Chapter 1: You Snooze You Lose

My eyes closed, my body still, and my lungs listening to my brain. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in-a new smell entered my airways. I recognized it immediately. I opened my eyes and jumped out of bed almost knocking over my nightstand. I turned the door knob, pulled the door open and there it was. Blazing at the bottom of the stairs was the fire that had awoken me. Quickly I burst into my mother and father's room. They were still sound asleep and so was my sister. I screamed,"Fire," while running to the crib. Mom sat up at once looking bewildered. She stared at me then at the door way. The fire had reached the top of the stairs. She ran and closed the door, then started to try and wake up my dad. I strapped my sister onto my chest then started down the pipe on the side of our house. As I was going down my mom was still frantically trying to wake up my dad. When my feet touched the ground I stepped back a few feet looking up. My dad was hanging out the window. Mom must have dragged him. She was trying to push him out. I saw the fire creep up behind her. Then, I remembered that we had our radiator on that night. She almost had him out-BOOM! I threw myself onto the ground holding my sister tight. My heart was beating in my ears as I turned around. My house was scattered on the dirt. I stood up and looked down. A scorched head was next to my feet. It had one pearl earring. I took it off and walked off into the woods. I knew I would never be able to sleep again.