Excitement at Ye Olde Malloy

10:10 pm :  

Rebecca- asleep in bed at a reasonable hour.  

Baby Snack-also in the bed. 

Bun Bun- passed out on the computer

10:10 pm: Fire alarm goes off, complete with lights.

R: in the bed, wondering about shoes

BS: behind the couch

BB: under the desk

R: grabs cat carriers from shelf.  Curtain rod is caught and rips out of the wall.

10:12 pm: 

BB: in towel burrito, in bathtub, back in towel burrito, ominous noises, shoved into giant cat carrier in cloud of orange fur.

10:13 pm

BS: on the plant stand, behind the door, under the table, final stand on top of wireless hub. In handtowel burrito, in tiny cat carrier.  R: wonders if tail was slammed in lid. Horrid horrid noises.

10:14 pm: 

R: self-congratulatory about response time, grabs computer, passport, wallet, balances two cat carriers while jogging down the hall.

....minor adrenaline time blur....

BB: eery silence

BS: wild gut-wrenching howls echo in stairwell.

3rd floor: alarm stops

R,BB,BS: back up stairs to 5th floor apartment, terrible howling continues.

BS: behind bed

BB: in closet

R: profuse apologies

Alarm goes off again.

R: giggles in trepidation, screams "FUCKING HELL" 

R: wonders if old brick buildings can actually burn

R: smells actual nasty acrid smoke and hears sirens.

BB,BS: towel burritos, carriers, shedding, hissing.

R: missing piece of skin from hand, back in stairwell balancing cat carriers.

~4th floor:  BS decides that no orderly escape is complete without urination.

1st floor: swarming firemen with clouds of smoke (!)

R: secretly happy that it actually appears to be a situation of some kind to justify semi-inept heroics.

Firemen: exclaim about BS sounds (still echoing)

Fireman A: explains that some cooking fish caught on fire, "it's okay Miss, you can return to your unit with your, ah...animal."

R: adrenaline disappears, 23 pounds of cumulative cat remains.

Fireman B: "Just don't use the elevator."

Unit 503:

BS: on top of fridge

BB: still cowering in cat carrier.

R: abject apologies

R: notes that new thrift-store "find" silk-cashmere sweater is ripped and soaked with sweat.

~10:35 pm

Lingering: burning plastic fish smell wafting from the lower floors, my sense of humor.

Completely absent: any alcoholic beverages of any variety, any sleepiness whatsoever