Ringing. Sharp ringing screeches through my ear drums, my vision is white and blurry. Orange flames slowly devour the room around me.
My senses slowly begin to crawl back to me over time. I don't know how long I've been knocked out but I need to find my family and get out of here.
I hear sobbing to my left, it sounds like James. My heart sinks deeper than the lowest oceans.
I gaze over to see him uninjured for the most part, but surrounded by flames. He curls up in a panic. I realise all too suddenly that this is not the first time this has happened to him. I can't spot anyone else as the room is coated with rubble.
I quickly place one of my arms across my face to prevent smoke inhalation
With no hesitation, I dash up and scoop up James from where he is, carefully avoiding the fire in the process.
Thick, unforgiving smoke coats the room, I desperately search for a fire escape. I know mum is in here still, but I need to get James out first.
I'm practically blind at this point, running my hand across the walls until I finally manage to grasp a handlebar. I push with all my might and I stumble outside.
The door exits to a view of the city suburbs above us, illuminated in the night sky. We're still very high up on the large hill. Wide concrete stairs slowly wind down to the bottom, linking one by one with other exits. it's at least 1000 steps from here to the bottom, possibly more.
Both James and I cough and splutter from the gallons of thick smoke we"ve just had to be subjected to.
"Are you okay James?" I quickly ask him.
"Y- yeah... but- what about Mum!" He exclaims in a panic.
I gaze up to the fire door which is slowly shutting, I can still see flames coating the room, noticeably, I can see the entire castle being evacuated, with all the soldiers flooding out like startled insects.
"I'm sure she'll be alright buddy." I exclaim, being somewhat uncertain with my answer.
Would it be plausible to run back inside? Would I even make it back out? I can't leave James here alone but equally I can't just leave mum in there.
Looking down, the staircase has 10 steps, then a break, then 10 steps, then so on.
I usher James down to the first break in the stairs so we're further away from the door in case there are any explosions or large flames.
"I'm going to go back in and check that she's alright, okay?" I turn to James.
"N- No! It's too hot in there, you'll get hurt!" James yells.
"I'm going to be fine... just, stay here, okay?" I once again say.
As I turn to the stairs to run back up to the door, I see it burst open as Mum frantically stumbles out.
Relief floods both her and our faces as we know each other are safe. My heart is still racing at light speed, however.
"Mum! Oh thank god you made it out!" I yell up to her.
"So am I... oh I believed you two were still in there for a second and I didn't know what to do at all-" Mum stutters.
"Come down here, we need to get to a safe place so we can send the signal to the Prime Minister-" I try to say before another figure appears from the fire door.
Before I can even think I see the figure pull out a pistol and shoot Mum directly in the leg before placing their other arm around her neck, holding her in place as she yelps in agony.
YOU ARE READING
Purple Roses
ActionStep inside a world where two sides are separated, one being a lot happier than the other. Look through the eyes of multiple different people from different backgrounds, a family forged not by blood but by love. It isn't all pretty though, sometime...
