I wrapped the shirt around my fist and reached for the door
handle. Behind me, Jenna had kicked the screen from the window and
was crawling out. She looked back at me, tears littering her
freckled cheeks. I knew in that moment that she loved and trusted
me more than anyone. She trusted that I would get to Jules—that I
would save her. Then Jenna disappeared from view. Relieved that she
was safe, I was able to fully focus on Jules.
I opened the door, and a
blast of heat hit me. My first reaction was to slam the door shut,
but all I could think about was tiny Jules. I hunkered down into
the coat as I entered the hostile hallway. Barely able to see due
to my squinting through the shroud of black smoke, I had to feel my
way down the hall with my feet. Flames licked their way up the wall
to my left, though the right side of the hallway appeared
undamaged. In an attempt to get away from the intense fire, I
hugged the right wall. With each step, my body protested against
the heat. As soon as a bead of sweat escaped, it evaporated. It
felt as if my insides were cooking with each painful breath. It
didn’t matter, though. Only Jules mattered, and Jenna believed in
me. I had to get to Jules, no matter what, my lungs be damned, I
could only hope that Firen was doing all she could to keep my
little girl safe.
What were probably only
minutes felt like a lifetime, and I eventually had to close my
eyes. The heat and smoke had become unbearable. I used my right
hand to guide me forward, though I kept it covered in the T-shirt
just in case. The house creaked, and something crashed in front of
me. My hands automatically went up to protect my face. Blinking
rapidly, trying to figure out what had happened, I saw that part of
the ceiling had collapsed and blocked my path. I tried to step
around the pile of debris, but my pants caught fire. I gritted my
teeth and sucked in a breath of pure heat, like I’d engulfed a ball
of fire. I immediately patted at the flames on my pants until they
went out. I wanted to turn around, desperately needing fresh air.
My lungs were horribly seared, my eyes begged for water that was
entirely absent from the air, and my skin blistered under the
coat.
Refusing to let this
prevent me from getting to Jules, I tried to step over the rubble
again, and again my pants caught fire. I’d like to think myself
manly, but in that moment, I cried out in agony, sucking even more
heat into my already scorched lungs. It was like I was cooking. My
body shook, and I knew it was a sign of shock. Still, I wouldn’t
let it stop me. With my clothes catching fire, I made it over the
debris. I swatted at my clothes in different places, putting out
various fires. Through squinted eyes, I saw the end of the hall
where Jules’s bedroom was located. I cried out in relief, racing
toward it.
I abruptly stopped when it
came into focus, and my stomach dropped. The door was wide open.
The inferno was closing in around me, and part of the ceiling
barely missed me as I slid forward into Jules’s room. I slammed the
door shut between the fire and me and twisted around. I couldn’t
see anything in the dark.
“ Jules? Firen?” I called
out, coughing up a storm.
After several moments of
feeling around for them, I came to the conclusion they weren’t
there. Then it hit me: I was trapped in a windowless room, and my
house was burning down. My body automatically went into survival
mode as I dropped to the floor, desperately sucking in the
less-toxic air. There was no way I’d be able to go back the way I’d
come. Being completely in the dark, the first thing I did was
search for the dresser. In every room, I made sure there was a
flashlight in case of a power outage. In this room, there was one
in the top drawer of the dresser. Each movement I made was
agonizing as my burned skin rubbed against what remained of my
clothing and the floor.
Finding the dresser, I felt
around for the flashlight. For several terrifying seconds, I
thought it
handle. Behind me, Jenna had kicked the screen from the window and
was crawling out. She looked back at me, tears littering her
freckled cheeks. I knew in that moment that she loved and trusted
me more than anyone. She trusted that I would get to Jules—that I
would save her. Then Jenna disappeared from view. Relieved that she
was safe, I was able to fully focus on Jules.
I opened the door, and a
blast of heat hit me. My first reaction was to slam the door shut,
but all I could think about was tiny Jules. I hunkered down into
the coat as I entered the hostile hallway. Barely able to see due
to my squinting through the shroud of black smoke, I had to feel my
way down the hall with my feet. Flames licked their way up the wall
to my left, though the right side of the hallway appeared
undamaged. In an attempt to get away from the intense fire, I
hugged the right wall. With each step, my body protested against
the heat. As soon as a bead of sweat escaped, it evaporated. It
felt as if my insides were cooking with each painful breath. It
didn’t matter, though. Only Jules mattered, and Jenna believed in
me. I had to get to Jules, no matter what, my lungs be damned, I
could only hope that Firen was doing all she could to keep my
little girl safe.
What were probably only
minutes felt like a lifetime, and I eventually had to close my
eyes. The heat and smoke had become unbearable. I used my right
hand to guide me forward, though I kept it covered in the T-shirt
just in case. The house creaked, and something crashed in front of
me. My hands automatically went up to protect my face. Blinking
rapidly, trying to figure out what had happened, I saw that part of
the ceiling had collapsed and blocked my path. I tried to step
around the pile of debris, but my pants caught fire. I gritted my
teeth and sucked in a breath of pure heat, like I’d engulfed a ball
of fire. I immediately patted at the flames on my pants until they
went out. I wanted to turn around, desperately needing fresh air.
My lungs were horribly seared, my eyes begged for water that was
entirely absent from the air, and my skin blistered under the
coat.
Refusing to let this
prevent me from getting to Jules, I tried to step over the rubble
again, and again my pants caught fire. I’d like to think myself
manly, but in that moment, I cried out in agony, sucking even more
heat into my already scorched lungs. It was like I was cooking. My
body shook, and I knew it was a sign of shock. Still, I wouldn’t
let it stop me. With my clothes catching fire, I made it over the
debris. I swatted at my clothes in different places, putting out
various fires. Through squinted eyes, I saw the end of the hall
where Jules’s bedroom was located. I cried out in relief, racing
toward it.
I abruptly stopped when it
came into focus, and my stomach dropped. The door was wide open.
The inferno was closing in around me, and part of the ceiling
barely missed me as I slid forward into Jules’s room. I slammed the
door shut between the fire and me and twisted around. I couldn’t
see anything in the dark.
“ Jules? Firen?” I called
out, coughing up a storm.
After several moments of
feeling around for them, I came to the conclusion they weren’t
there. Then it hit me: I was trapped in a windowless room, and my
house was burning down. My body automatically went into survival
mode as I dropped to the floor, desperately sucking in the
less-toxic air. There was no way I’d be able to go back the way I’d
come. Being completely in the dark, the first thing I did was
search for the dresser. In every room, I made sure there was a
flashlight in case of a power outage. In this room, there was one
in the top drawer of the dresser. Each movement I made was
agonizing as my burned skin rubbed against what remained of my
clothing and the floor.
Finding the dresser, I felt
around for the flashlight. For several terrifying seconds, I
thought it
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