Have you ever been in a fire?

It was around 8am when I woke up to the sound of a blaring alarm in my friend's apartment. Normally, this would be a sign to gather your essentials and run out of the place, but having spent the past three years in university dorm rooms where fire alarms where equivalent to someone heating their oatmeal for a little too long in the microwave, my instincts weren't the best. I sat up in the pullout couch I'd slept in and waited for my friend to come out of her room.

She didn't.

Recalling the words of someone else who had lived in these apartments, I remembered a reference to faulty alarms that went off for no reason. Back to sleep it was then.

But they wouldn't stop. The longer this went on, the more anxious I became. It was too much so I opened the door to the hallway just a crack to check out the situation.

Smoke. White smoke filled the hallway. The burning smell flooded my lungs and, coughing, I shut the door again.

Now in a full blown panic, I frantically knocked on my friend's door. It took her a while to come out, annoyed I made her get up.

"It's for real. Hallway's full of smoke."

Finally with friend in tow, we grabbed out basics and made out way out. Doors opening left and right with more inhabitants wondering if it was real or not. A mass of people crowded into the small staircase. All moving downwards as if by inertia.

One floor. Two floors. Three floors. Then...

People were coming up. The wave of people going down crashed into a wave of people going up.

"Exit blocked! Fire is right there!"

The evacuation motions we were doing almost mechanically came to a full halt. What little calm we had left, gone. The two waves of people agreed to exit at the nearest floor.

Six floors up.

Exiting the dim staircase and into the hall space once again altered everyone's senses. People just coming out of their apartments in that floor trying to push against those coming out of the staircase. Confusion filled the air. Beyond confusion, panic.

Survival instincts kicked in.

Windows? Barred.

Other stairs? Non-existent.

Elevator? Clearly non-functioning at this time.

What to do? What to do? What to do?

The only thing I could do at that time was become a translator. A Hispanic family with little kids had just arrived at that spot and did not understand why we weren't going down the stairs. They tried forcing their way through while a tough looking guy barred their way.

I went up to them and quickly explained the situation. Seeing the faces of those kids it struck me how I, standing there, was an adult figure. Me, who couldn't even take care of herself, and yet if anything were to happen to that couple I could be next in line to look after those kids. Thankfully we didn't come close to that.

Some of the guys decided to take the risk and find out what exactly was happening downstairs. A few minutes of high tension while we waited for their return.

"Success! We found a way out!"

Relief spread amongst the group.

"Follow us!"

The entire group fell into formation, as if we'd been trained for this. Slowly, carefully, we followed the guys down the staircase for about three floors.

Three floors left.

Here they told us to walk out of the staircase once again. No one understood why but everyone had decided to wholeheartedly trust their plan. Leaders, rising out of the chaos.

The guys led and the group followed. The group made its way out into the third floor and started walking the hallways.

Hope. Another staircase.

The group continued once again. Down and down we went. The ocasional sobs and sighs of concern.

One floor. Two floors. Three floors?

We made it to a basement path.

Water had seeped in, creating a shallow layer all across the floor. We slowed down as we came to that point. Some concern over getting our feet wet. Some hesitation.

But this was our only way and it's not like we had to swim.

No questions asked, into the water, and incredibly, out of the building.

Cold fresh winter air filled our lungs. A blast of reality harsh enough to match our flooding sense of relief.

The fire did not spread too much. It was more smoke than anything else. A kitchen in a first-floor apartment near the entrance, and near the staircase exit, was the beginning of the chaos.