Sorority Party 1955 Ch. 03

Adele lost again and shrugged her shoulders. "What the hell." As Catherine did previously she unclasped her bra and lifted it off her breasts. Frank caressed one and kissed it. Eddie came over and fondled the other, kissing a nipple. Catherine, her unbuttoned blouse waving open, came around to Adele's side. She squeezed a breast gently and said "I always wondered what small boobs felt like. There are nice Adele." Adele blushed. Robin, emboldened by drink sat down next to Adele and said "let's see what these boys are after." She shoved her hand up Adele's skirt and into her underwear to play over the surface of her sex. "So that's it, huh? I don't see the big deal..." As she said that Adele moved her legs and a finger slipped between her labia to the entrance of her vagina. Adele gasped in surprise and pleasure. Robin quickly withdrew her hand and said "Oh, so that's it. Kind of warm and slippery." The other girls laughed and Adele blushed.

As they set up for another round Catherine eyed Eddie sitting next to her. "If you lose I know where I'm headed. We're going to bring something out for all to see!" Robin hooted and clapped her hands. Adele guffawed, and even Joyce smiled.

"Of course, Joyce, you haven't had a proper turn yet. I think it's about time you lost one." Joyce blushed.

Frank was about to take the first turn when they were all startled to hear panicked shrieking coming from the house. Girls and couples stumbled out the doors yelling "Fire! Fire!"

The game was forgotten as the six quickly fastened their clothes and headed toward the house. An ashen-faced girl met them as she rushed out. "Don't go in there! The place is on fire!"

Frank said to the girls "Go around front and see if anyone has called the fire department. Try to get an idea if anyone might be trapped inside. Come on, Eddie. Let's find a fire extinguisher and see what we can do."

The smell of smoke was strong, and wisps of smoke drifted down the stairs from the parlor. They found two fire extinguishers and headed upstairs, where they met Margaret coming down the stairs ushering the last of the girls from the second floor who had already retired. Doris led three girls from the third floor, as smoke billowed from the vicinity of the kitchen. "Margaret, are you sure everyone is out? Could anyone be in the kitchen?"

"I won't know until I do a head count."

"That would be too late for anyone in there."

The fire was concentrated in the kitchen, but was obviously spreading, and the building quickly filled with smoke.

Frank looked at Eddie "Do you really think anyone could be in there?"

"If there is, they're goners."

"Not if we can help it." Frank took out his handkerchief wet it from a glass someone had abandoned on a table and tied it around his head as a mask, and Eddie followed suit.

They dropped to the floor and crawled down the hallway toward the kitchen door, Frank pushing a fire extinguisher ahead of him and Eddie following behind with the second fire extinguisher. The smoke thickened and Frank began to cough, but pressed forward. Near the kitchen door he began to spray foam from the fire extinguished along the floor ahead of him so he wasn't crawling through fire. At the door his extinguisher ran out and he motioned for Eddie to pass up his. Frank aimed foam along the kitchen floor and poked his head inside the door. A piece of ceiling fell and the glare momentarily illuminated the room. He quickly withdrew his head as a tongue of flame licked out from the kitchen door, and he was driven back coughing. "I don't see any bodies on the floor. I hope to God no one is in there." They retraced their path crawling back down the hallway toward the dining area. Amid accumulating heavy smoke they continued to crawl to the door and out onto the porch, coughing as they went.

Outside they stumbled down the steps and threw themselves onto the grass gasping and coughing.

Sirens approached and soon three fire trucks roared up to the front of the building. Trained men sprang to their tasks, laying out and hooking up hoses to hydrants, placing ladders to reach the upper floors and roof. Hoses snaked everywhere. Spotlights were aimed at the building. The chief directed teams to enter and instructed them where to concentrate their efforts. One team cut a hole in the exterior wall of the kitchen and poured in water behind the wall as flames leaped from the kitchen windows. Another team raced upstairs with hoses to knock down flames coming up the walls before they could spread to the rest of the building. Others with axes methodically went room to room looking for anyone still in the building, ready to smash down doors if necessary. Men on ladders cut holes in the roof to saturate the attic and keep the fire from spreading there.

