Safe

• Mikayla Currie, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2019

Spears of white-hot pain shoot through my body as I crawl through the burning wreckage of my house. Smoke clogs my lungs, my head spins. I can’t breathe. Deep orange flames lick at my feet, sending me careening forward in a desperate attempt to escape. I don’t want to die. Fear clamps its cold hand around my heart as I realise I can’t get out.
“Please God, don’t let me die,” I cry, curling around myself in the corner of the loungeroom. Sobs wrack my body as the flames creep closer and closer. My throat is dry as a desert, sending me into a coughing fit. Frantic, I scan the room once again for a way out. I don’t want to die. One of the windows is open, black heavy smoke billowing out. I hear sirens. If I can just get to the window, I’ll be safe. I inched along the floor, coughing and sobbing as I went. Black dots dance in my vision as the lack of oxygen finally reaches my brain. I collapse onto my stomach. Covering my nose with my shirt, I commando crawl towards my escape route, inch by painful inch. I get closer, closer, closer. The flames roar in my ears, eating up what remained of my life. My memories. Salt tears stream down my ash covered face, mingling with the beads of sweat dripping down. I raise a shaking hand to wipe my brow before crawling closer, closer, closer. The dots get larger and larger, until everything goes black, and I know no more.
The scream of terror rips from my throat as I bolt upright. My shirt is soaked in perspiration as my chest heaves. The image of my house in flames, the feeling of knowing I was going to die, was forever burnt into my mind. My sister runs in, concern etched onto her face.
“Rana,” I whisper, reaching for her. Rana strides over and enfolds me into her embrace. I wrap my arms around her waist, breathing in that scent that was distinctly Rana. I bury my face in her shoulder as she strokes my head.
“It’s alright Iris. You’re safe,” she murmurs against my hair. I smile sleepily, my eyes already drooping. My fear dissipates as she tightens her arms around me. No fire could rip me from her embrace. With Rana, I fear nothing. I am safe my sister.