a touch so foreign

01 ¦ prologue

It felt like burning.

Mary thinks, as she blocks her mind from the sudden incidence, putting no effort in anything except for her low, shaky and hurried pants.

What was burning?

It must be her knees, because she scraped it from stumbling down on the ground. But the pain is bearable, as much as it shouldn't be. Her hands clenched on the side, tears stinging her eyes as she kept her look down on the ground, daring not to raise and face her fear.

Maybe that was it. Maybe it isn't her wound that is burning, maybe it's her eyes. Warm tears pooled at the corner, threatening to fall and Mary spared no strength to prevent that to happen. Her lips trembled, like her whole body, from.. pain, or devastation? Probably both.

She should feel cold. She remembers her father and her going out at night to buy their mother medicine for her illness. The cold breeze of the wind touched her skin, it had her shivering. Her father gave her his coat by then, laughing.

And here she is, outside in the middle of the night—and no, it didn't feel cold or anything. In fact, it was the very opposite.

Mary could hear the blazing flame rage just in front of her, the inaudible sound of a siren ringing through her ears. She finally dared to raise her look, as tears fall down on her grazed cheek.

Ah, it isn't her knees nor her eyes that is burning.

It is her house. Her home.

It happened too quick. She couldn't.. she didn't know how to process this. They were happy, so why?

She felt suffocating, each breathe she took that accompanied her loud sobs. Her chest hurts, her heart, even. Everything did.

But what did she do? She yelled.

"Mama!"

She yells with all her might, to feel her throat on the verge of breaking. No one answered, if not the huge fire being destructive. What was she supposed to do? She's just a kid.

"Over here! There's a survivor here!"

Firefighters came to view, with alert and worry. One tries to sustain Mary, who did nothing but cry her heart out. Everything became clear, her weakened body from her wounds, a masked guy that ran for his life, the house bursting into flames and her parents still stuck inside.

She felt scared. Terrified, even.

"P-Please, my parents..! They're.. they're still inside. Save them, please!"

"Don't worry, we'll see what we can do. For now.. let's have away from the fire."

The firefighter ushered Mary to the near ambulance, watching helplessly as they attempt to put the fire out. It was difficult, Mary could know. She grows exhausted but the anxiety wouldn't let her rest—she won't until she sees her parents.

And that lasted for hours.

Her breathing is stable, body patched up and eyes heavy. There weren't any major injuries, but they would bring her to a hospital for certainty. Mary would want to impose as she cannot afford such treatment.

The sky is turning cerulean, and the sun would soon rise. Mary did not need the help of a light post to see how wrecked her home is. It had a shade of black, from all the burns. She thought there is nothing to save, but her parents.

Who are still nowhere in sight.

A few firefighters emerged from her home that is down in shreds. They exchanged agitated looks, bringing a sinking feeling on Mary's stomach.