The Burn
I remember the day Bailey came home with a pure white bone safely tucked in her strong jaws. She wagged her tail as she dropped it at my feet.
I picked it up and ran to mommy, who was inside making our PB&J's inside the kitchen.
"Mommy! Look at what Bailey brought me!"
Mommy gave a sweet smile before turning to look at what I held in my hands. Once she saw, her joyful smile vanished and was replaced with a disturbed look.
"Where did you get this!?"
Mom asked with a hint of anger and sadness in her voice.
"Bailey gave it to me."
By now, daddy came into the kitchen and started asking what was the matter.
" Larry, your daughter got this from the dog! Get rid of it, I don't want it in the house!"
With that, He grabbed the bone and headed outside. I followed behind and he grabbed gasoline and poured it over the fireplace. I watched him crack a match up and lit the fire. I then remember watching him toss the bone in the fire.
Ever since that day, a curse had risen.
That night, I remember waking up to the blaring sound from the fire alarm.
I jump out of bed and opened the door, forgetting all the fire safety rules that was taught at school. Tears welded up in my eyes from the smoke and the fear that I felt pounding in through my chest.
I ran to mommy and daddy's room, opening the door and seeing daddy standing by the window, trying to get it open.
"DADDY!"
I yelled, he looked over at me. His blue eyes shined with fear. He glanced back at the window, then back at me.
He then did something that I never expected him to do.
He yanked the window open and jumped through, the window slamming shut once daddy jumped through.
I screamed out his name again as I ran over to the window, trying to pull it up, but to no use.
By time I turned around, flames had bursted through the door and had invaded into the room.
I ghastly looked on as the flames began to grow and take shape. A slim, ghostly form of a woman walked out from the flames. Her skin looked horribly burned and her hair was on fire.
When she opened her bloodshot eyes, she let out a bloodcurdling scream as she approached me. I cried out in agony as she swung her hand down on my arm, her hand leaving a newly burned scab on my arm.
I yelled out at her to stop and to leave me alone. Surprisingly, she backed away, staring straight ahead with an empty look in her eyes.
Next thing I knew, I heard a loud crash and a pair of arms from a fireman grabbed me and save me from the flames that night.
Till this night, I still look down and see the scar of the burned flesh on my arm. I remember the feeling of being afraid of the flames that threatened my life... and when I look into my son's eyes, I can see the same fear that I once held.
Only this time, I will not abandon him. I walk towards the flames by the door and pick my son up and hold him close in my arms. I walk back to the window, slide the glass up, and leap to our safety.
- 𝓛𝓪𝔂
