I do not own any of the characters. Rated M just in case. This story has some language and violent themes. I hope you guys like it :)
Chapter 1
Anne had been in the dressing rooms at the back of the building when the fire started. She had tried to join the others to flee the fire but had found her exit blocked by the searing flames. She could barely hear the others shouts over the fire to free the animals and get out and knew that her calls for help would not be heard over the noise. She turned around in the room and took a quick inventory of everything and all possible exits.
There was a window rather high up that she could possibly try to squeeze through. It was small and it would be a tight fit, but Anne had to make it work if she wanted to live. And living was definitely what she wanted. She had just found a real family that accepted her and WD for who they were and was finally happy. There was no way that she was giving up that easily.
The thought of Phillip Carlyle had crossed her mind. All attempts to show her his love had been a real disaster, but Anne knew how he felt about her. And as much as she wanted to ignore the fact, she could not imagine a life without him either.
Using any boxes and crates she could find, Anne tried to climb up closer and closer to the window. The flames had entered the room and started to eat their way through anything that got into their way. Anne coughed roughly. The smoke was getting unbearable and she looked longingly to the small window that was still just too high for her to reach. She would give Phillip a chance if she got out of here. No… when she got out of here.
With a fierce determination, Anne leaped into the air, grabbing hold of the thick curtain framing the window. The curtain rod creaked under the weight and Anne hoped it would hold long enough to pull herself up. At that point she was glad that her act was trapeze as it would have otherwise been impossible to pull herself to the little sill underneath the window.
She quickly grabbed hold of the little ledge and threw the window open. There was a good 5 meters drop to the ground, but Anne was used to falling higher distances and rolling just the right way to not hurt herself. She squeezed herself through the tiny opening just as the flames engulfed the curtain she had been holding onto just moments ago.
Letting go of the windowsill, Anne felt the cool air across her skin as she dropped to the ground, rolling off to the side unhurt. Quickly getting up, the young girl raced around the side of the building to join the others, hoping that everyone had gotten out alright.
Coming around the last corner of the building, she could hear frantic screams. First, she recognised her name being yelled out desperately by her brother and the others. Then she heard a quick shout go through the crowd and people yelling at someone to not go back into the flames. Anne panicked. What if WD had run back into the building for her.
She sped up and rushed around the building, leaping over discarded objects that go into her way. There was WD, being held back by Barnum and Lettie. "WD! WD I'm here!" she yelled. Barnum noticed her immediately and made her brother aware of her presence. WD turned to her and she flung her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder. WD held her in a bone crushing hug, as if he would never ever let go of his sister again, whispering words of relief into her ear.
Relief flooded through Anne's body for a brief moment until she realised that someone was missing. Phillip was nowhere to be seen and she noticed Barnum giving his family a last loving look before turning and rushing back into the building.
Anne felt as if she was choking. Tears fell from her sorrowful eyes as everyone watched what they once knew as home burn. The roof had collapsed of Barnum's Museum for the Extraordinary and there was no hope of the building ever surviving the fierce blaze that tore through it. The two city fire engines were pumping water fiercely, but to no avail. She was pressed against WDs chest, clinging to him while sobs ripped through her body. Phillip and Barnum were still inside. The building had collapsed on top of them. When she had finally decided to give the love of her life a chance to prove himself, life had taken him away from her. Suddenly a shout rang through the crowd and Anne lifted her head. A figure could be seen through the smoke and shortly after Barnum appeared with a seemingly unconscious Phillip in his arms. Another sob tore through Anne's body when she looked at the still figure in Barnum's arms.
To be continued...