Defending Chicago

A Historical Fiction Short Story

             Joshua Grey sat inside Chicago fire station 781. He ran his hands through his cropped brown hair and sank into the warmth of the fire station’s couch. His burned and blackened clothing scratched at his newly forming blisters. One blue eye was swollen shut, and the acrid tang of smoke lingered in the air. Memories of the towering flames and the sweltering heat from battling the fire danced through his mind. Giving into the overwhelming fatigue, Joshua closed his eyes and fell asleep. With Chicago receiving barely an inch of rain for the past three months, the city had called firefighters out every day to fight the numerous fires. The latest fire had started the day before and finally had been extinguished. Battling the seventeen hour long blaze had severely weakened Chicago’s fire station 781.

            Thundering footsteps and clanging bells echoed through the firehouse. Joshua quickly stood up and dangerously swayed side to side as the wooden walls of the firehouse seemed to swirl. A large calloused hand grasped his shoulder and steadied him. Joshua recognized the gruff voice of the fire captain saying, “Whoa, steady there.” Joshua nodded in response and followed the captain’s footsteps as they sprinted towards the fire engines. Ignoring his aching muscles, he pulled on his slightly burned suit and grabbed his dented helmet as he hopped onto the fire truck with his comrades. While Joshua fastened his helmet, he asked the captain where they were heading. Shaking his head in disgust, the fire captain said that there was a fire on the corner of DeKoven and Jefferson Street. Joshua groaned and stared out of the window of the fire engine as it barreled past the boulevard lining next to Lake Michigan.

            The lake’s water gently beat against the sandy shore. Buildings made of pine appeared as the fire engine drew closer to its destination. The structures slowly grew in height and elegance. Hotels lined the street. They varied in size, but the largest was five stories tall. A line of horses tied to sturdy wooden posts waited for their owners, and stray dogs roamed the streets. The engine passed a tavern filled with rowdy and drunk men. Joshua could hear muffled insults and cat calls coming from the building. They passed the courthouse and its large bronze bell was ringing.

            The fire engine turned the corner and screeched to a stop beside another engine. A piercing scream startled Joshua back to reality. He looked up, only to see large plumes of pitch black smoke billowing above the buildings. Hurriedly, Joshua hopped out of the truck and grabbed the end of the heavy canvas hose. He began to drag the heavy weight to a nearby fire hydrant. A fellow firefighter picked up the front to help lighten the load. Together, the two firefighters sprinted to the fire hydrant. Red-hot embers fell like snow, obscuring his vision. Joshua’s deft fingers screwed the hose on, and after a few seconds, the loud explosion of water meeting superheated air greeted his ears. Grinning in satisfaction, he turned away from the hydrant and began to look for the injured.

            Trying to brush the smoke away, Joshua waved his hand in front of his face. Even through he knew it had only been one or two hours, it felt as if Joshua had been struggling for days. His muscles screamed in protest as he dodged a maddened horse while dragging a soot-covered man away from the fire. Joshua, struggling against the thirty mile per hour wind, began to pull the man faster. Finally, they reached an alleyway far from the fire. The man wheezed and tried to thank him as Joshua gently laid him down. Another firefighter took over, and Joshua sprinted back towards the action.

            As he struggled back towards his fire battalion, Joshua’ eyes squinted in a desperate attempt to see through the haze of smoke and debris. Screaming in terror and clutching precious items to their chest, women and children ran past him to find shelter. His footsteps went “thump, thump” over the smooth wooden sidewalks of Chicago. A loud explosion shattered his eardrums, and as shards of limestone came hurtling towards him, Joshua tripped. Tumbling head first towards the unforgiving ground, he braced for impact. A large hand yanked him upright, and Joshua saw the ash-covered face of the fire captain. The captain ordered him to help the people instead of fighting a hopeless battle against the fire. He disappeared into the smog.

