Fire Country: Bode's Love Story

The Rush

The fire blazes to life practically a few strides up the road. My heart immediately jumps into my throat. This can't be happening, it can't be real. "FIRE!" Jake's voice belts out as he rushes forward to extinguish the closest flames. As the color of the fire dances across my pupils, I slowly turn back to Eve, "We don't have much time," I croak out. Eve's face shoots up taking in the scene that's unraveling around us. Her eyes dance with a blaze but it's not from the fire, it's a look of uncertainty settling within her body as she tries to peel the dash away from Gabs. The black metal and plastic pop and creak but it won't budge, "Damn it! If I just had the damn spreaders she would be out by now!" She says exasperated as sweat pools down her forehead. She reaches up and wipes at it aggressively, trying one last time to put a dent in it. Unfortunately, the sound of the crowbar clattering to the floorboards is the last sound the car would make. "Bode it's coming toward you, are they out yet?" Jake shouts as he scrambles after another blaze that's crackled to life. I can barely focus on anything but the car and the women inside, the fire could be a hundred miles away for all I care in this moment. "I'm so sorry Gabriella," I mutter numbly as I stare at Eve who has gone completely still, "I know what to do Bode," She says somberly, tears staining her cheeks, "Get me the saw." My eyes leak the tears I had been holding in, "There has to be another way, Eve! She'll never forgive us," I cry out but Eve doesn't even flinch she just waits expectantly for me to obey. "Now Probie!" She calls out. I sob as I belt toward the rig, letting my hands fumble for the handle of the tool I've never had the misfortune of using. She'll leave that car with more than she came with but it's the only way. "It's the only way," I murmured as I slid Eve the serrated blade. As she picks it up I can see her body trembling as she fishes around for the morphine, an oxygen mask, and a tourniquet. As soon as they have been placed on Gabs, Eve delicately places the saw a few inches away from her knee. She looks up at me before she begins, exchanging a glance and a quick nod before she begins taking the next step. From this point forward there would be nothing delicate about what Eve was doing. The blade wasn't just working on Gabs, it was doing a number on Eve as well, she looked as if she might throw up. With one final cut Eve belts out, "I'm through, packing the wound and sending her up." In a matter of seconds the backboard is sent skittering towards my arms, "Gabs. Gabs you're going to-," I begin to say just as a loud cracking sound is driven straight to my ears. My arms practically are vibrating as everything around me goes silent, "The tree," I murmur as I watch it begin to sway forward. "GET OUT OF THE WAY! EVE, THE TREE'S FALLING!" I scream as the tree grinds out its warning. Panic sets in to Eve's eyes as she scrambles to push herself up over the seats. The tree groans again as it threatens to make its descent early. "EVE!" I scream, just as she reaches the final obstacle of seats. As if the tree itself wants to give her enough time, it creaks one final time before it splinters into a million pieces. I watch as the branches rush to meet the earth, "COME ON BODE!" Eve's voice belts out as she practically pulls me and Gabriella out of the way of the falling giant. A plume of dust and smoke flies out in all directions of the tree, belting towards us as fast as it takes you to blink. Instinctively, I scramble forward draping myself over Gabriella to protect her from all the fumes that are swarming around us. This was my job, to protect her, and I had already failed once. No way was I going to let it happen again. "I got you Gabs. I got you," I soothe just as the black coats of my fellow firefighters grab the baseboard and charge toward the red and white lights flashing on the side of the road.