Chapter 1

“Bye guys!” I waved to the car heading down the road. I sighed happily a smile still upon my lips as I walked up the path of stepping stones to my front porch. We didn’t have a huge house just two floors a few rooms on each. Sometimes it was all the room we needed, others it was too small for our three person family. One of those times would be tonight as I gently push open our door, glad it was creaking tonight, and heard the fight going on between my parents.

I didn’t remove my gaze from the stairs at the end of the hall. Not to the kitchen where I would love to have time to grab something to eat but just across the hallway were my parents locked in a screaming contest. I didn’t need to look I had seen if enough in my short seventeen years. My mother sitting there hands in her lap, looking up at my father tears streaking down her face. Her caramel color hair was most likely frizzy and a mess from running her hand through it too much, light blue eyes filled to the brim with tears, trying to convince my father of something she didn’t do.

My father on the other hand would be pacing, geld hair still in place, brown eyes only seeing red, and his tall frame would turn and loom over my mother’s petite one, screaming about how she did or didn’t do something. I sighed as my foot hit the bottom set not paying attention much to what was going on. Climbing the stairs it was a welcomed sight of my purple door at the end of the hall. I had my own bathroom while by parents shared the one behind the second door on the right. I was guessing that the guess room was going to be in use tonight, it was a lot of the time.

I opened my door with a small click, thought about slamming it for a moment but that would let them know I was home and I didn’t want to deal with them. So instead I shut my door as quietly as it would let me and slid down it happy that it muffled the contest downstairs. I didn’t know why dad didn’t leave us; then again a lot of people asked why I didn’t run away. So I suppose it’s for the same reason, we’re family all the family we’ve got. I pushed myself up and heard something break down stairs, Maybe just an overnight trip to Scarlett’s? I thought picking up my empty school bag, being the end of the year we didn’t have a lot of homework so it was pretty light anymore.

I filled it up with some clothes, more than necessary, my iPod, and toiletries. I came to the mirror handing opposite of my bad. Well it wasn’t really a mirror anymore just a photo album on display. It held photo with my friends on vacation, when we went places together and pictures from school. Anything and everything really. I started taking them down as I do whenever I leave the house when I’m not allowed, I didn’t care about anything else in this room but these pictures. They were the happy times in my life. I picked them off one by one until my fingers slid over a certain picture of my best friends and I.

It was taken when we were about five, at someone’s wedding. Three kids; there was a girl, shorter than the others, with long feathered blonde hair and blue eyes so pale at times they looked white. She was in a light pink dress hanging by two straps around her shoulders to her knees a wide smile placed on her little face. There was a boy in the middle; brown hair slicked back with gel that he hated, brown eyes to match the darkness of his hair, he wore a nice collared shirt with kakis. And last in the lineup was a little girl in-between the others height, long red hair tied back in a braid, green eyes showing no love for the purple sun dress she had on.

I placed it in the pile and collected the rest the only one was left was a more current picture of the three. Scarlett with her long blonde hair tied up into a pony tail, eyes shining with happiness wearing a white sun dress over her pink bathing suit. Grant in the middle, he had that longish shortish hair style just wearing cutoff jeans and shades. Lastly me, I traced my finger over my name at the bottom, Fi. Short for the horribly princessy name of Serafina. I had been wearing my favorite shorts and batman tank top that day, my long red hair cut short. It was last weekend at the beach. Scarlett, Grant, and I… what a trio, the trouble we could get into…

Just one more thing…  I got down on my hand and knees and started digging under my bed. I found a small wooden box about the size of a deck of cards under a pile of dirty socks. I pulled it out, sat on my bed and opened it. Inside lay a picture of my parents laughing and smiling, they were happy. It was one of my only pictures li have of them like this. I smile and put it gently into my bag before lying down on my bed. Starring at the ceiling I debated whether or not I should leave. But like most times the argument was putting me to sleep, so I closed my eyes and let the darkness over take me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke to smoke invading my senses. I was groggy and confused but still had enough sense to pick up my bad and get out of my room bending over slightly to keep out of the smoke. I hurried to my dad’s room first, the closer one, and pushed open the door yelling his name. “Dad!” He looked; he was doing something to the floor boards. “Dad!!” I yelled again making me cough from the smoke entering my lungs.  

