Gears for a Heart

Tangled in the Great Escape

Sirens were heard, orange light illuminated the town.

Fire.

Everywhere.

It was hell.

People were screaming and crying. Some ran for their lives and some were looking for their loved ones and one of them was Ruel. He was trying to find his daughter through the stampede. It was horrendous.

Debris started to fall from the ceiling.

Ruel dodged a ledge and crouched to keep his head from burning.

"Alyssa!" He shouted as he heard the ceiling crack. He covered his face. Ruel coughed. "Alyssa!" Ruel shouted yet again. 'Alyssa please!' He thought. 'I do not want to loose you too...'
"Alyssa! Where are you?!" He screamed through the roaring fire.

"Dad!" A little voice answered and the ceiling on top of Ruel broke. He ran towards the nearest room and leaned on the door frame.

"Dad!" The little voice shouted, fear evident on its voice.

"Alyssa! I'm coming for you. Don't worry!" Ruel reassured.

"Dad... I'm scared." Alyssa said.

"Don't worry, Ly." Ruel said.

Ruel carefully went out of the room and walked towards the dangerous path to his daughter's location. Her room.

Wood started to fall yet again and the floor he is stepping on is starting to crack in his every step. Ruel looked at his front and saw his Alyssa crying. He tried stepping on even further but the floor completely broke. It could not support a man as heavy as him.

"Dad!" Alyssa shouted for help.

He looked at Alyssa and saw the flames are almost catching up to her.

"Damn." He murmured then he thought of an idea.
If the wooden floor can't handle his weight, then he'll make Alyssa come to him instead. He looked on his daughter's eyes and smiled. "Okay, Baldo... Listen to Dad okay?"

Alyssa nodded, she was visibly shaking with fear.

"Can you come here to Dad's arms?" Ruel asked, still smiling, despite the smoke.

Alyssa whimpered. "But Dad, I'm scared."

"Aly, no. You are not scared at all... You are just thinking that you are scared." Ruel explained. The spot beneath him started to crack, it cannot handle him soon. "Look... Daddy is stuck. He needs a hero!"

"A... A he-hero?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah! Just like in our favorite story, right?" Ruel said. The floor cracked and he backed up a bit. He looked behind him and the fire was almost licking him. "Bagyong Baldo and his side-kick, Tin-Man! All you have to do to be a hero is to stand up, sweetie or should I say, Bagyong Baldo!"

"Okay..." Alyssa sniffed and shakingly stood. She heard a loud crack and screamed in fear.

"Okay, Bagyong Baldo!" Her dad said. "Calm down. You are not afraid. You just thought that you are afraid. All you have to say is that you can do it."

"I can do it." Alyssa repeated.

"That is right, you can do it. You can save Daddy, right, Bagyong Baldo?"

Alyssa nodded. "I can do it!"

Alyssa started to walk carefully towards her dad. Then suddenly the ceiling on top af Alyssa fell, narrowly missing her. Alyssa screamed and started to cry again and stood still in the middle of her room.

"Alyssa!" Ruel shouted.

"Dad!" Alyssa cried. "I can't do it!"

"Yes you can! You are my hero, Baldo. You can do it!" He said as he started to walk back again. He can feel the heat against his back now. One more step, he could burn. Ruel looked back at Alyssa and smiled and opened his arms wider. "You can do it!"

But Alyssa was not listening. She was still crying.

"Alyssa listen to me. If you stay there, who will Daddy tell stories to? If Bagyong Baldo will not save me, who will be her side-kick?"

Alyssa looked up to her dad. She shook her head and said, "No one."

"Then what are you doing?" Ruel asked.

Alyssa started to walk carefully yet quickly to her father with one mission in mind, save her Dad. She was near him until the floor gave up in between them. Making a gap from the two.

"Dad!"

"Alyssa!"

Alyssa was standing and looked below.

Fire.

Alyssa whimpered in fear.

"Okay sweetheart. New plan. Jump to Tin Man." Ruel said.

"But you'll get burnt!" Alyssa said.

"Please, Bagyong Baldo! Use your super jump!"

And Alyssa jumped.

The two tumbled back and Ruel stood up faster that light and took off the house. He passed the kitchen and saw the LPG. He tried to ran faster.

Boom.

Their house exploded and they got out in time but as they did, Ruel accidentally let go of Alyssa. They tumbled and rolled unto the ground. The parts of the house started to rain on the two. They both lay there, unconscious.

"I never meant to hurt no body..."
-Tangled in the Great Escape, Pierce the Veil

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Did he? Of course. He didn't he never meant to hurt no body. It was just a mistake. Like chess, he made the wrong move. A checkmate.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Yeah... A checkmate. It was supposed to be beautiful. Phenomenal.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

In a click, it all fell down.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

"Hey! He's waking up!"

"Ruel!"