shakespeare . dallas winston

35; smoke

" I THOUGHT YOU WOULD'VE KNOWN
BY NOW THAT I'M INVINCIBLE "

–

I couldn't quite recall the first thing that ran through my mind.

It was frantic, every thought, all of the noise. Our actions were made with impulse. Ponyboy was the one to raise from his seat first, using the palm of his hand to block to the sun from his squinting eyes. It appeared as if there were a field trip of some sort, with a bunch of kids that couldn't had been over the age of eight scattered around the yard in a panic and pool of tears.

We could hear it clear as day — there were still kids in the building. I knew what Ponyboy was going to do before he did it. I knew because he must have felt guilt rush from head to toe. That fire couldn't have been caused by anybody else, and he knew that. It seemed Johnny did, too when he rushed out after his friend and hurtled himself over the side of the convertible ignoring Dallas' pleads for him to stay. His attempt to reach out and try to grab his arm and keep him in the car was futile, Johnny was too quick. Before we knew it, the two were at the burning building.

I was next. I opened the door and Dallas grabbed my wrist, I flinched from the amount of force he used. He softened quickly when he noticed. "Stay here."

"Dallas, they can't just go in alone."

He grinded his jaw for a short second, but he realized he didn't have much time to ruminate over the thought. Pony and Johnny were already finding a way in.

"Don't you dare go into the fire." Dallas jumped over the side of the car. He made his way over to my side, and helped me out. "I'm serious Holly. Don't go into the fire."

I ran ahead of him. Pony was knocking down a board of the church, where the flames weren't seeming to burn as strong. I made my way behind him in a hurry, and as soon as he swung himself into the building, I looked back at Dallas. Johnny followed him in. I resisted all I could to go in with them, and took the kids as they managed to make their way around the fire and hand the children to me.

Pony handed me a small girl with pigtails and tears running down her face, scared for her life. I could see in her in shaking hands and quaking lips. Next was a boy, then another girl, and they kept handing kids like the church were still full of them. I wondered if those kids would've made it if it weren't for Pony's heroism.

Dallas was directly behind me, helping hand them off to the supervisor. Every ten seconds he peered through the hole in the wall and called out to Johnny to get the hell out, but Johnny paid no heed. He only went deeper in to grab the ones that were left behind.

I looked up. The ceiling was curving down, ready to collapse, the boards on the verge of snapping in two. I screamed at Pony to come out, and Dallas who held his hand out for his help was able to pull him from the church causing him to roll onto the grass. His face was black with smoke, but he looked alright, aside from his coughing and hacking.