Once Upon a December

“Zurie, Ashley, Dinner,” The sibling’s mother called. Zurie looked at her brother who had been called in as well. Both of them, in unison, looked at their friend Blaze. They smiled at each other.

“Come on, Zurie, we have to go inside now,” Ashley said. Zurie looked up at him as he stood up. She frowned.

“Why?” She asked.

“Mom said so,” he replied. Zurie looked back over at Blaze and sighed.

“Okay,” her squeaky voice said and she rolled over onto her knees. She pushed her tiny nine year old body up and grabbed Ashley’s hand. Smiling, Ashley and Zurie waved ‘bye’ to Blaze and started walking up the path to their house.

Blaze got up as Ashley and Zurie turned around. He was nine as well. He had brown hair that was slightly below his chin. His bangs were messily swept over to the right sending stray hairs over his blue eyes. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked across the wide street to his house. The wind picked up, nearly pushing the boy down the street. Blaze stomped his way back towards the path to his house. Soon he reached the first step to his house and began to climb up there stairs.

“Woo,” Mr. Williams said, sitting down at the long table. “It’s pretty windy out there, huh?”

Ashley and Zurie nodded. Zurie combed her shiny, straight, black hair with her fingers so it wasn’t messed up. Ashley smirked and rubbed Zurie’s head, making her hair look crazy again.

“Ashley,” Zurie exclaimed, pushing her brother.

“Hey,” Ashley replied with a shove back.

“Ashley! Zurie! Cut it out and sit down,” Mrs. Williams said motherly. Her children stopped fighting and split around the table, Ashley going to the left, and Zurie going off to the right. They sat directly across from each other. Dinner was already on their plates. For tonight, dinner consisted of medium rare steak, mashed potatoes, string beans and a side bowl of salad with ranch dressing.
Mr. Williams turned on the radio.

“Hmm… nothing but static,” he said. Zurie shrugged and soon they all began to eat. Mr. Williams talked about work while Mrs. Williams just nodded. Ashley stuffed potatoes into his mouth. Zurie looked up from her plate at him and sighed at the sight of gravy all over his face and his cheeks plum with food. Ashley just stuffed his face more and more. Zurie sat there still as a rock with a raised eyebrow and wondered how he did it. Ashley chewed and looked up at his sister. He smirked and opened his mouth as if he were showing the world the amazing beauty of chewed up food.

“Eww! Ashley, that’s gross,” Zurie shouted. Her squeaky voice was the kind that would pierce your ears when she yelled. Mrs. Williams looked over.

“Ashley Anthony Williams! Close your mouth and e-“

She was cut off by a loud scream out side. Soon it was followed by sirens. Mr. Williams got up from his chair and ran to the window. Dark smoke almost made it like a thick curtain so you couldn’t see out the window, but he saw enough.
Red lights were flashing people were in the streets and a bright orange glow lit up the grass.
Scurrying past the dinning room, he grabbed his jacket and ran to the door.

“Darling,” Mrs. Williams said, “What’s going on?”

“Stay here!” He demanded and he ran out of the house.

Zurie looked back at Ashley. His mouth was closed and his eyes were wide, but his cheeks were still stuffed. He swallowed everything quickly.

“What’s that smell?” he asked, sniffing repeatedly. Before Mrs. Williams could answer, Mr. Williams ran back in the house.

“Everyone grab what you need and what’s important and get out of the house. You have two minutes.”

“But Da-,” Zurie started.

“GO!”

Ashley and Zurie stood up from their place and ran up stairs. Mrs. Williams ran over to her husband. He told her that there was a fire in a house and that it was spreading quickly from house to house because of the wind. Mrs. Williams ran up stairs to hers and the Mr.’s bed room and grabbed everything she needed. She grabbed her money, expensive jewelry, clothes, and a pillow. She shoved everything in the pillow case.
Mr. Williams, at the same time, grabbed his gun, Money, clothes and a picture of his wife and kids. He took the pillow from his wife and stuffed everything except the gun in there too.
Just down the hall, Zurie was throwing whatever she could into her small book bag. Her dolls, her jewelry, crayons and a coloring book, her favorite stuffed animal (who was a big fluffy horse that she called Daffy), her blanket and a dirty sock that was laying on the floor.
Across from her room, Ashley was shoving what ever he could into a box that he kept all of his action figures in. He threw what ever money he had in there along with his Dragon Ball-z cards, any shirt that he liked, a wrestling game for his PS2 and of course his PSP. He didn’t need that if he was going to bring his wrestling game. Then again, with two minutes you don’t have time to think.

The family met down stairs. Mr. Williams, with out a word, pushed everyone out the door and they all ran into the street. There were people all over the place running around with frightened looks on their face. The Williams ran down the street with the crowd. Zurie held on to Ashley’s hand as he held on to his mothers. Their father was carrying all of their things. Then a woman with a baby and a man started running closer trapping the sibling’s linked hands in between. Zurie was small, but not small enough to try to squeeze in between the two.

“Ashley,” Zurie exclaimed.

“Zurie! Come on, Zurie! You can make it,” He yelled back to her.

“No!” she yelled back, gripping Daffy’s leg tightly. Finally the man and the woman closed in on the children’s hands. By instinct, they let go and Zurie fell behind in the mob of people. She called her brothers name and hoped that he could hear her. She ran along with the crowd, but not fast enough. She tripped and landed close to a drive way. As she tried to get up get was kicked and stepped on. Then with a blow to the head, she was knocked unconscious.