Moving On - A Morganville Vampires Fanfiction

Chapter Four

It was about 12 when I heard Alyssa come in, but I was already in bed, like I had been doing for the past hour, waiting for sleep to come. Suddenly, a line of blinding light covered my face and I groaned and shielding my eyes with my pillow.

"Lyss, what the hell?" I hissed

"Gee, pissy much? I just wanted to say night… so, Night I guess"

"Yeah, yeah whatever" I mumbled into my pillow

She laughed, "Love you, Shane"

"Love you too".

Finally, she closed the door, and my room was once again in darkness. I listened to Alyssa footsteps on the landing and her door slam shut, my mind reeling. I still couldn't get Monica's words out my damn head 'Watch you back, watch your back', what the hell did she mean? Sighing to myself, I tried to push it to the back of mind and get some sleep, finally darkness pulled me under and I slipped into a restless sleep.

It didn't feel like I'd been asleep for long, when I woke coughing and spluttering, my room black with smoke. I could hear a roaring and the room was so hot, too hot and I suddenly came to the awful realisation that my house was on fire. I rolled out of back and fell to the floor, my body racked with coughs and I frantically tried to call for help, in vain. The thick clouds of smoke blinded me and choked me and it was becoming harder to stay conscious, but I knew I had to get out so I crawled towards the landing, desperately gasping for air.

Before I reached the stairs, I saw a closed door in the corner of my eye. Shit, Alyssa.

The sound I heard next broke my heart, Alyssa let out a bloodcurdling scream which made my stomach lurch and I knew I had to get her out as soon a possible. I lunged for the door handle, but the metal was so hot that it burnt my hand and I fell back to the floor, gasping.

I scrambled to my feet and began banging on the door, screaming at the top of my lungs 'LYSS, OPEN UP! DAMN IT, OPEN THE DOOR! ALYSSA!'

But there was silence in return.

By now, my vision was becoming tunnelled and I was dizzy from all the smoke but I knew I had to carry on, for Alyssa. Tears rolling down my cheeks, I ran up and tried to bang down the door, but nothing happened. I tried and tried until I realised that the only thing I was achieving was a gigantic bruise. In desperation, I tried the door handle again but I couldn't hold on and the skin on my hand was becoming pink and raw. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms grabbed me from behind and throw me over their shoulder; a fireman. I thrashed and struggled against him, but his grip only tightened on my body.

I pounded on his back and managed to choke 'LET…ME...GO! MY SISTER IS IN...THERE! DAMN IT! LET...ME GO!'

But the man didn't listen and I knew I was outside when cold air bit at my face. I gasped deeply and the fireman let me down before jogging back into the house and I fell to the floor, retching.

I was approached by a group of concerned paramedics and one place an oxygen mask over my face and I gasped with relief at the increase in oxygen.

"Shane" A familiar voice called and I looked up to see the concerned face of Michael glaring down at me, I pushed the mask aside "Mike..." I croaked, "I have to…I have to save her" and I tried to get up, only to be pushed back down by the ambulance driver

Mike looked at me sympathetically, "Dude, you inhaled a lot of smoke, you have to stay still"

I shook my head, "I will save her"

With one final push, I sprinted towards the now, crumbling house ignoring the desperate shouts and pleas from my family and friends. I felt dizzy from all the smoke but I willed myself to carry on. I had to save my sister and nothing was going to stop me, apart from what I saw next. What I saw next stopped me dead in my tracks...