My Home Is With You [LGBT+]

Fourteen

I'M SILENT AS JAMES, Maximilian's chauffeur, drives us home. My cheek is pressed against the cool glass of the fogged-up window as I'm drowned in my thoughts. But honestly, I don't know what to think. My mind is jumbled with feelings I don't yet understand.

When I realize it's been more than five minutes since we moved, since the light turned green, I wipe the condensation off the window and peer outside. There's traffic, a ridiculous line of silent cars that don't usually jam at this hour.

It's then I see it. A blanket of smoke clouding the dark sky. The loud wailing of fire trucks racing toward the burning building suddenly echoing through my ears.

My heart stops.

We're not too far from my home, from the fire.

Without thinking I rip my seatbelt off and open the door. I vaguely hear James and Max calling out to me, but I can't stop. I stare at the flames licking at the walls, pieces of plaster crumbling to the ground like cookie crumbs.

Someone stops me.

I look up with wide panicked eyes as I beg them to let me go, my only family is in there damnit!

I hear terrified screams. And I break free from the police officer's hold and disappear.

I run around the back cutting through the parking lot and search for a rock I shove into my pocket before climbing up the shitty fire escape covered in chipped paint.

There's a fire raging on from the kitchen underneath the apartment I live in. It's spreading and the smoke is thick, it's suffocating.

The doors are jammed.

I take out the rock and slam it on the windowpane embedded in the kitchen door.

With my sweater I brush away as many broken jagged shards of glass as I can before crawling through.

I try to ignore the sting of the remaining glass digging into my arms and legs.

The smoke thickens.

I'm blinded by darkness, my lungs suddenly burning with each drag of breath I try to take.

I'm disoriented, but I follow the cries of fear.

I ignore the feeling of heat slowly engulfing me.

I'm scared.

I trip over something and find the floors obscured by pieces of the ceiling bathed in waves of flames.

Tears sting my eyes, but I push away the burning debris with whatever I can.

"'Seias!"

I look up in time to see Doña Ena, my niece, and cousins huddled by an opened window screaming for help. Immediately I take Miguel and lead the small group toward the door only for a piece of flaming plaster to fall in our path.

The fire only spreads more quickly.

I try to think.

"Abajo!" I yell through the bellowing of destruction, get down!

They get down where the smoke is slowly twirling in thin whisps. I let Miguel cover his chubby face with my shirt as I try to kick the burning thing out of our path.

When I finally manage to move it just an inch, I reach for the main entrance to the apartment, only to find the metal door (although resistant) hot. Without thinking, my hand curls around the knob, my skin burning, melting. I bite back a scream as tears roll down my soot covered cheeks.

I take in a ragged breath, then another.

I place Miguel down on unsteady feet and start banging on the door, shoving against it with my shoulder. I search for something heavy; regretting having left the rock outside.

I find the now empty can of a useless fire extinguisher (required to be in every apartment) before I slam it again the doorknob. I can't feel anything else but relief as the door finally opens. I rush everyone out into the hall where firemen are leading people outside.

I'm about to follow when I see Anabella staring at the apartment, brown eyes filled with tears. I call out her name, but she doesn't hear.

She disappears within the clouds of smoke as I scream and follow after her.

She's looking desperately through the burning pile of what used to be her toys. She approaches a blackened teddy bear that she picks up with trembling hands.

Tears slip down her cheeks leaving pale traces of tanned skin.

She clutches the teddy bear as she screams for her daddy. For my brother.

My heart breaks.

Everything he ever bought for her is burned. Every memory, every moment, she had managed to hold on to after he was deported was destroyed in a matter of minutes.

Every memory, gone.

I hold her back away from the fire and tell her to look away. With trembling arms, she hugs me tight. I manage to push her out the apartment, and just as I'm about to leave, something heavy falls. The crash sounds like thunder before lightning.

It's feels like I'm being crushed.

My vision swims black.