Renewed
I remember that day as if it were permanently sketched into my brain with a needle. It feels as if it were just yesterday. The soft rocking of the plane started to make me dose off. The pilot's voice was like a hypnotist drawing me back to that awful night. I started to fall asleep and my mind was beginning to blur around the edges.
I found myself lying on my bed bundled up. I was sweating. I was so hot, so hot. I pushed the blankets off and started to fall deeper into my sleep. A few seconds later I heard a high pitched scream and I immediately woke with a start. Rayna! I rolled off the bed as fast as I could and stumbled to my feet. I had to save my sister! I yanked at the doorknob but yelped. It was hot! I finally just realized the smoke alarms were going off. Under the door smoke was pouring in.
"Help! Someone help!" I screamed as I pounded on the door. "Help!! Help me!!" I coughed and hacked on the thick smoke around me. I grabbed the bed cover and wrapped my hand trying to open trying to open the door. Not only was it hot, but it was locked! I was locked in a burning building! My big high ceiling room was on the third floor. If I jumped I'd kill myself. But I had no other choice.
My heart quickened as I quickly tied the sheet ends together. I had a few of them since it was a cold winter night, so it reached pretty long. I tied it to my heavy wrought-iron bed that sat in the middle of the room. I tossed the rest out of the window. I was afraid of heights so I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. I grabbed the sheet knots and slowly climbed out of the window holding the rope. I shivered with the shock of cold after being in the hot house. "Oh someone, please help me!" I looked over my shoulder down the side of the building and I screamed. As I lost my balance I let go of the sheets completely. I was falling! My arm wrapped around the sheet and I grabbed and pulled with all my might. My elbow scratched along the brick. I stopped in the air still screaming with only an inch of sheet left.
As the sheet rope swayed back and forth with me entangled in it I used the momentum to swing my legs at the window sill. My grip was slipping. I swung again. No luck. One more time and I finally got a foothold on the second story window. I peered through. I couldn't see much through the smoke so it took me awhile to recognize our den. This was the window with the broken hinge. So I lifted my bare foot and kicked as hard as I could. Then kicked again and one more time. Finally it gave way. I swung one more time and landed with a hard thud. I hurt my knees. I heard Lorena scream again. "Help! Help!"
I scrambled up and sprinted towards the French doors hacking on the smoke. I ran around the corner to her room and heard her frantic pounding.
"Rayna! It's me! Open up!"
"Adrianna! Help! I can't open it! It's stuck!"
"Stand back!" I ran and kicked the door. I kicked again and again until I heard the wood splinter. Then I rammed my shoulder straight into the door. Ripples of pain shot through my shoulder. I pushed again wincing with the pain. I shut my eyes and ran with all I could through that door. She sat hugging her knees at the foot of her large four poster bed. She stared wide eyed at me as I stumbled into her big pink room. I ran and grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet. I could hear sirens outside. We sprinted out the door and down the stairs.
"Wait! Adrianna, I left Shelly!"
"Rayna! Leave the turtle! We have to find Mom and Dad! They're probably already outside!" I yanked her hand. She pulled free from my grip and spun for the stairs. "Wait! Rayna! Look out!" I was too late. A giant burning piece of the ceiling had fallen right in front of her and was blocking the stairs. She couldn't get back down the stairs she was locked in. I heard male voices shouting behind me.
