A Dangerous Life [Teacher/Student]

6. Playing the Blame Game

You can’t imagine what it feels like to be burned alive until you’ve been burned alive. Unfortunately I’ve been in this situation twice now. I can’t really remember all of it. I remember opening the oven and then I was on the floor. I can’t explain to you the pain I was in. It was horrible. I felt like someone was peeling my skin off but only using the hairs to tug it off. I could feel my skin boiling and recoiling away. I screamed and cried for help, the fire traveled up my entire arm. I heard Lyle and Eli shouting and the next thing I know I was hit by a hug splash of water and cover in a blanket.

The pain rang through my arm like a bell, I couldn’t even move it.

“Riley!” I was huffing and puffing. The pain was so horrible I couldn’t bring myself to speak. If I had spoken I’m not sure real words would have come out. They were just cries. “Oh god what happened?”

“We have to get her to the hospital.”

“Call 9-1-1.”

“I’m already on the phone, hello. Yeah there was fire and my sister was burnt. No the house is fine but she isn’t. We put the fire out and smothered the flame but she’s still on the floor screaming. It’s really red and bloody. Yeah okay we’re at…” I stopped listening the pain was just too much.

I’m not sure when the ambulance finally got there but it felt like a century waiting for it. When I got burnt the first time I didn’t hurt this bad, maybe it was because of all the adrenaline pumping through my veins. It wasn’t the same this time. No this time I felt everything. Every second, every inch of skin, every molecule, I felt everything.

They gave me morphine at the hospital. I fell asleep after that I can’t really remember much. I don’t think the rest of all that really matters to tell you the truth. I woke up to an irritating beeping. I opened my eyes slowly. The room was blurry and it was hard to make out anything through the tears that were still trapped in my eyelids. My arm was throbbing. I looked over to see that it was covered in white bandages. It was dark in the room. I looked around and saw a few bodies laid across the couch in the corner that folded out into a bed. I blinked my eyes a few times to make out the figures.

There were three, and they were all asleep. After blinking a few times I recognized them. Blake, Bella, and Eli, it must be late. I could tell by the dark yellow glow coming from the window Lyle was leaning next to. I watched him as he stared outside. He looked pensive and frustrated, I couldn’t hear his voice but I knew he was muttering to himself by the small movements of his lips. I let a small smile tug at my lips.

“Riley.” I jumped slightly at the unexpected voice. I turned my head to the right and gasped when I saw my father seated at my side. Lyle looked away from the window and looked at me. He smiled.

“You’re up. How are you feeling?” Lyle asked. I went to speak, but I realized how incredibly dry my mouth was.

“Thirsty.” I croaked. He smiled and nodded.

“I’ll go get you some. Okay?” I looked over at my father and panicked.

“Please don’t go.” I pleaded. He froze and gave a quick glance at my father. I think he understood, and so did Mike.