Status: Found it! Now I will continue it.
Searching Inferno
1
Before Korie's eyes a fire blazed. Her body remained still as she stood so close to the inferno that she began to choke on a combination of smoke and her tears. Firemen ran around her, not paying attention to the shell shocked girl. She heard screams, blood curdling screams from her apartment. Korie's eyes looked up into those of her mother, the flames engulfing her surroundings as she stared in pain down at her child. Her mother's hands pressed against the window, turning into fists in an attempt to break through. She screamed words at Korie, but they became muzzled by the window between her. Her mothers screams continued to play in her head.
Korie regained her feeling and ran to the nearest fireman, pulling and crying for him to look up at her mother in the window. He didn't move as she hung from his uniform, he didn't flinch as she screamed in his ears. Her mother's screams played over in her head as she ran to the next fireman. She pulled on him, screaming just as she did before. He turned this time, looking straight through her. She recoiled, for the face belonged not to a fireman, but to her father. He looked about, searching for the one who pulled on him. He looked to his partner, the one who didn't notice her at all, and shrugged, turning back to his truck. In his truck sat his wife and three children, all wrapped in warm blankets.
Korie began to bang on the window, calling for them to help. They looked her in the eye and stared back at the windshield. Korie banged again before turning toward an empty lot. The building was gone. She ran toward the lot, digging through the ash, looking for her mother. All she found was dirt, more dirt, more dirt. Her mother wasn't here. Nothing was hear. Tears filled her eyes and she laid flat on her back, and wished to disappear with her. Someone then stroked her hair. She sat up and looked into her mother's eyes. They embraced tightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but her mother fell to ashes right in front of her eyes. Korie dropped to her knees and screamed.
Korie's yelp woke her from her sleep. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and sweat dripped into her eyes. She blinked several times, adjusting herself to the light that entered through the window she failed to close from the night prior. Her shirt clung heavily to her body, drenched in her perspiration. No one was in the room with her, the three beds that sat on either side of her were empty and well-made.
Her feet hit the cold wood floor. The dream had been all too real. Although all she could remember was the terror she felt throughout the entire ordeal, she knew the dream would continue to haunt her for nights to come. Korie inhaled, feeling her lungs inflate and deflate with air.
Standing, Korie caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled roughly into a ponytail with strands that framed her face and knots and tangles. Her face itself was white as the walls of the room. Her shirt was so wet, her lime green bra boldly shown through. There was a scar under her eye, a light purple color, from where she had hit her face in a futile attempt to save her mother. Korie slammed her eyes shut at the thought.
She shook her head and walked to the bathroom. Her mind constantly ran back to that night too weeks ago when her mother died in an apartment fire.
"It should have been me," Korie said aloud, her mind slowly coming back to reality.
The squeak of the faucet filled the small bathroom followed by the sound of gushing water. Korie pulled her wet shirt over her head and removed her other clothes. She lowered herself into the uncomfortable warmth of the water and sighed, feeling her nerves relax themselves back into place.
She remained in the water long after washing until she could no longer stand it.
She felt that she should be used to the dreams now. The ones that choke her with smoke both in the dream and in real life. The vivid memories of her mother are too much to handle, though, and she usually finds herself in the same position every morning- hurt and pitiful.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had lost twenty pounds since that night, and it was doing her body no justice. Her ribs were easy to see- each rib stuck out from under her flesh. Her eyes were outlined in red and were bloodshot. Her smiled hid behind chapped lips that began to peel. She was nothing like herself. Nothing.
After sliding on some faded Levi jeans and a over-sized hoodie, she decided to join the rest of the population down at the living room of the foster home. For three weeks she had lived her, hating herself more and more each day she outlived her mother. But for some reason, joining the group of children who have gone through the same things made Korie feel just a tad better.
"Hey, Korie." It was Ebony. She was tall, with many of the same features as Korie. Her eyes were the same deep blue color, filled with secrets and wishes. She was Korie's height, around 5'9, just with a slightly longer neck. Ever since Korie walked through the doors, Ebony has been there.
"Hey, Ebony," Korie said, trying to wash away the nightmare she just lived through.
Ebony smiled. "I made you breakfast."
Korie winced, remembering that she hadn't had a full meal in weeks. Her foster mother, Mary, had to force her to eat one or two crackers in a day and even then Korie couldn't keep them down. The smile on Ebony's face, however, made Korie want to eat. She followed her friend to the kitchen.
"I heard that you were a veggie," Ebony said, referring to Korie being a vegetarian, "so I made you oatmeal with peaches."
Korie smiled. "Thank you." Her happiness lay a lot deeper than just someone making her a meal.
The meal was great, in Korie's stomach, and the feeling of fullness made something in Korie light up. The hunger that she felt made it hard not to grieve. With a full stomach, she felt she could think.
