Whisper

29

The flames surrounded me. I looked for an exit, but there seemed no way out of the inferno.

I was beginning to panic.

.

Suddenly, I heard screaming, again.

But this was not a little girl's voice. This definitely was not my Whisper.

.

I looked around.

Suddenly a woman appeared just inches in front of me. She was yelling, as loudly as she could.

Pure terror in her voice.

"Calvin? Calvin?"

.

A man was at the woman's side, in a second. His face showed the same panic and terror, as the woman's.

"There's no way out," he gasped.

"The walls are all up in flames. I can't get to the door," he cried, in panic.

.

"Calvin? What have we done?"

.

I watched, as they searched for a way out of the growing flames. They would take a few steps one way and stop. Then a few steps another way, with the same result.

There was no way out.

.

The flames were surrounding me, but I felt no heat, just a constant cold.

Still, it did little to quieten my pounding heart and dry mouth.

Like Alice and Calvin, I too, was panicked and more than a little terrified.

.

"Jenny, where is Jenny?" Alice screamed, grabbing her husband by the arms.

"Where is my daughter?"

.

"She must be upstairs," Calvin answered, pulling away from his wife.

He turned toward the staircase, just a few feet in front of him. Flames were crawling up the wall and peeking through the stairs, but the centre of the stairwell was still free of flame.

"Maybe that is a way out," he barked, as he ran toward the stairs and started up the staircase.

He was about halfway up when it suddenly burst into flames, all around him and collapsed, under his weight. A wall of flames erupted, as the collapsed staircase fell to the floor below.

.

"CALVIN."

Alice yelled his name, as he appeared for a brief moment, but then disappeared, silently into the flames, that engulfed him.

.

"Oh my Lord. Calvin."

But there was no time for grieving. Alice looked around. There was no where to go. The ceiling above her head was being quickly engulfed in flames.

"JENNY? JENNY?"

She screamed as loud as she could.

.

"Mommy, I'm up here."

We both looked up to the landing that at one time was connected to the stair case.

Jenny was standing at the very edge of the landing, one hand leaning on the wall next to her.

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