Not Who You Say You Are

Chapter Twenty

The sound that omits from the explosion is so devastatingly loud that I feel both of my eardrums burst, and it's quickly followed by a sharp ringing sound that blocks out every other noise. The heat from the bomb, although the flames never reach me, burns my skin and the shockwave that radiates from the burst sends me flying backwards and I land on the ground with a loud thud. It's such a quick event that it's over in seconds. The bright light blinds me momentarily but when my vision comes back, it's immediately clear that there is no way Bonnie has survived. The area surrounding the tree and the bomb is lit in golden-orange flames, with the tendrils dancing around each other and floating up into the air. The windows behind the tree have shattered, leaving a cold breeze that temporarily eases the heat from the fire. I look around for Bonnie but I can't focus. The longer I hold them open, the smoke from the flames sears my eyes, but I push through.

It takes me a while to find her but finally, I do. Bonnie is lying flat on the ground against a wall twenty feet away from the tree, small flames still radiating from her body. I can hear muffled commotion through the ringing in my ears and I assume it must be Miles and Ivy behind me. Then, Ivy steps into view holding a fire extinguisher and begins putting out the fire. She sprays Bonnie before moving on to the rest of the damage. Surprisingly, Bonnie is still moving. Thank god. I can't bear another death tonight. In my haze, I begin crawling towards Bonnie. My eyes are constantly leaking and it makes it near impossible to see. So hard in fact, that it's only when I'm two feet away from Bonnie that I realise her right arm has been completely blown off. I gasp at the sight, but it only gets worse. Her right arm took the first impact as it was closer but her left arm is no better. Arguably, it's worse. Her left sleeve has burned away, leaving her arm exposed. The whole limb appears to be seared down to the bone. There is no skin tissue left. It's just a cylindrical piece of pus-covered flesh. And the smell is so atrocious I have to stop myself from gagging. I'm not that close to her, and even still, her body heat is powerful enough to reach me.

But the worst part, the most horrific sight, is her face. She was looking directly into the bomb as it exploded. I can see it now. The black Christmas present sitting under the tree, the incessant beeping throughout the entire day, Bonnie peering into the box, The bright flash of heat; the bright flash of heat that was pointed directly at her face. It's bright red and appears to already be scabbing over. The flames have burned through her right cheek and through the gaping hole, I can see her top and bottom teeth. And her eyes... they're gone. Well, partly gone. The remains are still there. Instead, now they have popped and are currently drizzling down the side of her face like egg whites. I now realize that the movements she was making before were not a sign of her being okay. Her body is twitching and convulsing as it tries desperately to keep her alive. But it's not working. It's far too late. Soon after they start, they stop and her body goes still

Now I puke. I lean off to the side and hurl up everything my body can muster, which is just clear bile. My hearing is slowly coming back and I become more aware of my surroundings. Ivy has successfully managed to put out the fire and has now kneeled next to Bonnie, whilst Miles is sitting curled into a ball in the kitchen. There are more footsteps as finally, the remaining Quinns enter the room. They look sweaty and flustered because, like us, they have been running from a hunter. At least Wade seems to have regained some mobility back after his stabbing. They scream at the sight of both the blackened tree, floor, and walls, and Bonnie's body lying burnt to a crisp on the floor. Ruby, however, doesn't make a sound, but I notice the sadness-filled eyes she has had for the last day, have disappeared. In my head, I can see them popping and leaking down her face just like Bonnie, but when I snap out of it, they're the same. Well, not the same. They're vacant. I want to puke again. Poor Ruby. First John, then Emerald, and now Bonnie. She's lost everybody she cares about.