Saviour

Fire

The next few months went by incredibly fast. I worked hard with my studies, but I also had great fun with my friends. Cecilia and Zayn were still going strong, and I had met and become good friends with Eleanor and Danielle. Cecilia and I often went out with them for some girl time. Niall still didn’t have a girlfriend, but I think he was happy just having his food. 

Liam became less overprotective when he realized that I was actually responsible, and that Harry and Louis would protect me with their lives. I had gotten really close to Louis, and he adored me. Harry, Lou and I were inseparable. At first I was worried what Eleanor and Harry would think about my closeness with Louis, but they knew that I loved him like a big brother, not like a soulmate. 

Not how I loved Harry. 

I rarely slept alone anymore, Harry was always with me. Much to Cecilia’s disappointment we hadn’t ‘done anything’. She began to tell me about her nights with Zayn, but I refused to listen. I didn’t want to know about anything that happened between two of my best friends.

Everything was perfect in my life. I was getting good grades online, the boys were home for a while, so I could spend time with Cecilia, and I had the best boyfriend in the world.

Until the fire. 

I was shopping with Eleanor and Louis in London after dropping Cecilia off at her uni. Harry, Zayn, Niall and Liam had gone to an interview for the morning, and then we were all meeting up for lunch.

Louis was modeling some sunglasses for Eleanor and I when two police cars and a fire engine screeched past. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text with picture from Liam. It read Harry and the picture was of a burning building.

Oh god. The studio they were in was on fire. And Harry was trapped inside. 

Just like my grandparents all those years ago.

I felt myself start to hyperventilate.

“Jen? Jenna?” Eleanor was holding me by my shoulders. I could feel my throat closing up. 

“Louis!” Eleanor screamed. Louis ran out from the back of the store and grabbed my face between his hands.

“What’s wrong?! Jenna! Breathe!” Louis pleaded.

I stiffly moved my arm, dropping my phone in Eleanor’s hand. She read the text and swore.

Then she started yelling. “Louis! Get the car! Harry’s trapped in a burning building!”

I came back to life. Harry was dying.

I grabbed Louis and Eleanor’s arms and started to run. We were only a couple blocks away. 

I pushed through crowds, Eleanor and Louis close behind me. I could smell the smoke now, and used it as my guide. I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks. There was the studio. 

I pushed through the crowd and reached the human barricade of police officers. 

“Let me through!” I screamed at one.

Liam appeared on the other side. “They’re with us.” He coughed. 

The police guard dropped his arm and allowed Louis, Eleanor and I through. I grabbed Liam in a hug. Tears ran down my face, leaving clean spots on his ashy shirt. 

“The others?” Louis asked.

“Niall, Zayn and I made it out. Harry was in the bathroom.” Liam coughed. A paramedic came and ushered Liam to the back of an ambulance, where Niall and Zayn were already standing. 

I looked back at the burning building. I considered running in myself, but I knew the fire fighters would stop me. They had stopped me when I was twelve.

And so I stood there, helpless, watching the burning building collapse in on itself. I felt Louis and Eleanor both put their arms around me as I sobbed, my eyes never leaving the doorway.

“Jenna!” I heard someone yell from behind me. I turned around to see Cecilia slipping under a policeman’s arms. She ran over to Lou, Eleanor and I and enveloped us all in a bone crushing hug. 

I went back to staring at the doorway, praying Harry would come out alive. Louis explained the situation to Cecilia and fat tears ran down her face. 

There was gasping and claps from the crowd and I held my breath. 

Two firefighters had run out of the burning building as it collapsed around them. One of them was holding a limp body in his arms.

I remembered when two bodies had come out of my grandparent’s house looking like that. 

Neither had survived. 

The firefighters ran over to the ambulance where they were surrounded by paramedics. Liam tried to get closer but was pushed back. 

My muscles froze.

He’s dead.

He’s gone.

He left me.

I couldn’t move, not another tear escaped. I was oblivious to the world. I watched the paramedics huddle over Harry’s body, watched them slowly pack up and walk away. Watched them throw a sheet over his body. 

I felt a sobbing Louis pull me to the stretcher. Heard my friends surround his body, crying their hearts out. I pulled back the sheet and stared at his ash covered face, a face that would never move again.

I stroked his closed eyelids, kissed his cold lips. 

A single, glistening tear fell from my eye and landed on the tip of his nose. 

Why? Why did this have to happen to Harry? What was going to happen now? One Direction couldn't exist without Harry.

I couldn't exist without Harry. 

I had let him down. He had been my saviour, but when he really needed me, I hadn't been able to save him. 

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm so sorry." 

My heart thumped as I watched his eyelids, praying for them to open.

They didn't.

I felt someone’s hand on my arm, telling me to leave. I was shaking, and my fingers were cold just from touching his face. Someone gently took my hands off of Harry and picked me up from my waist. I snapped out of my trance, took a huge breath, turned my back and walked away. A couple feet away, I turned to have one last look at the love of my life.

"I'm sorry." I choked out.

I thought I saw his chest move. 

I blinked, and looked more closely.

It moved again, and Harry’s lips parted. He gave a loud, dry cough, and was surrounded by paramedics. 

He’s alive.

I felt my knees go weak with relief, and everything went black.