fire alarm goes off, and the lights start to flash. aSleepy Terry students begin to evacuate. This is the second time this month, and third floor was to blame each time. I frantically tell the RA that there is actually no need to call the fire department. Behind me someone groans, "at least the was a real fire this time."
The fire department gets called.
As we wait on the median, Stephanie takes pictures with the snapchat fire filter--a joke that will continue until the end of the year. Jaclyn, a friend for the ages, tells people that 10 really isn't that early, and that it's really a joy to see this beautiful morning. I try to sink into the ground, and bemoan my half finished bio quiz.