All characters are book canon in appearance, age, and so on.
Credit to GRRM for characters and place names.
Sandor awoke, short of breath and sweating. He struggled against his sheets, shoving and kicking at the offensive linens until he was free.
He swiped damp hair from his face and swung his legs to the floor, resigning himself to another night of lost sleep. He'd grown used to it over the years.
With a sigh, he eased himself out of bed and shuffled towards his bedroom door. He'd have himself a coffee; maybe even conquer a few chapters of the book he'd gotten last week. He wasn't a fast reader, but he was an avid one.
A warm glow from the window drew his attention. He could have mistaken it for the early dawn if it hadn't shifted, flickering.
His nightmares hadn't woken him, he realized then. It was the hint of smoke that had ripped him from his sleep.
Slack-jawed and boneless, Sandor watched as the faint light grew and illuminated his sparse bedroom.
He didn't realize he was moving until his bare feet scraped against the abrasive fabric of his doormat. Outside, the air was heavier and acrid. It curled up inside his lungs,purring and kneading its claws- burning and stinging as he heaved.
There. The Stark House.
Two houses over. There were people outside. Whatever noises there might have been were lost on his slowly regressing mind.
Two houses over. There were people outside. But not the right ones.
Sandor's knees failed him.
He crawled off his porch, across his lawn and knelt there at the edge of his property. He could feel the heat, but was unsure if it came from the fire raging before him or within him. It was almost surreal. He blinked slowly, eyes already watery- from the smoke-choked air, he told himself.
What had happened?
More people outside. The Starks had managed to get out.
He watched as Mr. Stark ushered his family across the street. The man's wife was screaming, Sandor was sure of it, but no sound registered. She clutched the smallest boy and gestured wildly at the house. The two older boys, the skinny brat who liked to trespass, and the cripple boy were all dazed and silent.
Before anyone could stop him, Mr. Stark dashed back across the street and vanished into the house.
No.
No NO NO-
That man would die. The fire would take him. The fire took all.
Sandor's glassy gaze moved over the blazing house. He could feel his chest tightening as he struggled to breathe. His heart was running too quickly, tripping over itself.
Where?
His swollen, muffled mind knew something was wrong. Something was missing. A tentative wave and a polite hello fluttered weakly in an unused corner of his memory.
Something pale flashed briefly in an unscorched window.
There.
Sandor lurched to his feet. He didn't remember moving.
The fire takes all.
All
ALL OF IT
IT TAKES-
He didn't remember much of anything.