Within ten minutes it was under control, and was declared out thirty minutes later. Smoke-blackened firemen rolled up hoses and put equipment away while keeping a wary eye for lingering hot spots. The chief and a couple of other officials poked gingerly through the blackened ruin of the kitchen portion of the building, picking their way through fallen ceiling beams and broken glass.

All the while Margaret and Doris kept the girls out of the way of the firemen. Frank and Eddie, coughing as they went, lent a hand by working through the crowd to find any girls who might be injured. They found a couple of girls with glass cuts on their hands, arms or bare feet. They each escorted several of the girls to waiting ambulances for treatment. The medical team pulled Frank and Eddie aside and also treated them for smoke inhalation.

The fire chief passed by and stopped, looking at the smoke-blackened pair. "What were you two doing in there?"

Eddie coughed "We thought someone might be trapped in the kitchen."

"So you went in by yourselves with no equipment? That was a damn fool thing to do. You could have been killed. If anyone was in there we could have had three fatalities instead of one. "

The chief turned his attention to other matters while Frank and Eddie recovered.

The Dean of Students, clutching a folder, appeared at Margaret's side. "What a mess! Was anybody hurt?"

"Just smoke, some minor cuts and superficial burns. Nobody has to be taken to the hospital. Thank God many were still downstairs and could get out easily. Those who were upstairs were roused and brought out. Two friends visiting us tried to see if anyone was in the kitchen. When the firemen got here they made sure nobody was left inside."

"It looks like you'll be needing places for the girls to stay at least for tonight. I have a list of available beds in the dorms. How many girls do you have here this weekend?"

"Thirty two are here for the weekend, but some may be off campus. The Gammas have already offered to take six. The others two or three each. I think we may need fifteen to twenty. I'll check with the girls individually and let you know. Some may have offers off campus or from friends in the dorms. We'll eventually need to account for anyone off campus at the time of the fire. Right now I think there may only be one. She wasn't in the house, but may be somewhere in the crowd."

Margaret and Doris called the girls together, Doris's tall frame serving as a beacon for the gathering point. After polling them individually Margaret reported back to Dean Stewart. "It appears we may need eighteen beds tonight. There is still understandably a little confusion about who is going where. I'll keep you up to date as we sort it all out."

As the trucks pulled away the chief asked who was in charge of the house, and Margaret stepped forward. The chief pulled her aside. "I know you had a party here and sometimes things happen. Was anyone using the kitchen?"

Margaret shook her head. "The kitchen is closed during parties. Cookie makes up some sandwiches and periodically someone gets another tray of the out of the refrigerator, but that's it. No cooking. No smoking in the kitchen, either. We are well aware of the potential danger in letting just anyone use the stove. It is strictly off limits."

"Any candles?"

"Never in the kitchen. Why all the questions about the kitchen?"

"That is where it started. There is something that looks suspicious about it."

"Suspicious? How?"

The chief took a moment to study Margaret and determined that she had an air of authority about her.

"I think this was deliberately set."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"That's what I intend to find out, and I'll need your help. Can you think of anyone who might have a grudge against your sorority or anyone in it?"

Margaret shook her head. "Not that I know of. Butch got mad and left. That's the only unpleasantness I can think of."

"Tell me about it."

"Butch Ryan was bothering a girl, and one of my friends visiting from Western State intervened. Butch got mad and left. But he wouldn't do anything like this. He knows most of the girls here. He has a bit of a temper when he has too much to drink, but I can't imagine him doing anything like this."

"Where is this Butch Ryan? I'd like to talk to him. Since this appears to be arson, Police Chief Alexander will be interested, too."

"He goes to Johnston Smith. I can give you his address and everything, but I don't want him to get into any trouble."

"We'll just talk to him tomorrow and then determine if he is in any trouble. In the morning we'll do a more thorough investigation of the site to be sure it was arson before we question him."

The chief directed the last of his men and spoke to Margaret once more before he got in his car to leave. "I've had the men set up fans on all the floors to evacuate smoke. The main part of the building is safe, but we've put tape around the kitchen to keep any curiosity seekers out. Power has been disconnected from the kitchen circuit and the rooms immediately above, for safety reasons. There is no electrical danger in the rest of the building so you'll have lights and we can run the fans. I'll be back later this morning to investigate more in the daylight."

