Emma

Emma

I lay under my bed, just the way my mother taught me before the accident.  Smoke seeps from the hall making my lungs burn. Screams of the other orphan children surround me. Yelling to stay down they all continue to run frantic. Chloe comes over trying to pull me out, I yell for her to get down. I hear a screeching and cracking noise come from above. Chloe and John scream and then a sudden crash sends my heart into a panic.

Army crawling from under the bed just like my father taught me, from his military days, I see Chloe in her white sleeping gown and John in his striped shirt and pants pinned under a gargantuan beam that must have fallen from the ceiling. I look around for help, but I simply see my fellow orphans lying limp on the ground. Sam moves under his bed but I can’t tell if he’s hurt. I run to his side, the beam has also landed on him. I try to pry it off but it's caught on his legs, he’s screaming pushing the tears back. I can hear the pain in his voice and the doubt he has in his life.

“Leave me, get out of here, you must go now!” Sam yells.

I shake my head, “I can’t lose you. Take my hand, I’ll lift and pull you out. Everything is going to be okay!” I try to reassure him.

“You must go, leave me!” He screams in agony.

“I don't understand I’m trying to save you just take my hand god d****t!” I yell back with frustration

He finally takes my hand, I try to lift the beam but it won't budge! He screams in agony, but this is the only way to save his life. I lift again, this time I push up with my knee and my hand. It moves an inch but it’s not enough to get him out. I look around frantically; I try to find anything that will prop the beam up. The bed to my left has a broken leg, which might just work. The leg is flat at one end and curved at the other, which will give me some leverage. I push the curved end as hard and far under the beam as possible. I grab onto the flat end and push down as hard as I can. The beam lifts but it’s still not enough. Sam lets out another scream but it's interrupted by a fit of coughing.

“Sam, stay with me. Please.” the coughing doesn't seize and I see a trickle of blood run from the corner of his mouth. I turn his head to the side so he doesn't choke. His golden hair is matted with blood and ash. He’s still coughing when his eyes roll back. I don’t know what to do as his body shakes with pain.

Out of the corner of my eye I see movement. The beam on the other side of the room was lifted and John comes running over. He helps pry the beam of Sam and when we almost have it another beam falls two feet from us. The beam slips from our grasp and lands back on Sam. Sam is still coughing but lets out a gasp. I drop to my knees trying to calm him, blood is smeared across his face.

“We have to get him out soon! He’s getting worse.” I tell John as calmly as possible.

His voice is just as shaky as mine but still say’s “I know this is bad, very bad! He hasn’t been this bad since last year.” I see bloody tears swelling in his eyes

“John, are you alright?”

He stands looking down at his feet. “ I don't know, my eyes really hurt.” He rubs his face, “We have to get Sam out!I won’t leave him, he’s the only one I have left!”

John and I both put our hands under the beam that's on Sam and lift. My arms ache and my legs are shaking. I don't think I can lift and pull Sam out. What if I can’t do this and Sam dies, what if John has no one left! Just as I start to give up hope John and I manage to lift the beam but is it enough to pull Sam out.

Sam still coughs on the floor uncontrollably. It’s sickening to look at him in so much pain. His usual bright blue eyes have turned a sickly gray. His usual glowing self just lies pulsing on the floor under the beam. His limp hand lay in mine, I squeeze it until my knuckles turn white. I grab his bony wrist to pull, and I can only feel a small slow pulse.

John and I lift the beam an inch higher and that's when I pull Sam as hard as I can from underneath. The beam slips from John’s hands and my heart just drops. It all happens so fast I have no time to think. I didn't realize I shut my eyes but when I open them John is staring at me with a blank face. I look down to see if Sam is all right but I just see him lying limp on the concrete floor. I tell John to help me get him up but John just stands there staring. I can see the worry in his eyes for his best friend lying on the floor.

He moves to Sam’s side and gets on his knees, putting his two fingers to Sam’s neck trying to feel a pulse. I watch intently hoping. John looks up slowly and I can see it in his eyes, tears. What does that mean… tears of joy or sorrow?

“We have to get him out of here. I can feel his pulse but barely. He doesn't have much time, and he won't survive another coughing fit.” John says in a calm voice. I drop to my knees in relief next to Sam, not caring about the aching pain pulsing through my back.

John lifts Sam and I get up slowly but fast enough to move out of the way of the next falling beam. As it hits the ground a big gust of smoke and ash blow past me. My head feels light, as if I’m about to collapse but the roof is caving and John and Sam are halfway to the door.

It takes every part of me to not just sit and scream. Instead I put that power into my legs and bolt for the door. John and Sam are at the door when it swings open and mother Lee comes running in. I’m right behind them when another beam crashes in front of me blocking my path to the door. My heart feels like it’s trying to tear out of my chest so I just stand there and close my eyes. I take four deep breaths controlling the fear and anger raging through me. I count each heartbeat as they slow, like my mother taught me. I open my eyes and the flames in front of me die down and I am able to jump over the massive beam. Finally reaching the door, mother lee is bent down next to someone on the floor. The smoke is too thick to see their face.

I hear sirens blaring outside which must mean the fire department has finally arrived. My heart skips a beat hoping we will survive the next five minutes. My focus turns back to the body on the floor that mother lee is sitting next too. I take a step closer and I can see the sharp lines in the cheekbones and the dark brown hair with bits of ash. It can only be one person, John. Why is he laying on the floor not moving, this can’t be right? I slowly go to my knees next to him; Sam lays in front of him, still. But strangely I don't think that's the issue. I look at John but he acts like he doesn't see me he’s just laying there staring at the ceiling.

I hear the door leading to the lobby bust open and three firemen come through. One grabs Sam the other grabs John and the last one helps mother Lee and me out of the burning building. When we reach the exit, the cold night breeze runs through my torn blue nightgown. A chill goes through my body and I stop. My knees buckle and I would’ve fallen if the fireman didn't have ahold of me. He leads us to the back of an ambulance and gives mother Lee and me an oxygen mask. I look around trying to find John and Sam but I don't see them. I only see our home collapsing in flames.

I hear two ambulances leaving the compound. After I can breath normally, I ask the driver to take us to the hospital to see John and Sam.