            Joshua turned around to face the fleeing masses of people. He spotted an old lady who had fallen to the dirt road. Joshua rushed over. Grasping her frail arm with one hand and gently pulling the lady up with another, he set the woman into a seated position. The old lady remained silent, and her eyes stayed closed. Joshua checked for a pulse on her thin neck. To his relief, he found one. Scooping the lady up, Joshua ran towards Lake Michigan. Small burning particles fell towards them like red rain, motivating Joshua to sprint faster. The flocks of pigeons overhead cried out as the swirling fire engulfed them. He ran until the edge of Lake Michigan’s water lapped at his boots. In the lake, wagons and horses stood in the shallows with their owners on top. Joshua handed the old lady to another fire fighter who was overseeing the civilians. Without a word, he whipped around and raced back towards the burning city.

            The fire had crawled forward in the short time he was gone. The loud tolling of the bells boomed in the distance as the courthouse crumbled to the ground. Joshua looked around in dismay. All that remained of the city were desperate firefighters and abandoned buildings. Structures that once stood tall and proud now crumbled and smoldered. The river of fleeing people had slowed to a trickle.

            A woman by the name of Amelia limped up to Joshua. Dressed in burned rags, her short stature forced her to tilt her head up to talk to him. Her knotted black hair hung limply in front of her weary eyes. Her bony hand grabbed his arm as she beseeched Joshua to save her precious child. Joshua placed both arms on her thin shoulders, stared her calmly in the eyes, and promised to save her child. The woman pointed at a row of shanties, broken-down and poorly made houses and sobbed to Joshua that her child was in there. Without a word, he sprinted towards the row of shanties.

            The wall of fire crept ever closer. Joshua pushed himself faster to arrive at the long row of broken-down shanties were Chicago’s’ poor resided. He opened the door of the shanty the woman had pointed at. The temperature rose, and Joshua could feel the fire’s heat as it slunk closer. Struggling to see through the fire’s haze, he spotted a small figure huddled on a pile of rags. Joshua reached down and gently shook what appeared to be a young boy, no older than two. The boy’s head lolled around, and Joshua sighed. The child was unconscious, probably from smoke inhalation. Joshua cradled the child in his arms. The child was surprisingly light, a side effect of living poorly. Falling bits of burning wood fell into the shanty. Joshua ran for the door. It took all of his firefighting training to remain calm at the fire’s proximity.

            Just as he dashed through the doorway, the shanty collapsed. A falling piece of timber caught his leg, and Joshua tumbled. He groaned, scrambled and pulled himself out from the smoking wood. Freeing himself, he scooped up the boy who had been thrown away during his tumble and limped away. Joshua found the woman standing where he left her. She fell to her knees and mumbled her gratitude before standing back up. They both trudged towards the lake.

            Together, they finally arrived at the lakeshore. Joshua retuned her unconscious son and tipped his hat. The woman gave him a look of profound gratitude as she joined the other refugees wading in the shallows. Running back towards the city, Joshua saw the flames tower above, seeming to kiss the night sky. He could still hear the distant yells of firefighters trying to pacify the fire. The sirens of fire trucks heralded the coming of reinforcements from other cities. Joshua grinned in relief. Perhaps they would now stand a better chance of putting the fire out.

            A large snap made him pause in his run back to his companions. Joshua looked up. The burning remains of what seemed to be a hotel was falling towards him. His blue eyes widened in fear as the five story monster loomed above. A terror filled scream ripped its way out of his throat as Joshua scrambled backwards in a desperate attempt to avoid the building. The hotel crumbled. Joshua could feel the fire’s scorching fingers engulf him. Flashes of orange, red and yellow burned into his eyes. All he could feel was the unending pain. A faint smile made its way onto Joshua’s face. If he had to go, he was glad to die defending his city. Dark edged his vision, and Joshua gladly gave into the peace darkness offered.

A/N Hey guys! I hope you liked it. Please comment and/or vote! Constructive criticism is welcome. This is my first story afterall. ;)