Too much that time cannot erase

Too Much that Time Cannot Erase

I flopped onto my comfortable bed as the sun peeped through my window warming my face. I pulled the cold, silk sheets over my stiff body. My breathing gradually slowed down becoming both deep and relaxed. My eyelids closed and all the muscles on my face and body loosened up. The sky blue wall on my right started to fade away, taking away with it the memorable photos of my family and me enjoying our lives. I drifted into a calm and peaceful sleep. I was welcomed by a mysterious, vivid dream that was quickly interrupted with a loud scream of terror; the alarming sound tore through the house creating a feeling of both shock and panic. The terror of the scream was increased by a loud bang on my door. I jolted out of bed shocked and I tossed my silk sheets on my rough, grey carpet. Fear had started to build up inside of me. Terror flooded my thoughts and I could feel a lump form in my throat as my heart rate increased rapidly. I fumbled to the wooden door and quickly flung it open and I realised that sweat was forming on the surface of my long, slender hands, as they trembled uncontrollably.

Jeff, who has been my husband for three years, was standing in front of the doorway. His body seemed tense, putting on view his broad masculine frame. He was breathing heavily engulfing all the air around him, forcing his muscular chest to rise and fall. He was truly terrified. A mixture off sweat and tears were beading down his red, hollow cheeks causing his captivating blue eyes to glisten. He quickly sniffed through his stubby nose and wiped away all the sweat and tears of his square face. Jeff was wearing his usual loose, plain red shirt, light grey shorts and a black pair of Chuck Taylor's. He quickly sprinted into my room and that was when I saw what had happened, what had caused all this chaos and drama.

An aroma of suffocating smoke started rapidly filling my small messy room taking over the beautiful fragrance of my favourite perfume. I heard windows shatter into pieces and fierce, bright orange flames cascaded towards my room. Fireballs were flickering in every possible direction setting many different objects ablaze. The temperature around me was dramatically increasing. The air was dense. The realization that I could be engulfed by the flames made me panic. I could feel the drops of sweat forming on my forehead and slowly running down my chubby cheeks. I wiped them off feeling the hot temperature of my face. Jeff yelled out to me, telling me to quickly come towards the window. He instantly opened the window and pushed back the flyscreen with his trembling hands as he told me to jump out. I did as he said landing on the prickly, short-cut, green grass. Jeff jumped straight after me and we ran for our lives.

I could hear bush's crackle and sizzle. I could hear people screaming loudly scorching their throats. Screams of pain and terror escaped the bodies of the wounded. Some screams suddenly disappeared taking the souls of the owner to the heavens, while other screams just faded away slowly leaving their owner crying and moaning in pain. Dog's barked ferociously, cat's meowed uncontrollably, birds chirped endlessly. In spite of this the flames kept on getting stronger and stronger; the fire- it was determined to do its job. Just like me the fire was determined to survive.

The smell of the fire- the smell of ash and smoke, the smell of everything surrounding me invaded my senses as I turned around to see what was left of my property, what was left of what I called home.

I was truly and utterly shocked!

Jeff quickly slipped his hot sweaty hand into mine. I could feel his pulse thumping hysterically but my mind couldn't focus, my mind was losing control. Images of dying people, scorched people- dead people; images of crazy birds, the burning houses, the trees, the burnt trees, the fallen trees, the trees that were literally no longer trees. All these images flashed across my mind leaving me experiencing some of the most awful emotions. Everything that took ages to become what it was; the old shabby houses, the bushes, the trees and plants, the community- everything was ruined -all burnt- all gone in a matter of minutes.

Raging winds created an indestructible firestorm that was sucking in all of the available oxygen. Breathing-something I always took for granted was starting to become impossible. I coughed and I choked wheezing for air as a thick cloud of smoke swirled around making it impossible to see more than a few meters ahead.

Brave, courageous and selfless fire fighters were soon on their way ready to help and rescue the baffled people who were trapped and unable to escape. The fire fighters were quick to do their job whilst still staying, cool, calm and collected. Their faces didn't show the slightest hint of emotion, it seemed like they were in their own world.

Horrific, roaring sounds were escaping the fire as it continued to devour more of the land. The burning smell was overwhelming. I was standing, tightly holding Jeff's hands, as I waited to be rescued- I was shaking- I was speechless. I had to continuously remind myself to stay strong, yet negative thoughts invaded my brain. I wished I had never lived to witness such a disturbing seen; a seen that would haunt me for the rest of eternity. Sounds of the blazing fire and the dying people and animals were freshly ringing in my ears. I prayed and prayed and prayed hoping that the fierce winds would disappear; hoping that peoples tears would fall like rain.

Seconds later a fire fighter handed me and a few other people a big, blue bucket of cold water and some small, soft green towels. We were then ordered to dip the towels in the cold water and drape them over our nose and mouth so that we were able to breathe more easily. Jeff, a few of our neighbours and I were then piled in a car as it slowly took of down the remote road. I watched in the rear view mirror as the fire found another victim, a house, fireballs spurted out igniting all of the nearby bushes... Everything was starting to become way too much for me to handle and I turned around and searched for Jeff's hands and quickly held it tight, I closed my eyes as my emotions took the better of me.