Phoenix Love

I was twelve when my parents allowed me to go to the town’s annual county fair.

 It was a scorching summer day with the smell of kettle corn, cotton candy, and sweat all rolled into one.

 I stood at the bottle toss tent, armed with a tennis ball.

My opponent: Three milk bottles that were determined to keep me from winning a fuzzy blue bear that I so badly wanted.

 My first attempt went wild and I accidentally hit the employee behind the counter instead.

 On the second throw I was lucky enough to clip the top bottle off, but it still wasn’t enough to win that bear.

 I pull my arm back, trying to focus all my strength into this one throw.

 “You’ll never hit it that way.” A voice commented.

I turn to look at Derek Johnson, a kid I saw around school sometimes.

 He leaned against the wooden beam supporting the tent, one hand holding a hot dog while the other held up his long ,shaggy brown hair out of his blue eyes so he could see me.

 “Says who?” I asked.

“Says me,” He grinned he held his hand out. An offering.

 I rolled my eyes, and handed him the ball.

Why did he choose today of all days to come and bother me. Besides, I think. How is he going to throw if he can’t even two feet in front of him?

 “Why do you keep your hair so long?” I ask him as he stood there sizing up the bottles ten feet away.

 He chuckled. “I’m trying to grow it out so when our band gets promoted. That way I’ll have some awesome hair.”

 “You have a band?”

Derek frowns for a second. “No, but I‘m working on it.” He said then turned back to the bottles.

 “The key to this is not strength but aim.” He told me while I rolled my eyes at his back.

 Yah, yah, I think. It’s a guy thing. I get it.

He curled the ball the his chest, leaning back while closing one of his eye and I try my best not to laugh out loud.

 He honestly thinks he could do it with one eye.

He threw the ball far harder than I ever could and unlike me he hit dead center, scattering the bottles to the ground.

 The man behind the counter chuckled. “Good job little man.” He held his hand out to the prizes on the shelf. “What would you like?”

 Derek thought for a moment then looked at me. “The blue fuzzy bear.” He replied.

 He took the bear with a nod then gave it to me.

“That is how you do it.” He smiled and his blue eyes shined behind his hair. He turned to leave. “See you around, Angie.” He called over his shoulder.

 I stood there watching him leave while holding the bear to my chest and my only thought was.

 He knows my name.

 

Years past we became friends, during middle school he taught me how to play video games and in return I kicked his butt at Super Mario Brothers.

 When his band played gigs at the café down town, I was the loudest one cheering in the crowd.

 Junior high started and we tried to be something more than friends but found it awkward and embarrassing, so we just stayed friends.

 Sometimes I couldn’t think of anything else other than pizza night at his house, even if we were seventeen we still acted like twelve year olds fighting over the last slice of pizza or who scored higher.

 And somehow that’s all I ever wanted it to be, me and him. Even when he brought his girlfriends over, I would smile and carry on a conversation, I even hid my frown.

 He deserved to choose who he wanted to be with.

________________________________________________

 

I step out of my car, it’s two a.m. in the morning. I’m dress in nothing more than a tank top, shorts and a pair of flip flops, but I hardly noticed while the Johnson’s barn lit the night sky with flames.

 His parents and a few on lookers stand in the yard, all being held back by the deputy who called out.

 “Nobody is going in there!” He shouted. “The Firemen are on their way now please stand back behind" ”

 “But my son is in there!” His father shouted while Derek mother, clutched his arm, weeping.

 “You can’t just expect me to just stand here and do nothing!” He ranted.

 Derek was in there.

The truth still wouldn’t process through my mind.

 I didn’t give it another thought, once the deputy was distracted I ran full speed towards the barn, the trees giving me cover so I wouldn‘t be caught quickly.

 Heat seared my skin when I touched the metal door, I ran halfway around the barn searching for a way in. There had to be a way in, it just couldn’t end like this.

 Wood crackled then a piece of the side of the barn fell away allowing me enough space to crawl through.

 I cried out when flames erupted, burning my exposed skin.

“Derek!” I shorted then coughed as smoke and flame crawled down my throat. I gagged, pulling my shirt over my nose so I could breath.

