Marnie's Locket

Prologue

A/N So this was something I wrote last week and i would really appreciate some feedback. I have a few chapters written so far as well, but i was hoping for some help on this part. Thanks! I hope you like it! Oh! and if someone can think of a title I would be so grateful, Im drawing a blank for a good title.

Prologue                                                                                                  

The smell of sulfur was so strong; I was literally choking on it. I could feel it burning in my lungs and each breath was like gulping large amounts of fire. Every breath was harder than the last; till it reached the point that the short breaths I could manage got stuck in my throat making it impossible for me to really breathe. The burning brought tears to my eyes that dried up before they could fall. I was so disoriented, the whole world was on tilt and the harder I tried to stay upright, the more I would trip and fumble. I couldn’t tell where I was or where I was going, I wasn’t aware of anything but the massive walls of hot red flames licking at my sides and legs. I felt myself trip over something bulky and large, and as I was falling I realized it was a body.

It was Melissa. Melissa, my brave older sister who I had always idolized. I tried to scream, but my dry mouth suffocated the scream. I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t move, all I seemed to be able to do was stare at Melissa. I shut my eyes tightly, but not soon enough for me not to notice the sick way her skin was bubbling, or how her glazed eyes seemed to bore holes into the ceiling. I felt so sick, I held my side as I threw up everything in my stomach, and the acidic feel of it leaving my throat only intensified the burning of the smoke in my lungs. I was so tired. Even though the ground was almost as hot as the flames I placed my cheek against the hardwood and closed my eyes. I stayed that way for a few minutes, taking short ragged breaths that eventually turned into dry sobs. The crackle and hiss of the fire faded until it was merely background noise and I knew this was the end and I welcomed it. Surely death would be a sweet escape after this fiery torture. It grew so silent, and I smiled at the peace, and in the back of my mind I felt my dry, cracked lips split. I was sinking farther and farther into this seemingly silent abyss.

 I frowned, noise was invading my quiet existence, I could hear hoarse screaming, but that was silly, why was someone screaming? I tried to block it out and shut down once again, but this time the voice was louder. Vaguely I realized they were shouting a name. Marnie . My name.  A fierce shot of hope coursed through my weathered and beaten body. With strength I didn’t know existed, I pulled myself up and groggily opened my eyes. All at once I could feel a white hot pain on my neck, and I could hear a loud sizzling sound in my ears. My hair was on fire and it was catching my shirt on fire, I could feel the flames eating away at my flesh. I silently shrieked and desperately tried to pat out the flames with my hands. As soon as my hands touched my hair, it fell to ashes in my hands, leaving me with merely a few inches of hair. I shakily stood and listened again for the voice that had yanked me out of my smoke induced stupor. I could hear it, farther away this time. Wait! I wanted to shout. Wait! I'm coming! The voice was becoming fainter still. I couldn’t seem to figure out what direction it was coming from, everywhere I looked there was a thick intimidating gray fog and bright hot flames that seemed to scald my eyes. I shut them tight and ran straight as fast as I could. Instant agony occurred as I ran through what felt like a door frame afire. I would have given anything at that moment to have been numb with shock, to have been in such a state of disbelief that I couldn’t feel anything. If only I were so lucky. Instead, I felt the flames engulf me, face to feet, I could feel myself twitching as my body tried to pull itself away from the fire. Every single one of my nerves seemed to scream as the fire wrapped around my blistering skin. I forced my feet forward until I was hit with a wave of cold air. It was such a contrast to the melting inferno I had been in. I fell forward onto my hands and knees panting. I clenched my hands, and then gasped. Dirt, I was outside. I lifted my head and peered through the smoke, and my eyes locked on a figure roughly a 100 yards in front of me.