Candles And Fire Alike

• Hannah Milo, Grade 6B
• Short Story
• 2018

I didn't mean to kill them. I didn't know they were going to die. I stared out of the foggy window and cautiously peered down, his deep, lifeless eyes stared back at me. One second I saw a flicker of a smile on his face, the next the blazing candle being thrown towards my house. It all happened within a heartbeat. I ran to the door but before I know it, ash was filling my lungs, my nose was filled with the stench of burning wood and my eyes were blurred with thick grey smoke. I heard the coughs of my mother, father and my siblings. I dropped to the ground and began to crawl towards the stairs. I reached the stairs not yet seeing another glimpse of my family. I tumbled down the stairs. My face hit the ground. I was at the bottom of the stairs, only a little bit further to escape. Fire licked my skin. It singed the ends of my black hair. Smoke filled my lungs. The fire was much worse down here. I coughed deep and hard, my once baby blue eyes were now black and grey at the edges. Was this what death felt like? I could just give up. But I was determined to reach the door to at least catch a glimpse of the man who had ruined my life as I knew it. I crawled forward. The roof above me started to splinter. I had to move faster. I crawled as fast as I could. Oxygen was now limited. I gasped for air mainly breathing in smoke, ash and fumes. I couldn't survive much longer. Finally the door was in front of me and I crawled out. The man was standing across the street. As the wind blew, he seemed to disappear into thin air. I turned around to see my once gorgeous house now destroyed. I only just then noticed the tears filling my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. No sign of life. Anywhere. Suddenly I heard a cry coming from a piece of wood. I ran over, lifted the piece of wood and threw it aside. My sister, Maya lay there helpless and innocent. She gasped rapidly for air. Next to her lay my brother, Jakob. I hugged them, then suddenly realised that our parents didn't make it. My tears fell into Maya's soft brown hair and Jakob's spiky black hair. We stayed there amongst the rumble of our once grand house for what seemed like forever. Finally I pulled away, Maya quickly became concerned when she saw the tears rolling down my face.
'Maya, Jake, I’m so sorry' I began. 'Mum and dad are... they’re dead.'
Tears rushed down all of our faces. What was my life going to be like now? I would be an orphan at the age of sixteen, being a full time parent to my two and five year old siblings. How would I cope?