"Thanks for all you've done. I'll poll the girls and see if anyone saw anything suspicious."

Margaret joined the assembled girls with the list of available rooms and noted who was going where for the night.

***********************************************************************

Sue was shaken by the incident and clung to Joel, tears streaming down her face. "What's going to happen, Joel? All my clothes are in there. I don't know where to go or what to do."

"Let me check on something."

Joel found smudged Frank and Eddie helping Margaret direct the girls to lodging for the night. "Hey guys. Listen, I've got a scared girl with me and I'm thinking of taking her back to the room for the night. Could you guys...?"

"Go ahead, Joel," Frank said. "We're helping here. I don't know how long we'll be. Tell you what. Before we come into the room we'll give the 'shave and a haircut' knock. You give the two knock response when it is safe to come in."

"Thanks guys. Look, I'm not taking her there for sex, although who knows what can happen. She really needs a place to stay. She is really shook up."

Eddie managed a laugh. "Go and comfort her, Joel. I'm sure you'll be good at it."

As Joel turned to leave Frank called to him "Hey Joel! What's her name? Margaret needs to account for everyone."

"Tell her it's Sue."

Joel found Sue standing alone with her arms wrapped around herself and shivering, even though it wasn't cold. He draped his jacket over her shoulders. "Come with me. I've got a place for you to stay. I'll stay with you."

Sue kissed him and he led her back to his car. She stopped before they had gone very far. "I need to tell Margaret where I'll be. If she makes a fuss about it I'll just tell her to shove it."

"Sue, Margaret just wants everyone to have a place. I promise she won't care."

Margaret made a note next to Sue's name on the roster and told her, just as Joel had predicted, "Go on, Sue. Frank told me you were safe."

"Margaret? What's going to happen?"

"I don't know, Sue. Get to where you're going and check back sometime tomorrow."

At Joel's room she sat on the side of a bed and looked around. "I don't have pajamas to wear. All my clothes are back at the house. My room is over the kitchen, where the fire seemed to be. I don't know if I even have any clothes left."

"I've got some pajamas. We can share. You pick, top or bottoms. I'll wear the other."

Sue began to undress and stopped with an unbuttoned blouse. "You know what? I don't think I'll borrow anything. You'll keep me warm, won't you?"

Joel used utmost control to say in his most comforting voice "Sure Sue. I can do that for you."

Soon Sue stood wearing only panties, and Joel his shorts. She hesitated, then dropped her panties and crawled into bed. Joel was delighted to follow suit.

Sue ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm glad you came along tonight, Joel. It's late but I think I'm running on adrenaline. Maybe I can think of a way to thank you."

"I'm glad to give any assistance I can to a damsel in distress."

She reached one hand down and grasped him. "I can see how glad you are."

He kissed her and massaged a breast, and pulled on a nipple with his lips.

"Oh, Joel. Would you like to do what you did at the swimming place? I never thought I'd like something like that, but I did like it."

"Sure, if that would make you feel better."

He kissed his way down to her navel, down to the pale patch of hair and the fleshy folds. As he had done earlier he pulled on each of her labia with his lips and used his tongue on her clit while plunging fingers into her. She moaned with pleasure.

When her breathing quick and shallow she yanked on his hair. "Now come up here and make love to me."

He kissed his way back up her body, pausing at her breasts once again. Before proceeding further he reached for a condom and she eagerly helped him with it. "Do it slow, Joel. I need it slow."

He was quickly sheathed and made long, slow strokes, almost coming out each time, and entering as deep as he could on the down stroke.

"Ooh. That feels so good. I can feel all of it as it goes in and out."

She soon wrapped her arms and legs around him and met his thrusts with her own quickening thrusts. With a soft moan she threw her head back and climaxed. He felt the pulsing around his penis and emptied into her, his own pulsing ejaculation contrasting with hers.

When they were finished they fell asleep in each other's arms.

********************************************************************

Frank went with Margaret as she toured the ruined part of the building, carefully avoiding the kitchen,

Downstairs they discovered no fire damage, but the floor was flooded with water, still dripping from the ceiling. All the tables and other furniture were soaked.

