In Flames

Uno.

Bushfire.

I ran to the room where Mum and Dad were sleeping. I bashed on the door. "Get up, there's a bush fire. I heard them talking frantically and pulling clothes on. Next, I ran to Mary and Xavier's room, doing the same thing. Last of all, I ran to Noah's room, where Joey was sleeping on a mattress.

Soon, everyone was up. I didn't want to be a part of their plan. It would never work for me. I had no idea where the car keys were, though. My heart going a million miles an hour, I stopped to think. I was stuck until I realised. James' dirt bike! It was heavily modified, so that he could use it for for stunts and travel. I ran out the back door and ran to the shed where it was kept. I shoved the helmet over my head, tightening it. I pulled the glass over my eyes and shoved my fingers through the gloves. I rolled it out of the shed before clambering on and reaching down to turn the fuel on. I'd never operated anything higher than 100 CCs, and this was 450. That didn't help, but now, it was literally drive-away-or-die. I flicked the kickstart out, and stomped on it, revving at the same time. At least, I assume it's called a kickstart. I'm not sure. The bike warmed up, and I pulled the clutch in. I put my left foot underneath the gear stick and jerked it up, putting it into second gear. Slowly, I let the clutch out. If I stalled the bike now, I was gone. I waited. And then... The bike lurched forward and I was away.

I was going a lot faster than I usually did. Part of it was the bike, part of it was my hand gripping the throttle for dear life. I whizzed down the road, looking back once. In the split second, I saw everyone running to the dam. I pulled up about seven kilometres from Mary and Xavier's house. Because I was home, and I needed supplies. I grabbed by school bag, emptying it of everything inside. I shoved two frozen loaves of bread inside, and then a two litre bottle of water we had in the fridge when we wanted something cold to drink. I put my head under the tap and gulped down as much water as I could before slinging the backpack over my shoulder and running into my bedroom. I pulled a leather jacket and leather pants on, and shoved some clothes in my pack. I ran back outside onto the porch and pulled my knee high motorbike boots on. I ran to the bike and roared away into the night, away from the fire. I soon reached the town of Brasham. The first and only thing I did there was look for somewhere to fill up the bike. My life depended on it. The residents had apparently evacuated. I rode into the servo and stepped on the brake. Grabbing the tube and filling the bike up with petrol, I sighed. Were my family okay? Did they make it? I looked around the town, finding the emptiness unsettling. The bike was full now. I pulled the tube out and roared away, hoping with all my heart that my family were safe.