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And then she saw it: Katie's art piece, perched atop the mantel like a beacon in the dark. Delicate swirls of paint danced across the sculpture. There was no time to linger; the fire was closing in, relentless and unforgiving. Ariel lunged forward, ignoring the searing heat as she snatched the sculpture from its perch. Then, she turned toward the stove once more and hefted the sculpture like a club, swinging it at the fire extinguisher cabinet.
Crack!
The latch sprung loose, and Ariel reached into the open cabinet and yanked out the fire extinguisher. With one hand, she squeezed the lever and aimed at the fire between her and the back door. White foam shot toward the flames, and she sprayed the fire retardant toward the worst of the blaze. When the canister was empty in her hand, there was a temporary path through to the door.
"Okay," she gasped, steeling herself for the final sprint. "Let's get out of here."
With the sculpture held tightly against her, Ariel charged toward the back door, each step fueled by knowledge that her entire world hung in the balance. The roaring inferno pursued her, nipping at her heels like some malevolent beast, but she refused to falter.
And then, at long last, she burst through the door and into the winter air, the art piece still secure in her grasp. The frigidity assaulted Ariel's lungs as she stumbled out of the building, her breath crystallizing into hazy clouds before her. She collapsed onto the snow-dusted back yard, releasing the precious artwork from her grasp. Gasping for fresh air and coughing uncontrollably, she tried to draw in a full breath, but the smoke still clung to her like an unwanted shroud.
"Need...help," she choked out between spasms, her body convulsing with each ragged cough. Her vision swam as tears filled her eyes, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.
Summoning the last vestiges of her strength, she fumbled for her phone in her pocket and managed to dial 911. As the call connected, she struggled to find her voice, her words barely more than a trembling whisper.
"Fire...Leeside B and B," she managed, her fingers numb with cold and fear. "Please...hurry."
Moments later, she had stumbled to the front, and sirens pierced through the frosty air, growing louder, their urgency resonating with Ariel's frantic heartbeat. As the fire department roared into view, she felt a surge of relief mingled with dread. They leaped from their trucks, quickly assessing the situation and rushing to extinguish the hungry flames that threatened to consume her dreams.
"Over here!" one firefighter called out, waving his colleagues toward the blaze. Their boots crunched in the snow as they worked with practiced efficiency, dousing the fire with streams of water that sent plumes of steam billowing into the sky.
There was the sound of different engines, and vehicles—Charlie’s car, Darcy’s Jeep, Miles’s truck—skidded up. Ariel's breath hitched as familiar faces appeared through the haze that rolled over the driveway: Charlie, Katie, Oliver, Darcy, Jill, and Miles. Their eyes were wide with concern, and a wave of gratitude washed over her as she realized that they had all been out when the fire had started.
Miles skidded to the wet ground on his knees in front of her, gathering her into his arms. "Are you all right?" His voice cut through the clamor of the scene.
Ariel managed a shaky nod, her fingers tightening around Katie's sculpture. "I'm okay," she whispered, though her heart clenched at the sight of the destruction around her.
"Thank God you made it out," Charlie said, her voice laced with worry as she looked over her sister for injuries.
Tears welled up in Ariel's eyes, blurring her vision as she took in the devastation.
"Everything's going to be okay," Oliver murmured, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder as he knelt beside her. "I’m just glad you made it out.”
"Oh, Oliver," Ariel choked out. He gathered her into a tight hug.
Ariel looked up to see Katie, who seemed shell-shocked, her eyes fixed on the house. She hadn’t said a word.
The acrid scent of smoke filled Ariel's nostrils as she watched the fire department put out the remainder of the fire. The sky above them was a dark canvas streaked with tendrils of gray smoke billowing upward like ghostly fingers. Standing there, shivering in the cold winter, Ariel felt a keen sense of loss that weighed heavily on her heart.
"Ma'am?" A gentle voice broke through her thoughts, and the whole group turned to find a fire marshal standing next to her, his expression somber. "Ma’am, the fire is under control. I'm sorry to say, but while the fire itself wasn't significant, the smoke and water damage is extensive."
Ariel blinked back tears, trying to steady her voice. "How... how bad is it?"
"Most of the building is still intact, but the kitchen will need extensive repairs," the marshal explained, his tone sympathetic yet matter-of-fact. "We'll need to conduct a thorough inspection before we can determine the full extent of the damage."
The fading light of day cast a somber glow on the charred remains of Ariel's dream. The fire marshal had left, and she stood there, surrounded by her loved ones, trying to make sense of the chaos that had unfolded. A bitter wind blew, ruffling her hair and making her shiver as she hugged herself for warmth.
"Come on, let's get you warmed up," Miles suggested, guiding her toward the truck with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ariel numbly complied, feeling like she was walking through a fog as heavy as the smoke that had filled the air moments ago.
It wasn't until she was seated in the truck, the heat blasting from the vents, that Ariel realized she was still clutching something tightly to her chest. Her fingers seemed to have lost their grip on reality, but as she slowly pried them open, she found herself staring at the art piece Katie had made years ago. The vibrant colors of the canvas seemed incongruous against the ash-stained backdrop of her hands.
"Look what I grabbed," Ariel said softly, her voice filled with wonder as she held the sculpture up.
“My sculpture!” Katie said from beside her, and Ariel's heart swelled with relief and gratitude. Amidst the chaos of the fire, she'd been able to save something precious to her daughter. It was a small victory, but it felt significant.
Katie reached out and took Ariel’s hand. Ariel looked over at her daughter, and Katie burst into tears. Ariel urged her head to her shoulder, hugging Katie close.
As they drove away from the smoldering ruins, Katie clutched the sculpture to her chest and sobbed. Though numbness threatened, Ariel knew that with her family by her side, they would find their way through this darkest of nights and emerge stronger than ever before.
