Departure

Chapter 3: The Help

"Can anyone hear me?" The man yelled.
"Yes! I'm coming your way! Just hold o-" I tried to scream back. Smoke caused me to choke on my own words.
"Thank you! Please hurry!" He replied.
I kept a steady pace as I roamed around in the endless waiting room.
A loud crashing noise roared just behind my head. I turned to see a fallen beam ablaze. Tens more started to fall in the distance. I could only see their faint, fire-lit bodies through the thick fog of smoke. The perfectly constructed pillars that once held up this great airport are the things now burning it down. I kept trudging onward, listening for the man's croaked voice.
Then, there it was. The obsolete silhouette of the man waving his arms up and down in a jumping-jack fashion. I called out to him.
"Hey! Hey I can see you! I'm here!" I yelled.
"Whose that Daddy?" Maria questioned.
"He's here to help. We are gonna get you out of here." The man reassured her.
As I neared them, I noticed how dingy and displaced their appearance was. Soot covered most of their bodies. Atop was a mixture of sweat and sprinkler water. The man's jeans and t-shirt were tore in several spots.
Maria looked worse. Her facial features were almost completely muted by soot. She looked as if she just escaped a failed feathering, left with only the tar. And her foot was, in fact, stuck under something. That something was a mixture broken wooden chairs, tables, and other air port luxuries, concrete that had fallen from the walls, and metal wires from the broken lights. She seemed to have lodged her entire right leg in the rubble.
"Please, help me lift this." The man said.
I nodded at him and looked for something to grab hold of. When I locked my hand in place, he began a count down.
"On three. Ready?"
I gave him a unreadable look.
"Okay. One,"
My hands began to sweat. This is someone's life I'm being entrusted with.
"Two,"
I don't even known these people. What if I can't be of help? What if I can? Do we just get up and run? Where would we go? What about Jenn?
Jenn.
"Three."
With all the force I had left in me, I pushed the rubble upward. I looked at the man as we tried. He looked so helpless. His expression was empty yet so painful to watch.
"Maria try to move you leg, Honey." The man said through grinding his teeth.
"I can't hold it much longer." I exhausted.
"I'm trying!" Maria yelped.
I looked down upon her face. Her darkened, filthy face. Under all of that lie a beautiful young girl, around 9 years old. She met my gaze. Fear filled her innocent eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. Would this be the last way she would be looked upon? No. I couldn't have it. She is depending on her dad, but she is also depending on me.
I can't be responsible for something so tragic again.