October 1927

1K 38 1
                                    

Sybbie lie wide awake in her bed. She had been horribly ill for the last week, and was not aloud to get up. She was bored out of her mind, and it made her feel helpless when she heard George and Marigold running up and down the hallway, giggling and shrieking.

Sybbie rose from her bed, feeling weak on her legs. She hadn't stood for 7 days. She smoothed down her nightdress a s slid on her slippers.

As she got closer to the door, she heard a strange noise. Crackling. Heart pounding, Sybbie pried open the door and froze. Flames, burning sky high, bright orange and spreading quickly. She let a blood curdling scream, and ran back into the room. She grabbed her teddy and held it close to her chest.

Downstairs, everyone heard her desperate screams.

"Sybbie!" Tom cried, bounding down the hall.

Everyone followed quickly. Mary, who was leading the pack, stopped dead in her tracks.

"Mar- OH MY GOD." Edith sputtered.

The nanny spotted the flames, and scooped up George and Marigold.

"Get the children outside!" Robert instructed, running up the stairs with with Tom.

Mary ignored her mother and ran up the stairs.

"Mary!" Robert hissed, throwing sand onto the rising flames. "Get out of here!"

"We can't leave the poor girl in there!" She yelled in frustration. "Sybbie!? Aunt Mary is coming!"

"Mary! This is a man's job! Get out!" Robert snapped.

"And leave a sick 7 year old in there? No!" She snapped back.

"Aunt Mary!" Sybbie shrieked, tears glistening off of her cheeks.

Sybbie began to cough. With her congestion, mixed with the smoke inhalation, she could not breathe.

"Help!" She gagged, "I...I can't...breathe!"

Mary pushed away her father frantically, and into the nursery, where Sybbie sat on the floor, gasping for air.

She picked her up and flew down the stairs. The servants were filing out when Mary and Sybbie appeared in the hall.

"Please! She can't breathe!" Mary called to them.

Carson turned and yelled out. Everyone made room for them. Anna looked at Sybbie fearfully, and clutched Mr Bates' arm.

Mary passed through the doors and collapsed onto the ground with Sybbie. The young girl caught her breath, and began to cry.

George and Marigold came racing over to see if their older cousin was alright.

"Don't cry!" George exclaimed, sinking to his knees. "Your safe now, and it's over. Don't be scared anymore."

Sybbie looked at him with glassy eyes. George grabbed ahold of her hand.

"Your okay now Sybbie." He said soothingly.

"Yes, your okay!" Marigold piped in, clutching her doll.

Her lip quivered when Anna came to see if she was alright. Sybbie didn't want to think about it, but having people squawking about it all around her, it made her feel terribly upset all over again.

"Please Sybbie," George begged, "I don't like to see you sad. It's all done."

"Yes Sybbie, it's all do-AGHHH!" Marigold cried as she tripped over a pebble.

Sybbie and George collapsed into a heap of giggles, momentarily forgetting all of the pain around them.

Growing Up DowntonWhere stories live. Discover now