Letters Under The Sun|| The Outsiders|| Ponyboy Curtis x Johnny Cade.

Set Your Life Ablaze

I had a bad feeling in my gut about today, a gross dream on the filthy church floor. The wind howled outside, cold air creeping through the cracks of the old, abandoned church. Inside, the walls creaked and groaned with age, but to Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, it was shelter. Sitting by the small table we had built on the stone floor, we were silent, each lost in our own thoughts. The rustling leaves threw shadows on the dusty walls, the only movement in the otherwise still room. I leaned against the broken pew, staring at the wall, my mind wandering to everything that had led us there. We were hiding, fugitives from the world. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fight that got us into this mess, the fear in Johnny's eyes as he defended himself, and how everything had spiraled so quickly out of control. We were safe for now, but the weight of what had happened was heavy on both of us. Johnny sat cross-legged by the wall, arms wrapped around his knees, quiet as always. His face was drawn, still pale from the shock of it all. But there was a calm about him too, like he'd accepted the situation, even if he didn’t like it.

“Do you ever think about what happens next?” I'd only ask to break the silence.

Johnny looked up from the ground, his dark eyes reflecting the blue glow from the outside. He shrugged slightly, tugging at the collar of his jacket. “I try not to. Doesn’t seem like it’ll do much good, thinking too far ahead.” I nodded, pulling my knees up to my chest. I understood. The future felt like an overwhelming thing, a storm waiting to break. All we had was this moment, sitting in the old church, two kids hiding from the world.

“Still…you think we’ll ever see home again? The gang, Darry, Sodapop, Dally?” I looked at him.

He didn’t answer at first. His gaze dropped to the floor, his brow furrowed in thought. Finally, he sighed. “I hope so, Pony. But I don’t know. Things got so messed up so fast. I just...I just wanna be somewhere that feels safe.” I bit my lip, staring at my friend. Johnny looked so small sitting there, so worn down, like all the fight had been drained out of him. It wasn’t fair, none of it. He shouldn’t have had to do what he did. And now, we were here, in the middle of nowhere, like fugitives from our own lives.

“I think we’ll get through this. We’ll figure it out. The gang won’t forget about us.” My voice was quiet, yet hopeful. Johnny gave me a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re always the one with hope, Pony. That’s why I like you.” I felt a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the topic. Johnny’s words were simple, but they meant everything in that moment. If Johnny could still find something good, even now, maybe there was hope. The leaves crackled, sending small specks into the air. We sat in silence for a while, the church quiet but for the wind and the soft rustle of leaves outside. In that moment, it didn’t matter that we were running, or that the world seemed too big for two kids. In that old, broken church, we had each other. And somehow, that was enough for us greasers.

And then the next day, my gut feeling was right.

The smoke hit us first, thick and suffocating, clawing its way into my throat as soon as we had reached the church that afernoon. Flames licked at the windows, spitting sparks and heat into the cool afternoon air. The wooden walls groaned as the fire spread, turning the old church into a furnace.

But none of that mattered. Not the smoke, not the heat, not the danger. The only thing we could think about were the terrified screams coming from inside. “They’re kids! We gotta do somethin’, Pony!”

Before I could second-guess it, Johnny was already moving, throwing off his denim jacket and charging toward the church doors. I felt fear twist in my chest, real fear, not the kind you felt around Socs or cops, but I followed anyway, because Johnny was in there, and there was no way in hell he was leaving me alone. Inside, the air was hotter than anything I had ever felt, thick with smoke that made my eyes water instantly. The flames had already spread along the walls, turning the old wood into ash. The roof creaked above us, threatening to collapse at any moment.

I coughed hard, pulling my shirt over my nose. “Over here!” Johnny had spotted the kids. Johnny was already there, pulling a kid to his feet and guiding him toward the window. “You’re gonna be okay,” he said, his voice steady in a way that made my chest ache. “We’ll get you out.” We worked fast, moving the kids one by one, passing them through a busted window to safety. The fire crackled louder now, the smoke so thick I could barely see Johnny beside me. "This way, Johnny!” I yelled, dragging a little girl toward the window. I turned to see Johnny crouched low, scooping up a boy who had been too scared to move. And then, with a deafening groan, part of the ceiling gave way. 

“Johnny!” I screamed, watching in horror as a beam broke loose and fell. Johnny saw it too, but instead of running, he shoved the kid toward me with everything he had. The child stumbled into my arms just as the beam came down, crashing into Johnny’s back and pinning him to the ground. “Johnny!” my heart seized as I dropped the kid outside and raced back to my friend. The fire roared all around us now, closing in fast. Johnny was face down on the floor, his body trapped beneath the burning wood. “I’m okay,” Johnny wheezed, though the pain in his voice said otherwise. He tried to push himself up, but his limbs trembled and gave out. “No, you’re not!” I cried, panic rising in his throat. I grabbed the beam, ignoring the searing heat against my palms, and pushed with everything I had. "We’re getting out of here, Johnny. You hear me?” Johnny coughed, struggling to breathe through the smoke. “Just... go, Pony. You gotta..” I looked at him “Shut up!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I’m not leavin’ you!”

With a surge of desperate strength, I shoved the beam just enough to free Johnny. He cried out as I hauled him up, slinging his arm over my shoulder. My friend was limp and barely conscious, but alive. "We’re almost there,” I panted, dragging Johnny toward the window as the flames chased them. My chest burned, and every muscle screamed in protest, but I kept going.