Raging Fires

First, there was nothing. Then, there was something: a light, It burned brightly, so that it was all I could see. Burning… it was a burning light.

Images and sounds flooded my mind. Screams, a fire; it was all so real. I could almost feel the flames licking at my skin. The orange glow was so consuming, you could almost pass it off as a warm blanket. I don’t know how long I let it consume me, but I continued to listen with deaf ears and watch with blind eyes.

Then, I heard a man somewhere in the distance, yet somehow so close. I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him, only a black nothingness. The flames and the screaming had faded away, and his words became more clear.

“Hey! Hey, girl!” the voice was getting closer, and I could hear a crunching noise like footsteps on uneven ground. “Wake up. Come on, wake up.” I could feel my upper body rocking back and forth ever so slightly, causing me immense pain.

I squeezed my eyes together, then slowly forced them open. My vision was blurred, but a different image started to form before my eyes. This one was moving, and it was worried… and holding a flashlight in my face.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked softly. My mind was halfway between racing and blank; I couldn’t understand my own thoughts. “Can you hear me?” Slowly, I nodded. I started to notice the pounding in my head.

“What’s your name? Can you talk?” he worried over me. I took a moment to assess the situation. I was lying in a pile of charred and broken wood. In fact, I was buried in it. I was covered in soot and ash, and a beam was laid atop me, crushing my arms and ribs. I coughed painfully and tasted what could only be blood, and my body felt as though it was on fire.

The sky was black, and it was difficult for me to see anything beyond what the flashlight would show me. I couldn’t even see his face. I felt as though I was at the center of the earth. The man, sky, soot, and wood all surrounded me.

“Don’t worry, I’m gonna get you out of here, okay?” I felt a hand brush my cheek. The man stood, leaving the flashlight beside me, and began working at the beam. The pain was excruciating, and all I could do was lay there, falling in and out of consciousness.

At some point, he finally gave up. The beam wouldn’t budge. I didn’t quite understand what was going on or how I had gotten there, but I was too overwhelmed to think about it. The man didn’t talk, but I heard him hit the ground in frustration.

“I have to leave you,” he said quietly. I don’t know what for, but a sudden fear gripped my heart. I remained silent, and I heard the ground crunch as he rose to lean over me again. He stood in the light, but a shadow was still cast across his face. “You’re far out in the countryside, and no one knows what’s happened. If I don’t get you help, you’ll die. Just trust me okay?”

“I-” I choked up with another cough; the pain was searing.

“I promise I’ll be back soon,” he began to move away, but I mustered up what little strength I had, and put my hand on his arm.

“No--” I began with another cough. I could feel a hot wetness on my mouth. More blood. He laid his thumb over my lips and did his best to wipe it away.

“I promise. Now try not to move too much, okay?” With that, he stood and walked out of sight, leaving me in darkness. Despite his warning, I strained against the wood in fear. The quiet scared me because I knew that I was alone. I could feel my skin tear under the weight of the beam; the pain was agony, but I continued to struggle until the darkness engulfed me again.

What seemed only seconds later, the sound of sirens was ringing in my ears, and the colors red and blue were flashing before my eyes. I could hear shouting over the loud of the sirens and clinking of metal. It was still dark, but lighter than before.

“She’s over here!” I could hear the familiar voice of a man.

“The poor girl’s still alive.” This time a stranger. My vision was still blurred, but I could make out what seemed to be several people rushing around me. The sounds were deafening, and suddenly an enormous weight was lifted off my chest. I took a deep, jagged breath in and immediately regretted it. It felt as though my lungs were engulfed in flames and razors embedded in my rib cage. I could feel my skin crack and split open. I bit my tongue, trying not to cry out.

I was lifted into the air and laid on a cold, metal surface. My body was in shock, but I could feel myself moving. I was on a moving table being pushed through the debris. People continued to shout and rush about, but the screeching sound of sirens had disappeared. We hit a bump, and it sent a jolt through my body. I screamed at the pain, and that’s when everything went back to black.

Another light. This time it was less blinding, more natural. I knew immediately that I was indoors. A window to the side of me let the light in; the sun was bleak, but still shining. I was in a plain, white room with a closed door. I was hooked up with cords and tubes to all sorts of strange machines to the right of me. I pulled at the tube in my arm and winced. I decided it was probably best to leave it alone. There was a strange smell in the air that I couldn’t quite identify, and it was cold. It was a hospital.

A sort of growling noise startled me, and I let out a painful whimper. Even slight movements still caused me pain. My ribs and arm were still injured, and burns covered my body, but at least my lungs no longer burned. I looked to where the noise had come from. It was the man from before. He sat in a chair across the room, sleeping in what has to be the most uncomfortable position. I could see him better in this light. He looked young and peaceful in his sleep; almost happy. His thick, pale brown hair shaded his eyes, and a light shadow was cast across his full, pink lips. I was a bit fascinated, watching his chest rise and fall with his breathing. My own breathing was shallow, careful not to cause any more pain than can be helped.

Another loud growling noise sounded deep in his chest. He was snoring. I smiled despite myself. I laid there, watching him for a little while. I had begun to close my eyes again when he opened his.

“You’re awake.” The suddenness of the words startled me. He practically leapt from his seat, moving across the room in a few quick strides, only to sit on the bed beside my legs. He looked at me kindly with a soft smile. “How are you feeling?” he asked. I hesitated but was about to answer when the door opened. A woman dressed all in blue walked through the door, seemingly fixated on her clipboard. She didn’t even bother to look up.

“Jacob, would you--” she broke off after looking up for the first time. For a moment, she just gawked at us. I couldn’t imagine why, but she looked ridiculous. Finally, she came to her senses and forced a smile. “You’re awake, how lovely,” she beamed. Her smile was so fake, I could see right through it. I also came top the sudden realization that she was actually a nurse.

“Hey, Becca” said the man with a pause. “What’s up?” I could have sworn she nearly swooned at the sound of her own name.

“Um, the police are ready to see you now,” she began fidgeting with her clipboard, looking down. She seemed almost nervous. At this point, I was no longer sure what was reality and what was imagined, but I suppose it wasn’t too hard to believe. Jacob, the man, now had a grim look on his face, but by the time he turned back to me, it had completely dissipated. I didn’t think that I had hit my head hard enough to start hallucinating.

“I promise I won’t be gone long, okay?” he said warmly. Though it made me sad - for reasons unknown to me - I gave a slight nod. And although I said nothing, although I shed no tears, he saw right through me. “I came back last time, didn’t I?” he laughed a little, trying to cheer me up. I looked down and nodded again. The man sighed through his nose and lightly placed his hand on my head. “I promise,” he said quietly, and then he left.

I didn’t look up, but I sensed Becca’s mood change as soon as he left. She practically stomped over to me, looking from her clipboard to me and back again.

“Who--” I stopped, taking a few short breaths. It hurt to talk. “Who… is that man?” I asked slowly. She glanced down at me in surprise and laughed.

“You don’t even know his name, and you’re already trying to steal him away?” she continued to laugh. I stared at her in utter confusion.

“W-what?” my voice cracked.

“Nothing. Never mind. Now, let’s start with your name,” she said, regaining a bit of her sanity.

“My… name?”

“Yes, what is it?” she snapped impatiently.

“I-I don’t know.”