Do You Believe Me Now?

Chapter 2

When I wake up the next morning, the bed is empty.

I panic, not because Jace isn't next to me, but because the boys aren't. They normally climb into bed with me.

And the house smells like smoke.

And the fire alarm is blaring.

Panicked, I jump up. I chec all the rooms of the kids and they're empty. I grab things they can't life without and rush downstairs.

The house is empty. The fire is coming from the kitchen but spreading to the living room. I hear shouting outside.

The doorknob is too hot for me to open.

Fuck!

I'm inhaling too much smoke.

I rush upstairs, my shirt over my mouth.

I go into the master bedroom to jump off the balcony or something, but I pass out.

JACE'S POV

All my Rylee's family is here and all of my family is here.

I'm fighting with a firemen.

"I'm sorry sir, you can't go in there." He says.

"My wife is in here." I argue.

"I don't care. The fire is too bad."

I was always a bad kid.

I don't like being told what to do.

"Fuck you." I shove him, punch open a window, and jump through it, right into the burbing house.

I took the kids to the park. I saw smoke and heard sirens. My phone started ringing and it was Addi saying that the house was on fire, asking if I was safe.

I am, and the boys are, but Rylee is inside.

People are yelling at me to come back. The house reeks of gas.

I sprint up the stairs, which are falling apart. The floor is giving in.

"Rylee!" I shout.

No answer.

I check all of the rooms upstairs.

When I go into the master bedroom, I see the ceiling starting to collapse.

I also see Rylee, on the ground, holding a teddy bear and two blankets.

Unconscious.

I run over to her and pick her up, carrying the bears and the blankets.

I rush out into the icy cold air

I cling to her, and then I jump.

Right as I hit the ground, landing in the backyard, I hear an exploding sound behind me, and then everything goes black.

MR. DIGBY'S POV

I can't think.

My kid was in that house, that just exploded.

We were told to get back just seconds before it exploded.

Nobody was hurt.

Except for Rylee and Jace.

Everyone is dead silent.

The firefighters work on putting out the flames left. They were already going away now that they're exposed to snow.

All four boys are crying for Rylee

"I want Mommy!" Max screams.

It only takes a few moments to put out the fire, and then the firemen walk around, looking for something to salvage.

One of them starts calling for others. A police officer radios something. He bends down for something. He gives a thumbs up to the other officers.

And then he scoops up something.

A girl with red hair.

Rylee.

The boys start to scream.

Everyone, even neighbors work to console him.

Jace is with her. He's about as awake as Rylee is.

They load them up into an ambulance.

One of them holds a teddy bear and a green blanket, a yellow blanket, and a blue blanket.

He puts those in the ambulance too.