Return Of The Outcast

|011| I'm all alone now

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The distance from Tim Horton to the Clarence  building was far, but I'm willing to make the run. Though just barely a few miles in, I was already feeling the pain.

 My knees started giving out, my lungs felt like they were on fire and I couldn't tell whether I was breathing so hard because I was tired or because I was scared. Everything hurts. But the worst pain of all was the thought that I could be losing my mother.  I can't stop now, I have to find out the truth.

Finally, I got to the site and the news wasn't kidding about how severe the situation was.

 Just by scanning the area, I could see 3 cop cars, at least 5 fire trucks, and multiple firemen who had just finished putting out the flames, leaving nothing but dark grey smoke clouds polluting the sky and melting off steel wires from the once white, now burned down building. 

The place was a mess and was closed off by black and yellow tape reading "caution", but that of course didn't stop a massive crowd of people from forming around the area to get a glimpse of the catastrophe.

 But what sent chills down my spine was the sight of the paramedics pulling someone on a stretcher into the ambulance. My mind went back to what the news anchor said and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Mama!" I yelled, shoving through the hordes of onlookers and disregarding the amount of annoyed looks I was getting. All I cared about was getting to see my mom.

I then felt a hand on my right shoulder as I tried to get closer. I turned around to find a tall fire woman standing there. "Ma'am. You can't come here" she said with a firm grip on me to make sure I didn't go any further "This area is off-limits to civilians." she said, gesturing down to the caution tape I was trying to cross.

"I need to see my mom. She could be in there!" I pleaded with the woman but she just shook her head, saying "Sorry little lady, but I can't let you go". I felt my heart being crushed into a thousand pieces. "No please! I need to see her" I pleaded once more with desperation and urgency in my voice. "Her name is Rosa Ingrid. I need to see if she's okay". 

Just then I could see the fire woman's face shift when I mentioned her name. Switching from a harsh look in her eyes to one filled with sympathy. She stared at me intently, seemingly ridden with sadness on my behalf.

"So you're the woman's daughter?" she asked quietly and I nodded. 

She continued to stare at me as if thinking about the right course of action to take, before letting out a long and breathy sigh "Fine...you can go '' she said, but she hadn't let go of my shoulder just yet despite . Instead, she shockingly pulled me into a hug, leaned in close to my right ear, and whispered "I'm sorry", with her coffee breath blowing on my neck and sending shivers down my spine. She then broke our sudden hug and finally let go of me but not before giving me a weak smile that expressed sympathy.

Her actions and words confused. Why did she feel the need to apologize? What was there to apologize for? I was getting increasingly worried at the thought of what that "sorry" implied and I wanted to turn around to ask her what she meant, but I had no time for that. So as soon as I went over the yellow tape, I bolted to where the paramedics people were. I need to see who they are pulling into the ambulance. I need to see mama.

When I finally caught up to them, they had already loaded the person into the back of the ambulance and seemed to be getting ready to leave, but luckily not all of the paramedics were in yet so I tugged at one of their vests. "p-please...I need.." I struggled to say as I tried catching my breath. All that running has finally caught up to me.