Burning Revenge

1

My eyes flew open and I choked.

I felt the heat on my skin and smelt the stench of smoke and immediatly sprang out of bed. As I looked around my bedroom I felt fear and panic spread inside me. I turned to my bed and yanked the blue sheets off, running to my bathroom. Remembering what Dad had taught me I shoved the sheets under the sink and let it soak. "Keep a clear head, Liv" Dad had whispered, his brown eyes glinting as if he was telling me a secret, searching my face, "that can save many lives."

I wrapped the wet sheet around me and covered my hair before I ran out of my bathroom, just in time to see my doorframe light up, fire licking the walls.

I shut my eyes briefly and forced myself to think clearly. I heard my Dad's voice again, loud and clear as if he were standing right next to me. "The wet sheet can protect you from the heat. But it can't protect you for long."

As I opened my eyes again I felt no more panic. No fear. I felt brave. And determined to get us out of here.

Us.

"JEMMA!" I cried, pulling the sheets closer around my body. "JEMMA!"

When no answer came I leaped over the flames, the smoke was making my eyes sting, but I ran down the corridoor, past the endless rooms and doors until I reached her room.

The fire had not yet spread too much in Jemma's room, but the smoke was worse.

"JEMMA!"

I heard a whail and a sniff from the corner of the room. "Liv! Livvy it's hot and I can't breathe-"

I ran towards the wheeping, my heart racing against my ribcage. When I reached her, she was crouching in the corner, her arms slung around her tiny knees.

Jemma's face was ashen, and tears were running down her cheaks when she let out a yelp and held out her hands towards me.

"Come here," I said picking her up quickly and settling her on my hips. "I'm going to get us out of here!"

The fire had spread further and the smoke was making my lungs sting. We ran out of the room, jumping over flames that had begun to ignite the doorway.

"Jemma, breathe through this cloth here," I ordered her, holding up my mum's hankarchief I had found in my pocket.

She took it obediently, hiding her face in my hair while I frantically looked for a way out.

The stairs leading down were already lit up, their flames burning the pictures on the walls. We were far to high up to jump from the window -

The only option I could find was the balcony.

But how should we get there? The fire is spreading too quickly...

I had no choice. This wasn't about me. I had to get Jemma out of here. That's all that matters.

"Hold on!" I shouted at Jemma before taking two steps back and catapulting myself forward.

Five metres, four metres, ...

The fire burned higher and my eyes started to water.

...three metres, two...

I kept on running.

...one metre - JUMP!

I leapt over the flames, pushing my feet off the ground as hard as I could. The balcony doors were made of glass, but that was the last thing that worried me.

Everything seemed to be going in slow- motion when my feet left the ground. I was right over the flames, Jemma on my hips, screaming out of fear, her nails digging into my sholders. I saw the flames burn beneath me, dangerous, hypnotizing and yet so beautiful.

And then I felt time speed up again, and everything happened all at once.

The searing pain creeping up my leg, the shatter of glass, the wind in my ears as I fell, holding on tightly onto Jemma. I knew that when I reach the balcony floor, there will be glass. I knew it could hurt Jemma, so in the split second I had left, I turned just enough to fall onto my back, Jemma ontop of me.

The thud was loud but not as bad as I expected.

We were out. In the fresh air, on the balcony. Jemma quickly rolled off me and coughed a number of times before whispering "Are you ok Liv?"

Her big, brown eyes were looking at my face, panicy and worried.

"Of course," I wheezed, getting up and pulling a piece of glass out of my leg. I sucked in air through my teeth. "OUCH."

Jemma's eyes filled with tears, her body shaking.

"It's okay, really," I said, my voice raspy, "it's not over yet. We have to get off this balcony Jemma, or the flames could catch us up..."

I stood up slowly, knowimg too well that my legs could give away any moment. My left leg had been touched by the flames, and my right was bleeding uncontrollably thanks to the glass.

"Okay.." I said ignoring the pain in my legs and lungs.

Our balcony was covered in shattered glass, and the huge flower pot had fallen to its side, earth covering the balcony floor.

On the left side of the balcony a garden fence was prepped up against the wall, roses entwined through its gaps. Weird decorations again from Mum and Dad..." I thought warily walking up to it and testing my weight on it.

The weird-decoration-thingy held.