Last Teardrop

Chapter 18: Tragedy

“Where is Maelyn?”

People were running around the huge mall, trying to evacuate the place. The crowd could no longer be controlled and everyone was afraid. Scared, she kept looking for her child. The kids were already frightened and the place was about to break down. But maelyn was not there.

Rattled, she called her friend.

“Eliza, where are you? Are you safe?”

“Yes, but the fire is getting bigger. I am nearby the exit with my child. Where are you? You need to come here.”

“I can’t. I lost maelyn. I need to find my child back.”

“what? Where are you? I am coming.”

“no, just leave. I’ll be out any minute. Bring sam home, eliza.”

In the middle of all the worried and troubled faces, one lady was too brave to get back in the mall to help her friend. She whispered to her child to stay calm, leaving her in a safe place nearby the exit.

“Francine!!! Where are you??”

“right here!”

“what happened?”

“I lost maelyn. I cannot find her.”

The rain started to pour heavily. And the place was almost empty. People were gathered outside the huge mall wherein half of it was already eaten up by the fire.

“you are asthmatic, Francine. And you know that when you stay longer in here, you will never make it. Go nearby the exit, watch for Sam and I’ll go get your maelyn. Wait for me there.”

“But I can’t just leave you here and maelyn too.”

“I will make it out here – with maelyn.”

Not knowing what else to do with her determined friend, she headed to the exit and looked for Sam, while Inside the department store..

“Maelyn!!!”

A kid, 3 years of age, hair in ponytail and red ribbons, carrying with her a cute little doll was busy playing with the toys spread in the children’s section.

“Come here sweetie. Let’s go home.” She said and carried the child in the safest way possible. She avoided all the fire and had covered the little girl, who started crying, with blankets to avoid getting burned.

When she was nearby the exit, a huge part of the mall just dropped and hit her. She was already burning but still she managed to hand the child to her friend like she promised to. And with all her strength, she reached for the hand of her 5 year old child, who was also so scared. Together, they find the way to get out the mall. She was already filled with burns, and thought that she won’t be able to make it.

At last they found the door. And they could see the people from outside. They managed to get out together with the two kids - Safely. But fate had a funny way of testing people. Maelyn dropped her doll. And she was crying too hard pointing to the doll that was almost eaten up by fire. Her daughter, Sam, who doesn’t know the danger ahead, only felt for the loss of the kid who dropped her favorite doll. So she started running back towards the entrance to get it.

And the brave lady, suddenly felt weak when she saw her child running towards the fire. She hurriedly followed her, thinking that there is time to save her. She reached for her kid and when they got the doll, they tried to go out again. A huge part of the mall fell and that moment of time, for Eliza - it was already too late. She had burned half of her body. And her foot got trapped by the rock that’s slowly burning her. Although she knew that she won’t be able to move her leg, she tried to stand up, hugged her child and the doll, and whispered to her.

“Let me hold you tight now. I love you darling; you know mommy would want to hold on you like this. But when I’d let go, run as fast as you can, away from the fire. And don’t look back, okay? Bring that doll to a safe place – for maelyn. And tell your daddy that we may not be together now, but in another lifetime, I will try to find him – where we can be together, and our love can last forever.”

And slowly, she loosened up from hugging her daughter, kissed her in the forehead for the last time, and finally had let her go...

“Run. Now!”

And the little Samantha, while hugging the doll, ran as fast as she can, and never looking back, just like what her brave mommy had told her to do.

“Eliza. She was the bravest.” Tita Francine said, as she wiped her tears.