 Everything looked so different when painted orange with flame and charred black.

 The horse stalls held nothing but open flame, I noted seeing the horses outside, safe and sound.

 There was a loud groan before a sharp crack.

I had enough time to luckily move out of the support beam’s way, but I still didn’t keep the sparks from landing on my bare arms.

 Tears leaked through as my bare feet hit hot ash. I lost my flip flops back when I was running.

 My ears fill with the crackle and pops from the fire, and fear begins to rise in my throat.

 What if I’m too late? I think, pushing myself to search deeper.

I hear a groan to my left, and I see a lump lying propped up against one of the stalls.

 “Derek!” I call but don’t receive an answer.

I rush over, leaping through the flames, trying my best to keep my clothes from catching fire.

 He moaned again when I crouched low next to him.

“Derek,” I whispered.

 His eyes opened, distant at first then they flashed to my face. “My God, Angie!” He rasped, his voice hoarse from the smoke. “Get out of here!” He clutched his hand around my arm.

 “I’m not going anywhere without you.” Tugging him up. “Can you walk?” I ask.

 He just nods, leaning against me for support.

“Come on, maybe we can still get out the way I came.” I said, clutching his shirt to keep him upright.

 But instead he leads me back towards the front of the barn, covering as much skin of mine with his body.

 I gagged again, the smoke here was thicker. “Derek we can’t get out this way!” I coughed hard, the smoke making my eyes burn and water.

 Beside me Derek say’s nothing, I note how weak he’s getting by the second, his eyelids already closing.

 The next step he takes sends him to his knees, while I begin to half drag, half walk him out of the thickest smoke.

 Tears flow freely as I desperately try to think of a way out.

This can’t end like this. I won’t let it end like this.

 As if my payers have been answered I notice the water tough, quickly gathering the very last of my strength to pull Derek over to it.

 It’s long enough to fit him in and deep enough so the water protects against the fire’s heat.

 I lean my head against the concrete trough, my hand just touching the water, soothing just a fraction of my burning skin.

 I close my eyes, not daring to see the orange flames anymore as my life draws to a end.

 That’s when I feel a cool, wet hand touch my arm, pulling me into the trough.

 Derek moves to his side so that I could fit in there with him, the water felt like a blessing on my scorched skin.

 Lying here with Derek’s arms cradling my body against him, I can’t think of any other life that I would trade for this moment.

 I kiss him for the first and may be our last time, putting every thought, every emotion, every bit of love I had for him in that one kiss.

 Our little piece of Heaven smack dab in the middle of hell.

________________________________________________

 

The town will soon forget of the fire at the Johnson’s as yime moves on but the one thing they’ll always remember is the two teenagers walking from the ashes that was left of the barn.

 A miraculous sight to the witnesses that night as they watched the two walk hand and hand, dripping wet.

Author's Note

my account got hacked and someone deleted several of my writtings :(
and now all my veiws and reviews are gone!
so i'm sorry to the all ones who gave honest reviews

Reviews

[AK]

Oh my god! This story is just brilliant! The starting part where you talked about the fair, I could literally smell the corn and tast the cotton candy! Only the Lord knows how you can do that! But seriously, this story is very very very well written! You went sort of slow when the fare was going on and everything was happy, happy. You went faster when the fire incident came by, you were at par with the reader's emotions and that is just awesome! Wowie Summer! You never fail to surprise me with your wonderful stories! Yours~
AK

[Aehr]

I really like this one, you've done justice to the story, well done.

[Ice Girl]

I reviewed last time, do I'll say it again. I LOVE it!

[Jasmine Thousand]

I absolutely loved it. It held my attention the whole way through. The beginning was cute and sweet, and I loved how he knew that Angie wanted the blue bear and that he knew her name. WITHOUT her telling him!

My only problem with the story is the very last paragraph.
It says that "the town will never forget...the fire...but will always remember the..."
Does that mean "The town might soon forget the fire at the Johnson's but they'll always remember..."?

Also a bit confusing: when you say "found" it seems like they were found dead.
Which they weren't...right? LOL

Maybe I'm just a nit-picker...LOL
But anyways, I love it, amazing heartfelt piece.

~Jasmine Thousand~