"Best thing about tonight thats we're not fighting... could it be that we have been this way before?" I heard these lyrics by Secondhand Serenade playing though my earphones as I was surfing the internet. It was roughly 11p.m. and darkness engulfed the outside. There was a tapping on the outside, but I refused to answer. My parents were asleep and people shouldn't be bothering us at 11p.m.
"James, wake up. James! You need to get out of the house." Rang a voice over my music. It was calling my dad, but my dad was asleep in his bed.
Getting tired of all the noise, I got up and walked to my parents' bedroom, almost getting hit by the swinging door. A loud crash sounded throughout the house of breaking glass as my courage left me all at once.
My dad went to the kitchen, opening the front door. I noticed an orange glow coming from the large living room window and whenever my dad opened the door, the glow filled the front door. My dad's eyes went large as he tried to slur, "Oh shit. The boat is on fire." As he said those words, pain filled his face and eyes. He loved that boat and now it was burning away along with parts of our house and the little taco stand he was working on for years.
With no idea what to do, I grabbed the key to my dad's study and attempted to find a fire extingisher. I noticed a shadow next to mine that looked like a girl's figure. My mom was in her bedroom unsure of what to do, so it couldn't have been hers. I refused to believe it could be something else, so I went along trying to find a fire extingisher when the window next to me crashed.
The shadow was next to me now. Words were swirling in my head, No one is trying to kill you. No one is after you. This isn't a murder attempt. Please just calm down. Don't get scared. Be brave.
My neighbor screamed from the other side of the window, "Get out of the house now! It's burning!"
I shook my head and grabbed a phone dialling 9-1-1.
"9-1-1 what's your emergency?"
"My house is on fire."
I gave her my address and then she put me on hold. The shadow was in front of me and a figure began to form. She had long black and blonde hair, wore glasses and grey contacts. She smiled and looked at me. Her lips parted and began to speak in a voice like mine, "This is your fault. If you hadn't been mad at your parents tonight, you would've heard the loud noise that started the fire. Don't even think about anyone else as you climb out your bedroom window."
The shadow disappeared. My mom and I made it out of the house by climbing out my bedroom window. My dad was escorted out 30 minutes later by the fire department. Several hours later, and many questions, the fire was gone....
I screamed. The dream was real. I experienced it a year ago. The fire occurred. My sense of security was gone. I learned Jazz's dirty little secret. I knew my secret. I needed to fix it.
