Metamorphosis

Chapter 15: Heart-To-Heart

Flames surrounded Saige as she opened her eyes from sleep. The acrid smell of smoke filled her nostrils and she screamed. The heat enveloped her, and the flames licked at the foot of her bed. Her blankets caught fire and she thrashed, throwing them off of her. "Mommy!" she shrieked. "Daddy!"

"We're coming, baby!" she heard her mother yell. Her door flew open, and her mother appeared, holding a towel to her mouth. "Saige, I need you to jump out of your window, okay?" she yelled.

Saige was petrified but nodded quickly.

"Open your window and jump out!"

Saige quickly threw her burning blanket off of her bed and coughed as she breathed in the smoke. It was getting heavy as the house burned even more. "What about Saide?" she cried.

"Daddy and I will get Saide. You need to get out now," her mother ordered. "Jump out your window. It's only a few feet. Once you've done that--" She paused to cough. "You can meet us--" Cough, cough. "At the car. Okay?" She ran out of the doorway, and out of Saige's sight.

Saige couldn't hear her mother anymore.

Terror filled Saige. Everything was crumbling before her. Her life, her home, her family. Her bookshelf was on fire, her blankets were flaming, her stuffed animals were smoldering.

She snatched up her favourite stuffy--Sir Fluffs-A-Lot--and opened her window with a bit of difficulty. Her eyes and nose were burning from all of the smoke, and when she finally opened the window, she looked down. Her mother was right. The ground wasn't far from where she was.

She crawled up onto the window sill and jumped out.

The cool grass greeted her skin as she rolled over once. She blinked a few times and looked up to see smoke billowing up out of her window, and out of the windows on the top floor.

"Mommy?" she cried.

Saige's eyes opened and she turned over in bed quickly, trying to blink away the images of the fire that destroyed her family.

The moonlight shone through the window of the bunker they had landed in earlier that night. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down as she stared at the half-moon.

The bed creaked as she slid out of the covers and placed her feet on the cold concrete floor. She shivered and looked around the room.

Phoenix was snoring on a top bunk above Freya, who was sleeping peacefully. Mira was still asleep above Saige's bed, and Nova was sleeping under an empty bunk bed.

Saige left the room quietly and pattered down the hallway silently, past the bathroom and the boys' room at the end of the hall, and as she turned the corner, she heard someone behind her.

She froze and turned around slowly, only relaxing when she realized that it was just Saide--Nova. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Nova replied cooly. "What's wrong?"

Saige shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Nova sighed. "You know, I hate it when people say that because I can clearly see that you are not fine. Come on. You can tell me anything, Saige. I'm your sister. Albeit, we only found out recently, it still counts, right?"

"I don't want you to worry about me."

"It's too late for that. I am worried about you." Nova walked a few paces closer until they were only a foot apart. Saige was taller than her, so she had to crane her neck a little to look her in the eyes. "Saige, what's the matter?"