Burning Hearts

Goodbye Home

The fire chief grimmaced, "I'm sorry, we don't know how it started."

With my hair array, one crummy outfit and a tan backpack, I raised my eyebrows, "Is that so?"

He nodded, facing down at the conrete sidewalk. Neigbors collected in the porches of their cottages, their arms crossed, whispering. The fire truck parked next to the dead house I used to call home. Above me lit the golden street lamp, perhaps that was my only source of hope.

"Yeah," he itched his lowered head as if he was responsible for the loss.

I embraced myself and turned to face the site. It hardly resembled my home. The tiny place was gone, along with all the plesent scents of pie in the kitchen and tingling of the wind chime.  What a shame . . . . I needed my family, at least I could have the warm embrace of my mother and my father's soothing deep voice. 

"Sir," I said, "Where's my family?"

His face turned stony, "They're in the hospital."

"What?!" I exclaimed, "I need to see them now!"

"Elise . . ." He stopped speaking because I started glaring at him.

"Mr. Fire Chief, I need to see them."

 He nodded and left me alone in the chilly night, out on the sidewalk, seething with fury and plagued with worry. Burying my face into my hands, thoughts of the hurt my family could have suffered entered my mind. They could be burned, head to toe. They could be in a coma. They could be in intensive care unit. Tears brimmed my eyes, this night couldn't be worse. A half hour ago, my cell phone rang, I picked up to hear the sullen voice of the fire chief, I had to end my shopping spree, end drinking my milkshake and speed my way home.

Someone tapped my shoulder, shuddering at the touch, I turned to face my beloved boyfreind, Sky Everett. Even in the flashing red lights, his eyes shined a brilliant green.

"You okay, Elise?" He asked, rubbing my cheek.

I nudged away his hand and sniffled, "You can't comfort me, I'm too depressed to care anymore."

"Feisty still, huh?" he smirked.

I punched his shoulder, "Sky, my family is in the hospital!"

Tending to where I punched him (which by the way, I didn't punch very hard), he frowned, "Oh."

"Excuse me," A firefighter dressed in yellow jogged up to us, "But the chief told me to tell you that he thinks it was arson."

"Arson?!" I said, "Seriously?"

"Yeah," he left as quickly as he arrived.

"Arson, Sky, ARSON."

He nodded and shrugged, "Yeah, babe, I need to head out."

"Why?"

"As you said," he kissed me and started to back away, "I can't comfort you."

 * Thank you for reading, please vote, comment or add, your opinion matters! 

   P.S I appreciate high criticism. :) *