In the doorway, a shadowy figure appeared. It moved forward slowly swaying as it walked. I watched him stop by the door with the couch under and nudge something with his foot. "Pity." He was blocking my view so I couldn’t see what it was. As he moved on and I squinted to see through the smoke what he’d been looking at.It was Ella. She was stuck under the remains of the couch and she wasn’t moving. I couldn’t see her very well, but she was partially buried with only her upper body able to be seen. Her usually white hair turned dark with what I hoped was only ash and her face, which had been turned towards me when he nudged her, was blank, her eyes shut.