“I’m Sophie,” she called. “What do you need us to do?”
“Keep people away from the broken boards. Don’t let everyone crowd the stairs.”
Sophie turned toward the guests.
“One at a time! Give each other room!”
Karen was still staring at the decking.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she whispered.
I wanted to ask what she’d expected.
Instead, I stayed on the phone.
I was following the dispatcher’s directions while Sophie helped people move carefully toward the exit.
A woman came down crying.
Two men followed, one supporting the other by the elbow.
“Is he hurt?” I asked.
“He twisted his ankle when the boards shifted,” the woman answered.
The man shook his head.
“I can walk.”
I directed them toward the front yard, where they could wait for help.
More guests descended.
Some were angry. Others looked frightened.
One woman demanded to know why nobody had warned them the rooftop was dangerous.
