Salvation

Chapter 4: How I remembered

Chapter Four: How I remembered

Edited and Rewritten

I could feel the smoke burning at my lungs as I tried to breathe—the ash covering me like a second skin and choking me. Fresh tears ran down my cheeks; the heat from the fire was becoming too much for me to bear.

The sound of muffled shouting filled the air, and a flash of black and yellow carries me out of the house. The cold night air hits my body, and I finally open my eyes, allowing me to see the firefighters and ambulances. My eyes drift to the neighbours crowding around the police tape. The firefighter places me down on the cold metal of the ambulance. My drift and finally land on the two bodies as medics work on them.

"No", I screamed out as I struggled in the firefighter's arms. I thrashed and kicked as I tried to get to my parent's bodies.

"No, mum please," I cried as the firefighter hugged me tight to his body. Tear running wild down my cheeks as my heart broke. "Dad, please don't leave me,"

I looked back towards their bodies as the medic shook his head before hanging it in defeat and disappointment. I felt as though someone sucker punched me in the gut, and my world collapsed and broke in front of me. My legs gave way, and I tumbled to the ground.

"This can't be happening," I sobbed uncontrollably as I gripped onto the damp grass under my hands. The firefighter put his hand on my back as I cried hysterically.

"Please, I need you," I wept hoarsely. I stayed there frozen, staring at their lifeless bodies as the fireman tried to comfort me as the other's finished with dying embers. Tears ran irrevocably down my face as the feeling of being lost and alone took over my body.

I jump awake as tears ran down my cheeks with sweat dripping off of my body. I haven't had that dream in such a long time that I had almost forgotten about it. This was the one memory that I would give anything not to remember. A loud sob burst free from me, and it shook my whole body as tears graced my cheeks.

"Shut up," David said with a groan as he kicks my leg hard. I chew on my lip to control myself as I tried to fight the sobs coming out. Without saying anything, I slowly slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom.

I looked into the mirror, and I saw nothing but a shell looking back at me. My eyes are sunken and lifeless. I trace my finger against the yellowing bruise along with my eye socket, and tears fell down my cheeks. I strip off my bed shirt and shorts, standing in front of the mirror, and I looked at the bruises along my visible ribs and stomach. The light scars that will always decorate my skin, making me ugly. I hate what I see, and the feeling of self-hate is ardent that it takes over every fibre of my being.

I turned away from myself. I reached into the shower and turned it on - the warm water fell over my body washing away the remaining dried blood and salty tears that fell from my cheeks. I wished that I was a stronger person, and I wish that I was worth something. I stepped out of the shower, and I wrapped a towel around my body before walking back into the bedroom and I see that David is now awake and sitting up on the bed.

"You look gorgeous," David said to me, and a smile found its way onto my face as I look at him. The sunlight that crept through the curtain shining on him, making him look angelic, and it highlights the handsomeness of his features.

He swiftly moves from the bed, and my heart drops as I try to stop myself from flinching when he touches my face. David's hand grips at my chin, turning my face to look at him, and I cannot breathe as he scans my face. His thumb traces over my black eye as he watches me see my reaction. His grip on my face tightens, and my eyes begin to water - my stomach twists as I looked into his eyes and the love that was once there was replaced with pure hatred.