Crash and Burn

He covered his mouth with his coat as he ran back inside. The heat hit him a hundred times worse than opening an oven door. He hunched over and ran blindly through the thick haze of smoke, navigating his way towards the bedrooms. The main bedroom was first. He ducked his head inside, and forced his eyes open. Darkness surrounded him. Darkness and bright, dancing orange flames, licking up the family portraits. He continued to cough, crouching down lower. Where were they? Maybe they'd managed to get out the back . . . and then he heard the cry. Her screams. He ran towards the nursery, flames engulfing the doorway. He held his breath and pelted forwards, tripping over something heavy and crashing to the floor.

He heard someone call his name as he struggled to his feet, noticing that his clothes, his hands, were covered in ash, and his coughs were getting more and more frequent. Then he saw them. Wife and seven month old daughter, huddled by the cot. He couldn't get up. He couldn't stand. He called for them. She ran over, girl crying uncontrollably in one arm, other arm half dragging him up. It hurt. It hurt a lot. He was half to his feet when he crumbled again, unable to bear the weight of his body. He attempted to pull up one trouser leg, only to find it completely blackened. His wife was kneeling beside him, begging him to get up.

He caressed one worn hand over their daughter's head, pulling himself forwards to kiss them both as he used the last of his breath. "I love you. Caleb's outside. Go be with him." The woman's screams were drowned by the cackling flames, the sirens, as the bundle in her arms too grew silent. She collapsed beside her husband.

[304 words]