Wildfire - Jo-Anne Joseph Page 0,1

and mouth. There is a heavy pressure in my chest, and my heart beats wildly in my chest. At that moment, I remember what my teacher, Ms. Macgregor, said — “Where there is smoke, there is fire.” I drop to the ground the way she taught us.

“Mama! Daddy!” I shout, crawling to the door quickly, but the yellowish-orange light under it has me backing away. No, I must be brave. I must get to Mama. “Mama!”

I place my hand against the door and draw it back immediately. It’s warm to the touch. I shuffle back toward the window and wait under the sill. I’m shaking all over, small sobs escaping my lips. “Mama,” I whisper. I should pray. I clasp my hands together, but I don’t have the words. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say as more smoke seeps into my room. I place my palms against my eyes. This feels like a nightmare. I’m going to wake up soon. I cough hard. It feels like the smoke is filling up inside me.

The door bursts open, and Mama rushes in with a blanket. It’s suddenly so hot in here—sweat beads on my forehead.

“Aidan, baby.” There’s amber light behind her. I’m afraid to stand in case this is a mind trick. “Come to me, baby.” She hurries to me, bends down, and bundles me in the blanket.

“What’s happening?” My voice shakes.

“A fire. We have to get out. You do as I say, okay?” I nod.

Mama grabs hold of my hand, rushing us out of my bedroom. A fire. And then I see it — the angry flames that lick over the walls near the stairs.

We head for her bedroom, away from the flames. “The first floor is on fire, baby, and it’s already spreading up here. We have to get inside my room and wait till someone comes to get us, okay?” Mama babbles the way she tells me not to. I only catch bits of what she says. I know we’re in a whole lot of trouble.

She stumbles on something, my fire truck, and we fall to the ground. We shuffle up, and she groans in pain. She’s limping. “Mama, are you hurt?”

“No, baby. I’m fine. We have to hurry.” She looks scared. I’ve never seen her like this. She tugs me along with her as we make it back to her room.

“Where is Daddy?” He should be here.

She looks down at me, fear in her eyes. “I don’t know,” she tells me.

“Maybe he’s downstairs.” I pull my hand from hers and turn to where we came from.

“Aidan, no, he isn’t!” she shouts. She shuts her door when we enter her room. Soft smoke dances in the air. Mama’s bedroom is the closest to the street, so I hear the sound of sirens.

“They’re here, Mama.”

She coughs. She reaches into a drawer and covers my nose and mouth with a scarf of hers. She doesn’t do the same for herself. She’s coughing hysterically. “We have to wait here till they come get us, okay? The big red fire truck is here, baby.”

“Okay, Mama.”

“Come sit here with me.” I do as she says. She starts to move the curtains, waving hysterically at whoever is out there. She leans against the wall, her back sliding down until she’s seated. I can hear the commotion outside. They will get to us. I shuffle closer next to her, placing my head in her lap. She wraps an arm around me, and I snuggle into her. My eyes are suddenly heavy. I’m finding it hard to stay awake and even harder to breathe.

“I love you, sunshine. You are my sunshine,” she starts to sing. I hear the crack of glass and muffled sound of voices, and then everything fades until I’m certain I’m floating in a starry sky.

2

Aidan

Present Day — Twenty Years Later

The station is noisy, which is nothing new. Freddy is giving a new guy shit, and Dan is brewing coffee in the small kitchen.

“Want a cup?” he offers as I pass by.

“Sure do. Barely got any sleep last night.” I prop myself against the counter. Dan pours a large mug, handing it to me. The spicy aroma instantly perks me up.

“Thanks, man.” I hold my cup up in salute. Leave the kitchen, I wave and greet the other guys as I make my way outside.

Settling on a bench outside with a smoke, I watch the orange glow of the cigarette brighten when I take a drag from it. This shit is bad