The deafening explosion rocked the entire foundation of the Westbrook mansion! I got blasted clear off my feet, tumbling head-over-heels before slamming back-first into the marble floor hard enough to slam the wind from my lungs.
All around me, smoke and debris filled the air in thick, choking clouds. Chunks of plaster rained down while the thunderous roar of shattered glass and stone assaulted my senses. For several endless seconds, I could only lie there stunned and gasping like a landed fish amidst the hellish chaos.
Over the splintering cacophony still ringing in my ears, I thought I heard muffled shouts and screams too. My mind tried to process what horrifying scenario those anguished cries might signal amidst the blazing inferno suddenly surrounding us all.
That's when the secon
