Prologue
I woke up to a strange smell.
At first, I thought I was still dreaming.
All I could see was black. Why would I dream of a black space?
My eyes slowly fluttered open with discomfort.
I was so goddamn tired from planning for my birthday. My muscles ached and my hair stuck to my sweaty tired form.
Heat poured through my room and I shifted off the covers that bunched around my shoulders.
I smushed my face into my satin pillows and dreamt about the big day. 19 years old, my teen years were coming to an end.
Many people have told me that I shouldn’t be so excited for a birthday, as it is only just a celebration of a full rotation around the sun.
But I can’t help it, birthdays mean so much more to me.
They’re a day where I get to celebrate the gift of life, the day where I can thank my parents for bringing me in and raising me in this beautiful world. My birthday is everything.
I love my parents so much.
I’ve been told that girls my age tend to rebel against their parents, but I never did and I don’t think I ever will.
My parents have taught me so much, they bred me into someone who cares.
My dad says that is the most important quality to have. The ability to care for someone or something deeply and with passion.
‘Passion breeds success and happiness Verena.’ he’d always tell me.
Though I haven’t experienced love in a romantic sense, I understand what it is to not be able to live without someone. I cherish my parents for teaching me to have such passion.
Just as I’m about to drift back into slumber, a crack sounds down the hall. i wrack my brain for what could possibly make that sound.
The fire pit?
But the sound came from down the hall, not outside..
Am I sure I’m not dreaming?
My thoughts were answered as I heard a huge bang outside my door.
I rushed out of bed and slammed my bedroom door open.
A huge fire enveloping the staircase was spreading in front of my room.
I froze.
I’m locked in, there are no other exits out of my room, except for the window and it’s a two-story drop from there.
I’m in shock. I need someone to rescue me, where are my parents?
My dad will know what to do.
I call out for them.
For two minutes, the two longest minutes of my life I scream for my mom and dad.
I need help, I need someone to save me. I am so scared, I am not meant to die, at least not now.
My feet are frozen in place and my hands are shaking.
I can feel the heat pouring through my white bedroom door.
Looking around the room, I pull out of my thoughts and set my feet.
I have to free myself, so I run to my bed.
I’ve seen in movies where the characters tie their bed sheets together to climb out the window, so that’s what I do.
Thankfully, I have always insisted on sleeping with a shit ton of blankets, like tons.
Never would I have thought I would be using them for this but never say never I guess?
I tie as many blankets and sheets together as securely as I can and head toward the window.
My muscles ache and sweat beads form on my head as i tie all of my spare sheets and towels together.
Before jumping out I attach one end of my rope to my bed so I don’t just fly out the window.
The makeshift rope falls to the ground with a light thud and I try not to think of myself hitting the ground like that.
Slowly, without looking down, I wrap the rope around my waist and make my way out of the window as the flames slowly start creeping in my room.
As I made my way down past the first story, I peered into the window.
What I see horrifies me. The whole library is in chaos. Everything is in flames, all the books and memories I had and kept in there were being burnt to bits.
A crash sounds above me. I assume my room is being burned to bits by now so i pick up the pace a little.
My body isn’t so out of shape that I can’t hold myself up, but the tremor in my arms makes my descent harder.
Somehow I find the courage to lower myself the rest of the way.
The second I hit the ground, I untangled myself and run to find shelter.
Thankfully I brought my phone down with me so I could call the fire squad.
Upon dialling, I hear faint alarms in the distance.
‘Thank god, the neighbours must have seen the manor and called for help.’
I waited by the driveway as a bunch of huge red firetrucks filed in.
My eyes sting with hot tears as I watch my home melt and collapse into pieces.
An older man with grey hair approached me and I turned into a mess.
“Please! My mom and dad! They’re all I have, please!” I scream at him.
He looks at the fire and then back at me with remorse in his eyes.
He didn’t have to say anything.
It was too far gone.
As soon as the fire squad set up the hose to extinguish the fire, there was a huge explosion.
Everything I had grown up around, my life, my home, my family and my memories were blown to bits. I had nothing anymore.
My vision started to blur as I watched my home collapse into itself, my parents in there with it.
I felt my knees getting weak.
A whole world of darkness took over me again, except this time it didn’t happen in the comfort of my blanket-ridden bed. No. I collapsed outside of what was left of my home. What was left of my life.
