FlashOver

Prolouge

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Five alarms, five tones, five cries for help. Screaming through my ears, disturbing my precious beauty sleep. My wake up call. Tossing my covers off I got ready for my day, I mean night or was it morning? The window to my right was pitch black with twinkling little stars. Looking at the alarm clock on the small table next to my bunk I saw that it read, 2:37 am. I slipped on some sweat pants over top of my spandex I had been wearing and threw a tank top over my grey sports bra. Slipping my crocs on I sprinted to my car, well.... how should I put this, it was more of a truck.....A fire truck to be exact.

         Yes, I Chris Ramsey, am a firefighter. It kind of runs in the family. Running to the left side of engine 13 I spotted my turnout gear. I slipped my crocs off, jumping into my boots and pulling up the heavy, smokey smelling pants. Putting my suspenders on my shoulders. My hair was a knotty mess so I threw it up into a low, tight bun before putting my hood on and my heavy turnout jacket overtop that. Grabbing my helmet that was engraved with my name Ramsey, I hopped into seat 3 behind the driver. Jimmy turned the ignition over and we slammed our doors closed. To my left Rodgers and TJ sat ready for action. Lastly the Chief jumped into the passenger seat in his gear.

"Alright lights a blazin, Jimmy, dispatch said this was a real nasty one we gotta go! We're headed to the shallows apartment complexes." Chief said in a gruff voice. His faced was lined with wrinkles of experience and his eyes tinted from an infinite amount of calls.

I grabbed the handle bar above my head to hang onto when the truck lurched forward, the bay doors opening wide. The truck screamed to life as Jimmy zoomed out of the station, whipping past cars and tall buildings.

        The truck finally slowed in front of an apartment complex ablaze. The entire front was engulfed in flames, all of the windows were blown out and dark, thick black smoke lingered in the air. Jumping out of the cab of the engine I strapped my helmet, over my air mask, to my head and grabbed my air pack securing it to my mask. I threw open one of the side compartments on the side of the truck grabbing a halligan bar. Rodgers and TJ were throwing hoses and hooking them up. Jimmy was managing the the pump while Chief was figuring out an attack plan.

A small woman came screaming up to us tears staining her cheeks. "Help! Help! She's still in there! She's in there!" The lady was practically jumping up and down and pointing to the apartment building. "Who is ma'am?" I asked. Just then Tower 31 screeched to a halt next to our engine, their crew got out and went to talk to our Chief to see how they were going to take care of the scene. "My baby! She's in there, on the third floor! My little girl! Her name is Lucy! Please save her!" The woman pleaded before crumpling to the ground in a sobbing mess.

I strode over to the command center and approached the Chief, "Sir, there is one civilian in the building, a small girl. Do I have permission to enter?" I asked. "Yes, Ramsey, but not alone. Everyone out here will handle the flames. You and I are going to get the girl." He finished and put on his air pack.

I approached the front door and slammed the halligan into the frame of the door and pried it open. TJ and a Tower 31 guy attacked the flames with a hose when I opened the door. Once the flames were out there Chief and I entered the building. We reached the stairs, which were the only things intact. Going up two floors I kicked open the door and went down the hallway, fire was everywhere. "Lucy? Can you hear me honey? Where are you?" I called out hearing no response. "Lucy? Lucy!" I called out again.

"I'm in here." A little voice answered muffled by the wall. I entered the room and found a small body on the floor wheezing from the smoke. Lucy was a small brown haired girl about, 6. She had a coughing fit. I realized she couldn't make it much longer without oxygen. Unhooking my airpack hose from my mask a stick it to her mouth. "Sweety, you need to breathe this in." I told her. She obeyed my command and breathed in a little. I picked her up and found Chief trying to put out some of the flames on this floor.

"I got her," I told him. "Let's get out of here then," he replied. We walked down the hallway. This building couldn't take to more before it collapsed. The fire had weakened the structure too much. Just then a small beam came down above us. Lucy screamed when see saw it cowering in my arms as I wrapped myself protectively around her petite body, blocking her from the flames and the beam itself. I let it hit me instead. I winced when it connected with my back but held myself up, the flames didn't damage much due to my gear.

The beam was pushed off me by strong arms, I looked up to see chief, "Jeez kid, you okay?" He looked at the beam, "Yes sir, thanks. We gotta get out of here now." I said. Holding little Lucy tighter in my arms we ran down the stairs. Once on the ground floor we were running and had a 250 ft distance between us and the door. We kept running knowing this place wasn't going to hold much longer.

Crack

The sound rang throughout the burning building before an odd noise creaked, like a falling tree. But it wasn't a tree that was falling, it was the apartment building. "RUN!" Chief yelled to me. Fear gripped a hold of me and I took off sprinting to the door. Almost all of the supporting beams had snapped. Lucy had burying her head into my turnout gear hiding her tears from the world. I had almost made it to the door, five more feet. The I heard another deafening Crack.

          "Shit!" I heard Chief say before I felt those two strong hands on my back again, but this time they pushed me forward. Next thing I knew I was hitting the soft grass hard. I was outside! Yes!

          Then I heard that falling tree sound again. I turned around horrified as I saw Chief still trying to get out of the building I started running back into the building after I set down Lucy, but before I could get to the door the entire building collapsed. Stone met the ground and wood crashed to the floor.......On top of Chief.

            I started yelling for help as I sprinted to the remains of the building. My knees buckled by themselves and I fell to the ground sobbing as I tried to grab pieces of rock and debris but failed miserably. "No!" I screamed hitting the stone with my fists. "Dad! Dad! No, no, no!" I yelled to the building. "Daddy! Daddy! You can't leave me! Where are you? Please Daddy!I'll get you out!" I declared. Everything around me became a blur, my senses slowing to snail speed. All sounds were muted out. Someone grabbed me and started pulling me away from the burning remains.

They turned me around revealing it was Jimmy, but that didn't matter at the moment. He started saying something to me but I wasn't listening, tears streaked my face and I fell to my knees again.

       My Chief had just died, my mentor, my hero, my friend. He was gone. Just like that. The person who taught me everything I know. The man who braved every situation he was ever thrown. The toughest man in the world. But more importantly than that, my father.

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