"I had some stuff we could do today, if that is cool." Ebony said to Korie's back as she approached the sink to wash her bowl. Korie felt her heart inflate. "We could go to the mall, to the park, whatever."
Korie smiled. "Sounds cool."
Korie regained her feeling and ran to the nearest fireman, pulling and crying for him to look up at her mother in the window. He didn't move as she hung from his uniform, he didn't flinch as she screamed in his ears. Her mother's screams played over in her head as she ran to the next fireman. She pulled on him, screaming just as she did before. He turned this time, looking straight through her. She recoiled, for the face belonged not to a fireman, but to her father. He looked about, searching for the one who pulled on him. He looked to his partner, the one who didn't notice her at all, and shrugged, turning back to his truck. In his truck sat his wife and three children, all wrapped in warm blankets.
Korie began to bang on the window, calling for them to help. They looked her in the eye and stared back at the windshield. Korie banged again before turning toward an empty lot. The building was gone. She ran toward the lot, digging through the ash, looking for her mother. All she found was dirt, more dirt, more dirt. Her mother wasn't here. Nothing was hear. Tears filled her eyes and she laid flat on her back, and wished to disappear with her. Someone then stroked her hair. She sat up and looked into her mother's eyes. They embraced tightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but her mother fell to ashes right in front of her eyes. Korie dropped to her knees and screamed.
Korie's yelp woke her from her sleep. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and sweat dripped into her eyes. She blinked several times, adjusting herself to the light that entered through the window she failed to close from the night prior. Her shirt clung heavily to her body, drenched in her perspiration. No one was in the room with her, the three beds that sat on either side of her were empty and well-made.
Her feet hit the cold wood floor. The dream had been all too real. Although all she could remember was the terror she felt throughout the entire ordeal, she knew the dream would continue to haunt her for nights to come. Korie inhaled, feeling her lungs inflate and deflate with air.
Standing, Korie caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled roughly into a ponytail with strands that framed her face and knots and tangles. Her face itself was white as the walls of the room. Her shirt was so wet, her lime green bra boldly shown through. There was a scar under her eye, a light purple color, from where she had hit her face in a futile attempt to save her mother. Korie slammed her eyes shut at the thought.
She shook her head and walked to the bathroom. Her mind constantly ran back to that night too weeks ago when her mother died in an apartment fire.
"It should have been me," Korie said aloud, her mind slowly coming back to reality.
The squeak of the faucet filled the small bathroom followed by the sound of gushing water. Korie pulled her wet shirt over her head and removed her other clothes. She lowered herself into the uncomfortable warmth of the water and sighed, feeling her nerves relax themselves back into place.
She remained in the water long after washing until she could no longer stand it.
She felt that she should be used to the dreams now. The ones that choke her with smoke both in the dream and in real life. The vivid memories of her mother are too much to handle, though, and she usually finds herself in the same position every morning- hurt and pitiful.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had lost twenty pounds since that night, and it was doing her body no justice. Her ribs were easy to see- each rib stuck out from under her flesh. Her eyes were outlined in red and were bloodshot. Her smiled hid behind chapped lips that began to peel. She was nothing like herself. Nothing.
After sliding on some faded Levi jeans and a over-sized hoodie, she decided to join the rest of the population down at the living room of the foster home. For three weeks she had lived her, hating herself more and more each day she outlived her mother. But for some reason, joining the group of children who have gone through the same things made Korie feel just a tad better.
"Hey, Korie." It was Ebony. She was tall, with many of the same features as Korie. Her eyes were the same deep blue color, filled with secrets and wishes. She was Korie's height, around 5'9, just with a slightly longer neck. Ever since Korie walked through the doors, Ebony has been there.
"Hey, Ebony," Korie said, trying to wash away the nightmare she just lived through.
Ebony smiled. "I made you breakfast."
Korie winced, remembering that she hadn't had a full meal in weeks. Her foster mother, Mary, had to force her to eat one or two crackers in a day and even then Korie couldn't keep them down. The smile on Ebony's face, however, made Korie want to eat. She followed her friend to the kitchen.
"I heard that you were a veggie," Ebony said, referring to Korie being a vegetarian, "so I made you oatmeal with peaches."
Korie smiled. "Thank you." Her happiness lay a lot deeper than just someone making her a meal.
The meal was great, in Korie's stomach, and the feeling of fullness made something in Korie light up. The hunger that she felt made it hard not to grieve. With a full stomach, she felt she could think.
"I had some stuff we could do today, if that is cool." Ebony said to Korie's back as she approached the sink to wash her bowl. Korie felt her heart inflate. "We could go to the mall, to the park, whatever."
Korie smiled. "Sounds cool."