Breaking the Chains

Chapter Thirty Three

There was smoke. Not an unbearing amount or uncontrollable, but there was smoke. Riley began a coughing fit in her room while she tried to find Matt's favourite bear. Eli tried to help her but Riley closed her bedroom door to keep the smoke in there. Somehow, someone set the outside of the house on fire, and Riley knew exactly who that someone was. She tried to cover her mouth her her sweater sleeve but the smoke managed to sneak it's way into her lungs anyway. Riley continued to cough as she finally found the light brown bear she had given Matt back when he was a toddler. It was old but she knew Matt would still love having it. Then she looked around for anything else to save once she got out of her room.

"Get," she coughed heavily, "out of the house!" She began to cough again as she looked back to her room, which was full of grey smoke. She gulped down the flem that came up and turned back toward Eli and Matt.

"She's out there, Riley," Eli said with a frown before he looked at Matt. Riley bit her bottom lip as she looked back to her room. "Close the door so that the smoke takes more time to travel." Riley nodded before she shut her bedroom door.

"I don't know what else to grab," Riley whimpered before she coughed again.

"Get a few knives," Eli said strictly as he walked toward Riley and turned into the kitchen. "Where's the drawer?"

"Eli, we can't," Riley whispered as she looked back to Matt who was covering his mouth with the fabric of his shirt closest to his neck.

"She nearly killed you," Eli breathed out as he turned around to look at her. "If she touches you or Matt again, I'll make sure she won't get the chance ever again." Riley bit her bottom lip as she looked at him before she coughed. "You need water," Eli said quickly before he rushed to the cupboards and grabbed a random glass before filling it with tap water. Once it was full, he passed it to Riley who hesitantly took a gulp of it. "Knives," he muttered to himself before he pulled open a drawer and took out three knives. One was a chefs knife, which was dull but would still work. The second was a steak knife, which had ridges and was sharp. The third was a butcher, which Riley put back once she saw it out.

"We are not using that," she whispered before grabbing the steak knife and tucking it into the side of her pants. "This is mine," she added before walking out of the kitchen to her brother. Eli gulped, realizing how bad the smoke was getting.

"We need to get out," Eli yelled toward the two of them, but Riley jumped back and held Matt close to her. Eli frowned. "Sorry," he said quieter. "Go out from the front door." Matt held onto the brown bear with one of his hands before he tried to take the chair away from the knob. "I'll help you," Eli said in a soft voice as he took the chair away. He turned the knob but it was as if it were locked in place. "It's not moving."

"It has to," Riley said before turning it herself. "This can't be happening," she breathed out before she checked the back door, which had the same problem. "No," she panicked and looked toward her room, noticing how the smoke was now in the hallway. "We have to get out. It's getting bad." Riley muttered as she looked at the two boys, who were breathing heavily from the panic.

"The windows," Eli breathed out as he walked toward one of them. It was still bright outside, which made him feel a little calmer. "Do you have a hammer or anything?" Riley clenched her jaw before she grabbed a walking cane her dad had used back when she was younger and smashed it into the window. Glass sprayed everywhere but Eli managed to get away. Riley curled into a ball immediately after the cane made impact and managed to dodge most of the glass. She was breathing heavy after that but right away she looked toward Eli and Matt, who had wide eyes and scared looks.

"Hurry up," Riley said before she crawled out of the window to be welcomed by fresh air. She looked around immediately to make sure no one was around, but the only thing she was welcomed with was the fire slowly eating the house. "Outside now!" Riley said louder than intended as Eli lifted Matt carefully onto the ground before he jumped out. Eli began to breathe heavily as he looked at the ground with shut eyes. "Now what?"