Burning!

By Kimberley Bonham

After a very long and tiring day of work, I remembered that I had to call my mum. I input the number, rang it and held the phone to my ear.

"Mum?" I asked when someone picked up.

"Oh my, Bree. It's lovely here, you have to come visit."

"What? Well it's good that your having a good time," I sighed.

"A great time. It's beautiful, historic, amazing. And the house, you haven't seen the new house yet!" My mothers voice screeched down the phone.

"Well, I have work and I'll come and visit soon. You know how I love the volcanoes." I sighed. I hadn't seen my mother since I was seventeen, I did miss her but I was so tied up at work these days.

"Bree, please. If you do this for me, I'll do whatever you want."

I laughed.

"You're starting to sound like Laura. Anyway, I will try but if I cant get this holiday, don't moan at me." I cautioned.

"Yes. Thank you Bree, I got to go now so I'll see you in a month or so,"

"Mum-Stop getting your hopes up."

"Love you, bye." She hung up before I even had chance to say goodbye. I mentally kicked myself, I should of known my mother would do that.

I breathed in and walked to my bosses desk.

"Melody, do you know that there was that week holiday," I said my voice a little shaky.

"Sure Bree, you can have it." she smiled gently.

"Really?" I asked, unsure if I was daydreaming. She nodded.

"Well, Thanks. I'll guess I'll see you later." I waved as she waved back. That was easy. Incredibly easy. I did it, I'm going on holiday. Whoa! All I have to do now is the plane ticket.

*****1 month later, at the airport.*****

"Yes, I'm about to board the plane. I've got to go, bye mum." I shoved the phone into my back pocket and walked up to the gate. I boarded the plane and started to feel quite nervous. I had never been on a plane, on my own before. Suddenly a young lady came up to me, she asked to see what number I was, I showed her my ticket.

"Just down there, on the left." she directed.

"Thank you," I said and began to squeeze throw the other passengers.

"Amy, sit down were be there in a minute." ordered the mother.

The little girl did as she was told and sat down, she looked at me so I smiled.

-smack-!

I had hit something. I rubbed my head and looked up to meet a pair or dark blue eye's, the man held out his hand. I took it and he helped me up.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." he apologized.

"S 'okay" I whispered.

"My names Diego." he said, Trying to make peace. I smiled.

"Bree," the way I said my name was weird, I didn't like it.

"Do you want the window seat or the other one?" he asked kindly. I get a choice? Cool.

"Window seat, please." He smiled warmly at me. I quickly sat down and he took the seat next to me.

"Where you heading?" he quizzed.

"I'm going to visit Vesuvius then visit my family." I explained.

He laughed. "Same."

I liked Diego, he was kind and a gentleman. He had dark brown curly hair which looked like it was styled by a professional and midnight sky eye's.

He went through all the facts and simple little comments about a couple of volcanoes and Pompeii, I like his story voice so I listened eagerly when he dramatically leaned forward.

"The first breath was like swallowing a mass of fire" he continued slowly. "the second was like there was cement running down your throat." again he paused for effect,

"The third breath breath is deadly, when you gasp, it blocks your airways, making it impossible to breath-" His voice was low and distant. My eye's were burning with excitement, at how much I was involved.,

"-and the forth breath. Well there is no forth breath." He laughed. I was so captured in his story telling that I was practically falling out my seat into his. I jumped back and laughed with him.

"Did you know it's the shock that kills you not the actual Lava." he stated matter of factly.

"That's so cool," I said. He smiled and agreed.

"Many people died from the serge cloud though," he quickly added.

"I wish I knew as much as you, I would love to know all the stuff in your head." he laughed at my comment. I smiled cheekily again, I had never been so enthusiastic in my life.

The Plane ride was long according to some other passengers, to me and Diego, well it wasn't long enough in our point of view.

"I studied geography at school, that's why I know so much. I'm actually a journalist so I guess you can see why I came here." he exclaimed. I nodded

"I did want to take it for a a level, but I was easily stressed and I had already taken sociology, physiology,graphics and English lit."

He smiled understandingly, I quickly changed the subject.(I didn't like talking about my self.)

"Have you ever been to Pompeii or to visit Vesuvius? I haven't" I asked.

"Yes, It's beautiful and fascinating. It's big and sort of -"He tried to describe it with his hands, but it just made me confused. I didn't tell him that though.

There was an announcement then, from the captain saying we would be landing in a couple of minutes. I looked out the window and lost my concentration.

"Hey you know you said you were going to visit Vesuvius, are you going with anyone?" he asked politely. I shook my head.

