Burn (Barlyle) (COMPLETE)

57

"DADDY! DADDY!"

Barnum woke up choking on something. Someone - Caroline? - screamed in his ear as he rolled onto his side and heaved like a smoker about to cough up a lung. Small hands pressed into his shoulder and shook him.

"Help," Caroline sobbed, "help, please."

Something crackled above him and he gasped as his brain finally connected with his eyes.

Smoke.

So much smoke.

"PHINEAS!"

At Charity's scream, Barnum was up. He scooped up Caroline in his arms and burst through the bedroom door.

The hallway was alight with flame. Charity stood barefoot on the other side, arm up to her face. Tears streaked down his cheeks.

"Chairy, hang on! I'm coming!"

"No time," she screamed, removing her arm from her face. "Get Caroline out of here, Phineas, or so help me—"

Barnum stared at his wife. Flames danced in her eyes.

She nodded.

Barnum spun around and ran back to the bedroom. A spasm of coughs shook him as he set Caroline down. The hysterical girl clung to his arm.

The ringmaster pulled the sheets off the bed, tied them together, and tied one end quickly around the bedpost. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he forced open a window and threw the other end out. It didn't quite hit the ground, but was close enough - they were only on the second floor. Any higher and...

(no hope)

...he couldn't think about it.

"You listen to me, Caroline," Barnum rasped as he knelt to be eye-level with his daughter. "You're going to hang on tight to the bedsheets, okay? Pretend you're Rapunzel and the Prince is here to rescue you."

Caroline sobbed as she nodded. Barnum helped her over to the window.

"Hold on tight," he warned.

"Are you c-coming, Daddy?"

"I'm right behind you, baby girl, but you're going to make it out before me, you understand?"

Caroline nodded again.

Barnum helped ease Caroline onto the makeshift tie. The girl was young, but had the strength and grace of a dancer as she slid herself down to the very bottom and jumped off.

Barnum watched until she hit the ground safely.

Then he turned and ran back into the house.