A quick trip up to the second and third floors showed no fire damage except to the second floor rooms directly over the kitchen, and water damage near the stairs and on the third floor where water dripped from the attic. Mostly the floors smelled of smoke.

Doris showed her serious side by helping the girls find their room assignments, her towering figure commanding everyone's attention.

"Listen up, girls. I have a list of available rooms for the night and some tentative assignments. Come up to me and we'll make sure you have satisfactory arrangements. Also, Margaret needs to know who was on the first floor and what you remember just before the fire."

The girls all soon scattered to their temporary rooms. A few wanted to get clothes from inside, but discovered that everything smelled like smoke. Margaret wrote down all statements about goings-on about the time before the fire was discovered. One thing was clear. Several girls remembered seeing Butch come down the hall from the kitchen minutes before the fire was discovered. Mary Ellen distinctly remembered seeing him go down the front steps and take off running, thinking that was odd behavior for him. All evidence indicated Butch had something to do with the fire.

As the girls dispersed for the night Margaret went through the building again. Doris, Frank and Eddie helped her find the water damaged areas and noted areas that were dry. Most of the third floor was undamaged by the fire but had water damage where water continued to drip from the attic.

On the lower level they stood in ankle-deep water.

Margaret told the others "I'm going to do some cleaning up down here. You all go on to bed."

"Not a chance, Maggs. I'll take the main floor."

Frank said "I'll work with you, Margaret. Eddie, how about helping Doris upstairs?"

Margaret soon had a push broom to sweep dirty water out the patio door. Frank took a regular broom and swept water out towards the center of the room for Margaret to use the big broom. When most of the water was out, he helped her carry the soaked furniture out onto the patio.

Upstairs Eddie and Doris started hauling the chairs, tables and sofas from the dining area and parlor out the door, down the steps and onto the lawn. Much of the upholstered furniture was saturated and heavy, but Eddie easily picked up the heavy chairs and carried them out. Doris took the lighter tables and helped Eddie wrestle the sofas and large tables out.

When the last of the furniture was out they collapsed into a couple of sodden sooty chairs. Margaret and Frank soon came around the building from the back, likewise throwing themselves down in exhaustion.

Margaret said "Doris, choose one of the rooms from the list still available in a dorm for yourself. Boys, thanks for the help. Go back to your room for some well-deserved rest."

"And where will you be staying, Maggs?"

"I'm Chapter President. This is my house and by God I'm staying here in my room, smoke or no smoke."

"Then I am, too. You aren't staying alone."

Eddie said "I know this is a sorority, but there are no other girls present. I'll stay here too. I can be of help in the morning. So can Frank."

Margaret shook her head. "This happened on my watch. It's my responsibility." Tears began to run down her face as her stolid façade cracked when she looked over the ruin of the building.

Frank stood up. "That settles it. Margaret, I am not only staying here tonight, I'm staying with you. You can't carry this weight all by yourself. No protests! You can't get rid of me tonight."

Doris looked at Eddie. "You can stay with me. I'm feeling a little shaky."

Margaret had no energy for protests, so the four went inside and climbed the steps to the second floor. Margaret had the largest room, an end room with windows on two sides. It also had the least smoke smell, and there was a fan venting inside air out the hall window by her door. Doris' room, next to Margaret's was likewise spared major damage.

In the room Margaret looked at Frank's tattered soot-stained clothing and blackened arms and face. "You're a mess. You need a shower."

"Look at yourself in the mirror."

Margaret glanced in the mirror over her dresser. "Good God. I look like shit."

"Let's go together. No funny business. Just a shower."

Margaret could hardly lift her arms to get undressed, but managed it with Frank's help, and the two of them trudged to the shower, meeting Doris and Eddie at the bathroom door.

"Looks like we all had the same idea."

"The shower at the other end of the hall is damaged. We'll have to take turns here or go upstairs."

Frank said "It's five in the morning. We don't have time to take turns. It's not like we have any energy or inclination for any extracurricular activities anyway."

Doris said "Eddie, you come in here with me. I need a back rub after helping to carry the furniture out."

There were two shower stalls. With Doris and Eddie in one Frank went in the other with Margaret. She helped scrub the soot off his arms and face and he helped wash her hair out.