Lovley Fire

Chapter 1

Lovely Fire

            The smell of smoke lingered in the air while it choked me from the inside out, suffocating my lungs. I coughed violently, searching for clean fresh air that was nowhere near. “Emrey, leave! Hurry!” I heard mother’s voice call out. I couldn’t see her through all of the black smoke, but I knew she was far behind me. And she wouldn’t make it out in time. I felt my way around the burning house. The house was so large, there’s no telling where I was. I dragged my hand across a wall feeling the pealing wallpaper fall beneath my palm. Suddenly I felt something hot, a burning sensation so intense that I yanked my hand away and winced at the sight of my singed palm, red and bleeding. I looked up and realized that I was standing in a circle of fire, flames climbing up the walls.

            “Mommy!” I yelled. I was still so small and helpless, just a little girl. I didn’t know what to do so I called out for the one person I depended on the most; mother. 

The fire began to creep closer and closer, playing with my feet. “Emrey, get out of here!” I could hear her voice fading into the smoke, being swallowed by the sounds of the roaring flames. I could feel my heart beat quicken and my nerves kick and fight inside of me. I was so scared and terrified, so alone. Mother was right, I had to get out of here, I had to leave the place I used to call home. I looked down and kicked at the fire helplessly, and it moved. It backed away as if it had been punched by a gust of wind. I stared down at it remembering what mother had said about my powers. You can control all forces of nature, she said. I closed my eyes replaying the words in my head. “I can control you,” I whispered. Opening my eyes I took a deep breath, glared at the flames, and said “Move.” The flames again blew back against the wall, breaking the ring of fire that had enveloped me giving me an opening to escape from.

            “Mommy!” I yelled again.  She never answered. My eyes began to water from all of the smoke, making my vision blurry. I heard the sound of the floor beneath me creaking under my feet. I looked down and saw the floor boards cracking, one snapped in half just in front of me. Each floor board began to snap in half like little sticks, each board specked with ash. I felt someone put their hands against my back and push me forward, making me leap over the few broken boards in front of me. “Go Emrey!” I recognized the voice and turned around.

            “Daddy?” I said as I looked into his sad, tear filled eyes. His jeans had been ripped below his knee revealing a stream of blood running down his leg. “Daddy, come on!” I reached for his hand but as I did the floor boards in between us suddenly buckled, each one snapping so loudly that I couldn’t even hear the roaring of the fire’s flames anymore. I stepped back cautiously as the floor boards became calm again, their loud splintering cracks falling silent. I looked at my father again and watched as a tear slid down his cheek, and felt as one slid down mine.  “Daddy? Come on…”  I said my voice breaking.

            “Emey, you must listen to me, okay? You have to leave the house, go outside and find help,” he instructed with a shaky voice.

            “But daddy you have to come with me,” I pleaded, trying not to cough on the thickening smoke. He looked at me sadly and sighed.

            “Emey, I promise you I will be right behind you. I just have to get your mother,” he explained. “Go now Emrey.” His voice was so soft, so calm now.

            “But…” father cut me off.

            “No buts just go now,” he said sternly. I nodded my head and turned away, letting my tears join the ash on the floor. “Emrey!” I came to a halt and turned around to my dad’s mournful eyes. “Daddy loves you.” He said it with a smile but his tears were still falling.