He bent back down and said something along the lines of go. “I’ll be there soon,” That much I heard. I nodded to his back and dashed over to where I guessed my mom was the guest room. She was franticly searching for something, practically tearing the room apart.

“Let me help! Mom we have to get out of here!” She just waved me off, “MOM!”

“Go!” She yelled, “I’m coming, you’re more important. Fi I-“There was a crash as part of the ceiling gave out and fell down on the other side of the room, “GO!!” I backed away and hurried down the stairs looking for any sign how the fire started. I went to the farthest part of the lawn falling to the road letting my backpack tumble next to me. I waited five minutes for my parents but there was no sign of them. A shaky hand reached out for my phone and called the fire department. After that fun call I dialed Grant’s number.

The phone rang for a few minutes and there was a fear growing inside me that he wasn’t going to answer. But then there was a click on the other end, “Grant?” I said my voice wavering.

“Yeah?” Murmured a sleepy voice.

“Grant, you need to come over to my house, it-“A sob hitched in my throat, I couldn’t finish without breaking down into tears. Where was the fire department?

A more alert voice said, “Fi? What’s wrong? I’m getting on my jeans and I’ll be right over.” I heard a zip, “Fi?” I shut the phone and finally heard the sirens I only hoped it wasn’t too late. They most of them bypassed me and went straight to work. One man came over and placed a blanket around my shoulders.

“Miss is this your house?” I nodded unable to use my voice as they set to work. “Do you know how the fire started?” I shook my head no. A heard the thunder of a motorcycle and saw Grant’s bike flying down the road. He rode his bike till he was about five feet from me, setting it down he took off his helmet and ran over to me.

“My god, Fifi! Are you hurt?” He knelt in front of me looking into my eyes. But I was looking past him at something the firemen were carrying something out of my house. Grant glanced over his shoulder, “Oh no…” Was he said before his arms wrapped around me. I was sobbing as my eyes registered the lump as a body, scorched black by the flames. He rubbed my back and tried to calm me down but it wasn’t working.

We sat there like that while the put the rest of the fire out an ambulance taking another body away.  A different fire man came up to me and said, “Miss, the woman in your home did not survive we are so sorry.” I couldn’t say anything just looked up at him, “There was a man inside as well, it seemed there were a few boards pulled up but we couldn’t find anything. Are they your parents?” I nodded slowly, “Your mother then was holding this.” He handed me a box black but still together.

“Can we go?” Grant said holding me against his chest.
                “Well we’ll need you to identify the body, and see your father and a few other things but for now yes.”

“Thanks,” Grant said pulling me to my feet, waiting for me to loop my arms through my pack and walking me over to his bike. He let go and I just watched as he set is bike up properly and wheeled it to the street. I followed beside him a numbing feeling spreading inside me. He straddled the bike and inched up making room for me. We had done this a thousand times; it was normal but felt so not normal. I slid behind him looping my arms around his firm chest holding the box there as well. I rested my check on his back and waited for the roar of the engine. “Hang tight I forgot your helmet.” I didn’t respond but I didn’t have to hear it to know I really didn’t care. Done this without helmets a thousand times.

I looked back and in the distance becoming smaller and smaller was the house I lived in. But wasn’t my home.

Author's Note

So i might add onto this chapter but this is what i have so far. Ignore any spelling and grammar problems.

Reviews

[Gretchen Clarke]

This is great, aside of a couple of spelling errors! This is simply amazing, the way you described Bridget's inner emotions, as well as the scene where her mother claims Bridget is more important. I nearly cried my eyes out when I read that portion. I look forward to seeing more chapters here!