"Do you want to go with me?, or me go with you or whatever," he said.

"Oh, yes please, I would love to have an expert with me." I laughed as he blushed a light pink. I drew in a big gulp of breath.

"That's good,Thanks. Oh are you okay?, it's your first time flying isn't it?" he guessed. I nodded and closed my eye's.

"Here have some of this, It'll help." He suggested.

"Thanks," I took the water bottle, unscrewed the lip and took several big gulps of water. I didn't realize how thirsty I was.

"Thanks again." I said, refusing to open my eye's.

It took thirty minutes for the plane to land.

It took thirty minutes of raged breathing, thirty minutes of Diego worrying like mad, thirty minutes of grabbing his hand every time I mentally thought we were about to crash. To my luck he didn't complain, in fact he rubbed soothing circles into the palm of my hand to try and make me feel better. I don't like planes, starting now! My hand was sweating like mad beneath his, but he still didn't complain.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a while. I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Well you can open your eye's now we've landed," Diego informed me. I reluctantly open my eye's and sighed a sigh of relief. I let out the breath I was holding. I was fine.

We left the plane and collected our luggage when we got to car park he pulled out his keys and unlocked his car. I was confused but didn't say anything. I got in the car and pointed to the left.

"Right Vesuvius is that way." I said.

"No, It's this way" he disagreed. Was he serious Vesuvius was that way and I knew it!

"No it's that way, because the towns that way." I stated.

"Bree,"

"Diego," I was not backing out of this. I know I'm right.

"Fine but if we get lost, you owe me a reward." he challenged, then turned to wink. I just rolled my eye's. I couldn't believe how much I trusted this man.

We continued to drive down the street where we came across a sign saying 'Vesuvius, this way'.

"Diego..."

"I know, I know. You win, I lose. I owe you a service of gratitude." He said sulkily. I couldn't help but laugh. I did feel a little sorry for him, but that soon vanished when we got to Vesuvius.

He parked into a empty space and cut the engine. I leapt out the car and stared in wonder at the beautiful mount of rock piled high into the wind.

"Excited much?" He asked sarcastically. I laughed.

"Thanks for bringing me here, it's brilliant!" the excitement showed as the words left my mouth in a bubble of rush.

"Your welcome. Come on, lets go this way." He suggested.

"Sure!" I bounced off after him. I slowed down

For that second, I felt a sense of danger flow over me, something was wrong. Very wrong!

After exploring the volcano, writing down some notes and taking loads of pictures. We slowed down. I coughed and smelt something revolting, it literally burned my nose.

"Diego,something is wrong," I whispered. He nodded.

"I'm just going to talk to that guide, see if he knows anything, you stay here." He said.

He looked at the guide and back to my worried face.

"Bree, run. We got to go." He ordered. I ran a little bit, but the floor began to shake. "No..." I whispered, mainly to myself.

A burning avalanche began to fall and the little girl from the plane was on the floor, quivering and gasping for air. I ran over to her and gasped when I saw she was alive. I picked her up and tried my hardest to run. I got to Diego and handed him the girl, he put her in the van and turned to me.

"Come on, we've got to go." I coughed violently. Many people a couple of feet ahead, were falling to the ground. The little girl looked terrified as did Diego. I coughed again, noticing that it felt like I couldn't breath. I tried to shake it off my taking a deep breath but it felt like my throat was getting blocked. The little girl was staring at me.

"Get in!" I croaked she did as she was told.'-and the forth breath. Well there is no forth breath.' Diego's words ran around my brain. Diego grabbed my arms, and I did the biggest mistake of my life, I gasped and felt the last breath of oxygen leave my body. I fell to the ground and that was it...

I knew what had happened. My name is Bree Tanner. I was born 16 May 1992 and died 2 June 2010. I was 18 years of age and I saved someone's life at the expense of my own. I had committed suicide by accident, by not thinking. No one could of survived, we probably all died of breathing in the toxic gas. We all died and no one could stop it. It was a force of nature, I had died naturally.

Suddenly a burning coursed through my brains, I was on fire.

The volcano must have erupted because pain was inflicted all over my body. I let out a sharp scream. It was worse then death. If anyone killed me now, I would be so grateful. Several more screams and whimpers left my lips. The person who caused this pain would die. I demanded revenge for my burning body. When I die, I will haunt the person who did this.

Slowly, so slowly I didn't even know if It was my imagination. Some of the pain stated to weaken slightly. It became weaker through out every long second. It made me feel the very tips of my fingertips. Then I waited...