Page 72 of Savagely Scarred

FIRE.

It’s in the kitchen. It’s in the living room. And the flames sweep across the walls and block the front door.

It’s so hot.

I can’t breathe.

Dad carries me back up the stairs and into their room. He breaks the window and lowers me out of it.

“Dad! We need to get Bingo!” I cry out.

He looks so scared.

“Okay!” he shouts, “I will go back and look for him, but I’m making sure you’re safe first.”

I cut myself on the glass and he lets go of my arms.

One of the neighbors catches me and sets me on my feet.

I pay no attention to the ambulance lady and stare at the window, waiting for Dad to throw Bingo out of it.

BOOM!

Something explodes inside of the house and I cover my ears.

Mom is screaming louder than the fire.

Dad is taking forever to come back out. Mom is holding me in her lap and she hasn’t stopped crying. I keep telling her it’s okay and we will get a new house.

The firefighters finally put out the fire. But everything is stained black, and smoke still rises to the sky.

Two of the ambulance people leave the house with a big black bag on a stretcher and they stop by a black van. I stand from my mom’s lap and she grabs my wrist.

“Will, don’t,” she begs.

She’s not holding me very tight, and she lets go when I move toward the stretcher. My head barely comes above the top. I reach for the zipper at the end of the bag.

“Will.”

My mom’s voice is distant, almost a whisper. But it grows louder as I pull it down.

“Will you have to move!”

I push the sides apart to see a woman inside. She’s sleeping.

“WILL!”

At least I think she’s sleeping. She’s not moving, but her eyes are open. Mom said sometimes people sleep like that.

“WILL YOU HAVE TO MOVE!!!”

Her eyes are the prettiest blue I have ever seen.

“OLIVIA!” I choke out, gasping for air.

I clutch my racing heart, ragged breaths sawing through my chest. My head snaps to the right and only then do I feel relief when I see Liv curled up against my sweaty body. I toss my head back onto the pillow, running a hand down my face.

What the fuck was that?