My whole body was on fire. The air in my lungs felt like a heavy tar weighing me down as I dragged my body down the hall; since, standing up and walking could lead to suffocation due to lack of oxygen.  I had told her that one of these days she would burn this house, with all of us, to the ground and now it was about to happen.
No.
This was not how I was going to go. They say a sinking man will always try to take another with them, but I was not about to be my mothers next victim. The fire raged around me, devouring everything in its path as it worked its way towards me. I crawled on. Suddenly, the ceiling above me collapsed. All I could do was watch the shabby thing fall on top of me in a fury of embers and drywall. My body really was on fire now. Now, I was writhing beneath the heap of drywall when a figure appeared in front of me. The weight was lifted off me as two more powerful arms hoisted me up. The other figure dropped the drywall he had picked up off me and wrapped a blanket around my legs, putting out the fire. A mask was held to my face as the new stranger raced to the door with me cradled in its arms. I couldn’t see much out of the mask but from how large of arms this person had I could assume it was a man, his rubbery uniform felt surprisingly cool despite the circumstances. The man ran through the doorway and out into the real world, where the sun was shining and the birds sang in tune with the sirens. It was as if the world truly did not care that my life had just been burnt to the ground, not that I was too teary eyed about it. The blinding sun took a moment to get used to before I could evaluate the scene; although, truth be told I wouldn’t have mind not seeing what it looked like outside. As the fireman, with the name David embroidered onto his jacket, set me on the edge of a gurney I saw the faces of those who were curious and much less concerned with the state of their least favorite neighbors. They all looked like toddlers at a zoo, gawking at the misfortunate life of a caged animal. I felt like I was going to throw up, and then I really did. A paramedic came rushing over.
“Oh sweetie!” Her voice rang like a bell on a southern afternoon, “Are you alright? Let me help you on up here.” She took me off the gurney and walked me over to an ambulance. I saw my brother sitting beside it on the curb, his solemn face unnerved from the events. The woman helped me to sit in the back of the vehicle.
“I’m fine, really. No need for all the fuss.” I wasn’t used to anyone caring whether or not I had puked my guts out.
“Oh darlin’, you are about as thick as a beanpole!” She smiled at me, “Heaving all that up must’ve been just about all you ate today. You gonna get sick if you don’t get any fluids in you.” She started fiddling with a bag and some tubes when she heard my mother. You always hear that women before you see her.
“Sweet pea, I will be right back.” The women set the bag down and headed in the direction of the haggard women being carried by not one, but two firemen onto the lawn. Her disheveled clothes made her look like a woman who’d be accused of witchcraft. My brother slowly stood and ambled over to her. He grabbed her right arm, such a creature of habit, and then hoisted her over his shoulders with ease. To my disappointment he placed her in the ambulance next to me.
“They burned the house!” She started to screech, “They burned everything! I was bailing water from the tub when they took me! They TOOK me!” She started to flail around as paramedics tried to hold her still to examine her. I stared at her, she looked like a child refusing to go to bed. I shook my head.
I will never be like you.
I started to move away when the adrenaline finally died from my brain and I became fully aware of how bad my legs hurt.
“Come on sweet pea.” The paramedic was back and with a man dressed in the same uniform. He lifted me up and took me to another ambulance. The woman, whose name tag read Mary, closed up the back of the ambulance. As we drove off I focused only on the burning house. Maybe this was a good sign; because, now I had nothing connecting me to this place. My chains had been burned and I was free.