FIRE | H.S.

Chapter 21

"I... I have to go, I'm sorry," I tap my client's shoulder and turn to leave. Aurora already has my car keys in her hand and I take them from her. "Can you..." I look at her briefly, then back at my client.

"I've got you, go!" I nod and run out and into my car.

It's usually a ten-minute drive to Leilani's school. This time it takes me five minutes to get there and it felt like it was hours. Like I couldn't get there fast enough. I park and get out of the car, running toward the mass of kids and teachers by the curb. I find Mrs. Miller and see the students lined up. I don't see Leilani.

The teacher sees me and rushes to me, a panicked look on her face. "Ms. Van Allen, oh god!"

My heart is racing and I can't breathe. "Where is Leilani?" I ask, frantically looking at the kids, hoping I can make out her brown curls.

"I don't know! I don't think she's out, I've been looking for her and I can't find her! The firemen are on their way but oh my god!" she covers her face, tears running down her cheeks. There are some police officers and the school's security by the gate that leads inside the courtyard of the school. The flames lick along the walls of the school, roaring with force through the windows and doors.

Leilani is in there.

I feel my heart beating out of my chest and panic taking over my body. I feel desperate. Helpless.

I have to get her.

I run to the gate, a police officer stops me. "Ma'am, you can't go in there."

"My little girl is in there!" I scream.

"The school evacuated all the students and staff, she may be among the rest of the students."

She's not. I know it. I can feel it.

I saw everyone in Mrs. Miller's class, except Leilani. Mrs. Miller herself said she wasn't sure Leilani made it out.

"She's in there!" I scream, trying to run to the gate again but he grabs both of my wrists, pushing me back toward the group of people. "She's not out, she's in there!" something comes over me and I break his hold on my wrists and manage to run around him and into the gate. I can hear multiple steps following behind me and I push myself to run faster, not looking back.

"Ma'am, get back here!" some other officer yells. I manage to get to the doors and glance behind my shoulders. They're all about twenty feet away, not knowing if they should come closer or not. I take this opportunity to pull on the doorknob but pull my hand away at the heat radiating off it.

I take off my blazer and wrap it around my hand, pulling on the doorknob again and opening one of the heavy doors. I enter the building and recognize the hallway where Leilani's classroom is.

There is smoke everywhere and classrooms with large flames coming out of them. But I can see there's one classroom where it looks like what I imagined hell would look like.

Oh, god. Please, no.

I use my blazer to cover my nose and mouth as I walk along the dark hallway. Pieces of the ceiling fall and hang and I do my best to dodge them. My eyes burn. I feel my clothes sticking to my skin.

"Leilani!" I scream. I don't hear anything. Just the roar of the fire. I take a deep breath to scream again but end up having a coughing fit. I get closer to the classroom and although I pray it's not Leilani's, I just know it is.

  "Leilani!" I scream again, between coughs.

"Help!" a high-pitched scream comes from the hellish classroom. "Please help!"