This Old Town ✖️Muke

Chapter 26

(Luke)

"UNCLE JOHN! MICHAEL! ANYONE!" I shout frantically, steering Eclipse to the house. I jump off of him and run inside, still shouting.

"What is it Luke?" John comes out of his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and squinting at me.

"the barn is on fire!" I shout. his eyes widen and we race out of the house.

"which one!" he yells from behind me, staring up at the smoke filling the sky.

"Hay barn!" I shout over my shoulder. when we get closer i can hear barking.

"what is Levi doing?" i ask when we come to a stop outside the barn that has been completely engulfed by flames.

"Luke where's Michael?" John asks me, with an unreadable tone to his voice. i furrow my eyebrows.

"what do you mean? why would i know where he is I was out with my fri-" I say, being cut off by Levi charging at me and colliding with my legs at full speed.

"JOHN! LUKE !" I hear someone else voice close behind us. I pray to myself that it's Michael but when i turn around it's Calum and Ashton running to us.

"what happened!?" Ashton asks.

"barn caught fire" john says, still looking at Levi that hasn't stopped barking, he's running back and forth from us to the barn.

"how!" Calum's eyes are wide.

"It was Chelsea! her friends! she told me we were going to hang out, then she laughed and showed me that the barn was on fire, i came back as fast as possible." i explain.

"wheres Michael?" Ashton asks.

"He's not with you?" I ask.

"He's not with you?!" John asks me.

"no he was never with me, he was here last i knew." i shrug.

"he's not here?" Calum asks. john shakes his head and then his face pales.

"what?" i ask scared now.

"He's in the barn!" he shouts. my whole body runs cold. what?

"what?"

"Levi! that's why hes going crazy! Michael's inside!" John shouts, running to Levi.

"what! why would he be there? and why wouldn't he have gotten out! Levi got out!" i ask frantically not wanting to know the answer.

"you don't think he could be hurt do you?" Calum asks, gripping Ashton's arm so tight his knuckles are white and Ashton's arm will probably bruise.

"why would he have not gotten out in time!?" I shout, needing to know the answer that no one will tell me.

"he plays his guitar in there! that's where he always is when you cant find him!" Calum says.

"Uncle john!" i shout, grabbing his arm and making him look at me.

"Luke, not now, i already called the fire department." he says i can hear the sirens in the distance.

"tell me!" i shout.

"he could be hurt Luke." he says.

"but!.. if no one will tell me what you're hiding i'm going in there!" i shout. i don't notice the tears streaming down my face.

"Luke! Michael's Parents were killed in a house fire!" John shouts at me and i'm stood there frozen. what? but? how? what? I feel tugging on my jacket sleeve and look down to see Levi pulling as hard as he can on it. he's pulling me to the barn.

"i have to get him!" i shout.

"no Luke wait for the fire department.!" John shouts at me, but my mind is made up.

"I cant!" I shout back, pulling the front of my jacket over my mouth and nose and pulling the drawstrings closed. I sprint to the barn door that has been burned away, i can just barely see through the flames and smoke as i climb into the barn, over burning hay and wood.

"Michael!" i shout looking frantically for him.

"Michael!" I cough, the smoke attacking my lungs. Then i see him, his body lay limp on the floor, the fire hasn't gotten to him or the hay around him yet but i can tell i desperately need to get him out.

"Please be ok. please" I beg to myself as i fall to my knees at his side, grabbing the sides of his face in my hands.

"please, i can't lose you" i whisper, leaning my head to his chest. I can hear his heartbeat but his chest is only moving slightly with each of his shallow breaths.

I can feel the heat from the flames burning my skin and i know it's now or never until i notice something that takes my breath away. A beam from the ceiling has fallen and trapped his leg under it. that's why he couldn't get out.

"fuck, come on" i strain to move the burning beam of wood off of him. my hands are being burned by the flames, i can hardly breath without coughing, and my eyes are watering from the smoke, but i can't lose him, i just got him back. I love him, as much as i know i can't.

"please come on!" i shout, finally able to get the burning wood off of him, his leg is burned badly but i have to ignore that for the moment as i manage to haul his limp body over my shoulder and stand up with difficulty. Coughing, i drag him, unconscious, to the still burning door.

"help!" i shout weakly. unable to drag him further out the door. the path out has been overtaken by flames.

"Luke!" i hear someone call my name. i can barely register it but when i see the uniformed men with oxygen tanks i allow myself to relax for a second.

"please! help him!" i shout to them, one already grabbing a hold of Michael's arm and hauling his limp body into his arms.

"here" the man next to me holds a mask to my face and i take a much needed deep breath.

"now we have to get out of here now! this place is going to collapse." he says calmly, grabbing me around the waist and all bit dragging me out.

"LUKE MICHAEL!!!" i hear the voices of my friends and uncle shouting frantically, Levi is still barking but it's in the distance.

"where's Michael?" i mumble, coughing when i try to talk. The paramedic is now hovering over me, checking me for injuries as i'm put into the back of an ambulance.

"keep that on and don't talk. you breathed in a lot of smoke, were taking you both to the hospital." the man next to me says. I sigh, knowing Michael is safe for now and let my eyes close. the last thing i hear is sirens as the vehicle starts to move.