Burning Questions: Check out the open-air square

Author: AdventuresAndSearches

This is "slapdashmonuments" creating a new Ficlatte account for the purpose of trying to write some Choose Your Own Adventure stories using Ficlatte's sequeling features. I'll tag work-in-progress parts WIP until the whole story is ready to play.

The first full story, "Burning Questions," is available now:

https://ficlatte.com/stories/41125

You leap back over the fire, singeing yourself a bit on the flames, but still, alive and not badly hurt. Skirting against the walls, you avoid the line of fire that leads towards the front of the building, past the chairperson's office.

You reach the open square at the center of your building. It is not lit, aside from the fire. The familiar pond is there, but the water is still. The pump must be disconnected. You see the handle-less faucet against one wall, with an assortment of mops, brooms, and a mop bucket.

Nearby are several stone benches and a few round glass tables with umbrellas, circled with heavy metal chairs.

The sound of fire is getting louder.

Perhaps you can wait this out safely at the center of the square, as far from the fire as you can get. Then again, maybe not.