Fan The Flames

• Chloe Mchenry, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2017

I never imagined it would end like this. My fear has possessed me. I’ve been reduced to a withering mess. I never quite imagined myself as the type to recklessly risk their life for others, but the cries from the burning house were earsplitting. The flames devoured the house like a monster from your darkest nightmares. There’s only one image replaying in my mind. One image that keeps me going. One image that reminds me of why I ran into this death trap. It’s the mother. The mother of the little girl, I now have cradled in my arms. All I can picture is her, kneeling on the front lawn. She’s wrapped in so many blankets. Rescue workers are trying to keep her calm, but she is hysterical. Everyone was pulled from the house, everyone except her six year old daughter. She’s only ten years younger than me. She’s just a kid. Unbelievably, I was able to find her. The terrified girl was hiding underneath her bed, possessed by fear. Somehow, I managed to coax her out, and together we raced towards the front door. We could both see the door. We were so close. Suddenly, a charred beam from the second floor fell across our path. I felt a warm liquid drip down my face as the whole room started to spin. I must have inhaled a lot of smoke. My vision blurred. I felt myself fall forward and everything went black. I never imagined it would end like this. When I opened my eyes again, I was blinded by bright lights. I thought I was dead. I heard sobs and a hushed voice. “Both girls have severe burns, and one has a small head injury but both will make a full recovery...”