Olifina: Love And Trouble

25. Fire

I shot my eyes open and tried to pull myself up. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I shook violently in my chair in an attempt to run away from the danger I was sensing. The place was hot and filled with smoke. I dragged my hands trying to break free from the restraints on them. My efforts were futile since my hands were tied like a treasure chest at the bottom of an ocean.

"Help!" I screamed at the top of my voice. "Somebody help!"

I kept shouting for help until the smell of the smoke and chlorine became unbearably suffocating. I bent my head as tears clouded my vision. The smoke left a stinging sensation in my eye. It filled my nose, blocking the air passage. I had to open my mouth to breathe properly, but still, the gas-filled my lungs at an even faster rate.

I got choked and let out a deep cough which caused my ribs immense pain with each release. I gasped desperately for breath only to get my lungs filled with smoke again and choke on the poisonous gas.

It was no use struggling to break free from the chair. Both my legs and hands were tied. The ropes were very tight, I was sure they had caused bruises on my skin.

I bent my head in exhaustion. My feeble frame was almost giving in to the suffering but I decided to give hope one last chance. I screamed out for help with the last strength I could muster. That last scream led me into a fit. I coughed to the extent I felt I could spit out my trachea. My chest felt like it was squeezing. I cried out in pain, longing for rest. Even if for five seconds.

Then, the rest came. My eyes closed slowly. The smell of the chlorine and smoke became distant little by little. The Clenching in my chest released gradually until it was all gone.

Bang!
Bang!
Bang!

The sound of someone trying to break into the room woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes to see the door shaking and on the verge of falling to the floor. The next hit from the intruder sent the door flying open.

"Rufina!" I could recognize my dad's voice even though my head wasn't settled.

"Dad?" I called out in a faint voice.

He didn't reply. Instead, he walked over to me and cut the ropes bounding my legs and hands. A wave of relief washed over me as he pulled me in for a hug.

"I was so worried about you," he said.

I did not have the strength to reply to him. Instead, I found myself crying due to the physical and emotional pain I felt.

He withdrew from me and cupped my face in both of his palms.

"We need to go, okay?"

I nodded. If only he knew how desperate I was to leave that place. I tried to push myself up as he pulled me to himself. He supported my weight as we both walked out of the room. The house was dimly lit so we managed to see. We were really confused as we walked through the building trying to find our way out of there.

Despite my condition, I was able to make out muffled screams coming from one of the rooms we passed.

"Dad?" I stopped walking and so did he.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"I can hear someone in this room."

He looked over at the room I pointed at. The sound came again and his expression changed.

"It might be Natalie," he said, rushing to the door. He pushed it open just like he had done mine.

It took us a couple of seconds after we entered the room to discover Mum tied to a chair by her hands, feet and mouth. Dad rushed to her and used his knife to cut the ropes on her. He hugged her happily as he smoothened her hair.