I shifted my arms and pushed up, arching my sore back. Bad move. I howled in pain as burning cinders spilled onto my back, making the fabric of my shirt melt and stick to my skin. My arms trembled and I fell to my stomach again, the heat of the flames making me woozy. Another cry of pain left my lips as part of a plank broke off and fell on my hand, flames still licking at the charred wood. I quickly withdrew my hand, swearing softly as the flesh where the wood touched was raw and angry.
"This isn't working," I murmured, gasping for breath and instead getting a mouthful of ash. I coughed again and felt the searing pain of more cinders falling on me. "I can't die..." I coughed, remembering my brother, Alfonse, was somewhere in the crowds of fleeing people, maybe even crying out for me as desperately as my heart cried out for him.
Shakily, I put my arms in front of me and tried to pull myself forward. I felt the wood shift behind me, and I knew it wanted to collapse on me, too. I coughed again, falling into a fit as the smoke choked me. I felt something wet, and I thought I had just coughed up some phlegm trapped in my lungs. But the taste...My eyes widened and I pulled my hand back to look at my hand. Blood splashed across my palm like red ink. I had a vivid flash of seeing Alfonse do the same thing once, and for the first time since the crash, fear surged through me. The wave of terror was so strong, I was afraid it would leave me too weak to escape.
I pulled myself forward more, carefully freeing my waist. Now, it would just be my legs to get out. Come on, Ed, I thought. Do it for Al...Do it for Dad...I noticed a gap in the wood planks they were under; the boards criss-crossed. It wasn't a large gap, but any gap helped. I rolled over onto my back, cringing in pain as the burns on my back brushed against the dirt road. "Alright, let's try this..." I jerked my legs back, or more of tried to. They moved a bit, but another scream of pain left me. They must be broken, I thought. Great. I clamped my eyes shut, wanting so much to cry from the mind-numbing pains. I prayed hard than ever that the wood would not collapse again. If God was real, now would be a choice time for him to prove it.
"Help me!" I cried out desperately, my voice cracking with smoke. Knowing my legs wouldn't cooperate, I moved my arms behind me, shut my eyes, and pulled back. My legs moved back, and the boards trembled but did not fall. I felt a faint trickle of hope at that, and I repeated this new method. Again, my legs pulled out a little and again the boards trembled but did not fall. However, my heart thudded. My feet were pointed up, and I knew I could not pull them without hitting the wood. Now was the moment of truth. Ready, God? Here's your test, I thought determinedly, glaring up at the heavens veiled with smoke.
I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled. Cinders showered over me as my toes clunked against the wood. I threw my arms up over my face, but the burns hurt just as badly. A few still managed to strike my face, but that didn't matter. My legs were broken, but that didn't matter either. My legs were free. I was free. I was broken, burned, and bleeding, but I was free, dammit. I rolled back onto my stomach and pulled myself across the road, yearning for the sweet relief the cool grass would bring.
I knew I was doomed as I slumped on the dew-coated grass. I lay there, panting from my efforts, and shut my eyes. God had lied, I thought bitterly. I still got hurt, all over there were burns from the scalding embers and scrapes from the merciless, stony dirt road. He didn't protect me at all...Alfonse...I could still here people screaming from the other zeppelins attacking. Let someone find me, I thought. Anyone, even if they kill me. End the pain...