Chapter 2 - The Breathing Fire
I tried to scream, but the smoke in my lungs turned it into a pathetic wheeze.
The intruder stopped in the middle of the kitchen, his dark eyes locking onto my fragile, collapsed form.
He slowly set the gasoline can down on the hardwood floor.
The roaring flames outside the window cast dancing, demonic shadows across his masked face.
I pressed my back against the cabinets, trying to shield my belly with my arms.
The dispatcher was still shouting through the dropped phone on the floor, asking if anyone was there.
The masked man stepped on my phone, crushing the screen beneath his heavy steel-toed boot.
The line went dead, leaving me entirely alone with a monster.
He reached into his dark jacket and pulled out a silver crowbar.
I knew I was going to die right there on the kitchen floor.
I closed my eyes and prayed that whatever happened, my baby would not feel any pain.
Instead of striking me, the man turned suddenly and smashed the crowbar through the locked pantry door.
He grabbed a heavy wool blanket from the bottom shelf and threw it over my head.
Before I could process what was happening, he scooped me up into his arms like I weighed nothing.
He carried me out the broken back door, sprinting through the burning backyard toward the dense woods.
The heat was unbearable, blistering my exposed skin through the thick blanket.
I heard the agonizing groan of our cabin's roof collapsing entirely, right where I had just been sitting.
The man kept running, navigating the treacherous, flaming brush with unnatural precision.
He finally reached a muddy creek bed at the bottom of the ravine, far from the immediate blaze.
He set me down gently in the shallow water, pulling the blanket away from my face so I could breathe the cooler air.
I gasped aggressively, my lungs burning as I stared up at him.
I begged him to tell me who he was and why he had gasoline in my house.
He did not say a word.
He simply reached into his pocket, pulled out a thick, sealed envelope, and dropped it into my lap.
Then he turned around and sprinted back into the raging wildfire, disappearing completely into the flames.
I tore open the envelope with trembling, ash-stained fingers.
Inside was a high-resolution photograph of Brett and Tessa, kissing in a restaurant.
May you like
Printed on the back of the photo in bold red ink were three words.
They were meant to burn with you.
