Keeper of the Lost Cities Moonlark

Chapter Three

Rett and Matio grabbed Jolie before she could sprint to the house.

"No!" Jolie screamed. "No my parents are in there!"

"Going in after them won't help!" Matio yelled.

"You're just going to get hurt!" Rett added.

"Let go of me!" Jolie screamed.

"No!" The boys said together.

"LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME!" Jolie screamed, tears running down her face.

"Matio, call 911," Rett ordered. "I'll make sure Jolie doesn't do anything stupid."

"STOP!" Jolie yelled. "STOP! LET GO OF ME!"

"I can't do that!" Rett yelled back. "Jolie I can't!"

She stared into the flames. Her parents were in there. Her amazing, wonderful parents. Now their loving features were probably being turned into ash by the horrible, horrible fire. 

Jolie had always hated fire. It was too hot, too different from the beautiful ocean. Water gave life. But fire only destroyed.

One time they had a shed burn down. It wasn't a big deal, except that Jolie had left her seashell collection in there. She had been little, and that collection had been her pride and joy. And then it was gone, consumed in flames.

Her parents were going to be the same way.

They were probably already dead, lost in the ugly orange and yellow flickering lights that only destroyed.

And something in her broke.

She jumped to her feet, surprising Rett, and sprinted to the house.

"JOLIE NO!" Rett screamed, but it was too late. 

The house was completely transformed. The bright kitchen Jolie had spent so many days sitting in, sipping smoothies, or eating dinner with her parents was half destroyed, scorched with black. There was fire everywhere, burning up more and more.

She flew over a wall of fire, and sprinted up the half falling staircase that led to her parents room. Her dad might not be in there, but her mom definitely was. But when she glanced around, all she could see was smoke, and flames.

She took a big breath, and thick black smoke entered her lungs.

"Jolie! We've got to get out!" 

Rett had followed her inside.

"No, my parents!" Jolie exclaimed, tears still running down her face, as she looked around wildly for her mom and dad.

"They aren't in here," Rett said. "I think they got out."

Jolie wanted to be one hundred percent sure, but she could feel the smoke slowly making her eyes more and more foggy, and making her lungs heave, and her mouth dry. 

So she looked around one last time, and then took Rett's hand and dragged him down the stairs.

Halfway through, the staircase crumbled, and Jolie and Rett toppled onto the floor. Luckily, it wasn't on fire, but it was blazing hot, and Jolie could feel her skin burning.

They raced through the kitchen, dodging chunks of ceiling that were falling, and trying to stay alive. Jolie could see the back door, still wide open from when she had run in, and sprinted towards it.

A huge piece of ceiling, still glowing hot from the fire dropped right in front of them, blocking their last way out of the house. 

Jolie was about to find another way out, but as she looked around, she realized that there wasn't another way out.