"Lizzie! Lizzie where are you?" Alice gagged on black smoke. She looked around. It was becoming hard to breathe. She wandered throughout her bedroom wondering what had woken her this time. It wasn't a usual nightmare. Her little sister was nowhere to be seen.
Fire filled her vision. Alice knew she had to get out of the burning house.
As she ran from her room she cried out again, "Lizzie!" No answer. "Mother! Father!" again no answer. All Alice could see was smoky darkness and the tongues of orange flame. She coughed and sputtered. She had to get out. Alice dropped to the floor, and crawled under the rising smoke. It was to slow. Her dress dragged behind her, pulling her down. It was covered in soot with many tears. She had to get out.
It grew increasingly hard to breathe. Jumping up she struggled down the stairs and ran for the door. The walls in the corridor seemed to be closing in, threatening to crush her. Over the crackle of the bright flames, Alice could hear wood splitting. A beam fell. Barely avoided the burning stump, she dodged the greedy tongues that lashed out at her. She could just barely see the bright stars, so peacefully dotting the inky blackness. As she gazed through the hall window, she turned back. Where was her family? Alice knew this wasn't a dream, yet it seemed surreal and distant from reality. A spark hit her wrist causing her to flinch. She snapped back into action and continued to run.
Faster and faster. Passing rooms that were as black as night. One foot in front of the other, her body was controlled by an invisible force. She had reached the foyer. Fumbling for the knob, Alice burst through the front door, and continued to run. She staggered and tripped over fell beams and gnarled roots. She heard a distant noise, an ear piercing buzz. When she finally hit the top of the nearby hill, she stopped. Her legs gave in and knees buckled. She hit the ground hard. The grass was comforting. She grabbed at the earth and scurried backwards. The severity of what had happened dawned on her. With her back to a tree she ran her hand over the lush green. Finally her vision cleared and she once again had control over her movement.
Alice blinked out the leftover smog, her eyes burned. It took all the strength she could muster to hoist herself up into a sitting position. Her head hurt like it would implode, her skull would shatter. She heard the buzz again. This time it was more audible. But it wasn't a buzz, instead it was screaming. She stood and looked out over her burning home. She could see a small body pass the hallway window. The body was a dark, frail, shadow against bright orange and yellow flames.
"Lizzie, can you hear me?" Alice shouted out to her little sister gagging on smoke. Two more shadows appeared. They stretched out their arms and wrapped themselves around their youngest daughter.
"Mother! Father!" They collapsed to their knees, clinging on to what they had left, as they gave up all hope. Alice heard a horrible crack, the roof caved in and walls fell down. She watched in horror as the burning debris crashed down on her family. She was devastated. Diverting her eyes she began to cry. The last thing Alice saw were the dreaded orange tongues and black smoke as they swallowed everything she ever knew and loved.