The Gateway That Led To You

Chapter 51

~Flashback~

Cleo's POV

(six years old)

"Fire! FIRE!" I looked out the window, it was Mrs Brown, my neighbour, and her house was on fire!

My mom and dad were already outside, rushing to Mrs Brown's house as I ran down the stairs. Mrs Brown's house was up in flames. Mrs Brown was with my mom, trembling. "You have to save my baby!" She begged.

"The fire department's on their way." My mom consoled her.

"Please, my baby's trapped in there!" Mrs Brown tried to dash back into the house but my parents stopped her.

"Colin, Anne, let me go, please! Please, James is stuck there!" Mrs Brown struggled with their grip, crying.

"Rachel, please, you'll only get yourself killed!" My mom said.

My dad tried to step into the house but there was no way, everything was collapsing, pieces of wood were blocking his path. He didn't realise that I was right beside him and quickly told me to stay away from the fire.

"But... James is in there!" I protested. "We have to rescue him!"

"We can't do anything, Cleo. We need to wait until the firemen put out the fire. Come on." He gestured me to follow him.

I noticed a hole that was small enough for me to squeeze through, I didn't even think, I ran straight into the burning house.

"CLEO!" I could hear my parents scream.

In the house, everything was falling apart, the fire was everywhere. I could hear the soft sound of a baby crying. "James, I'm coming!"

For some reason, I knew exactly where to go and where to avoid. I made my way to a room and could see James' crib. I quickly carried him out, just before the ceiling collapsed.

"I got you, I got you James." I said, looking left and right for the exit.

The fire was all the way to the front door. I looked around for another exit but the way to the back door was blocked. There's no other way to go. I took a deep breath and dashed through the hall of fire.

I expected myself to have burned alive as I ran, but the fire didn't burn me, it wouldn't harm me. I ran all the way out of the house and nearly crashed into my parents.

"Cleo! Oh, thank goodness." My mom hugged me tight.

I smiled, revealing that James was with me, Mrs Brown cried in joy and picked James up. "Thank you... Thank you..." She sobbed, hugging James.

My parents made sure that I wasn't hurt, surprisingly, I really wasn't. Not even a scratch. I looked back at the fire, it's as if the flames and sparks danced together, waving at me.

Aidan's POV

(seven years old)

"AHHHHHH!" I was screaming, running past the thick green. I was on a field trip but I wandered off from my group, got myself lost in the woods and there was a bear chasing me!

I climbed a tree and begged for dear life. I looked down, the bear was nowhere to be seen. Good, I've lost it.

"Be very careful, stay with your group, do not wander off no matter what! There are wild animals here, as long as you don't go into their territory and provoke them, you'll be safe. Don't worry, we won't be going anywhere near there." I remember my teacher saying. How I regret that now not following orders.