I have some days off this week, so I'm uploading what I can, when I can!
Hurting Hands
Into the inferno
He ran. Suit blazer in one hand, phone in the other.
"Miroku!" He heard Sango shouting his name as he ran, but for once, didn't care. Approaching the main road, he swung his legs over the thin iron barrier and ran across two lanes, narrowly missing a BMW. He knew what was going on. Nathan had found out, and he'd taken it out on Christine. God dammit! Why did he have to be so self-absorbed? He wouldn't even be going if it weren't for Sango! He knew he never should have fallen for her. Thoughts raced through his head as he finally made it up to Lower Sty road, and stopped briefly to lift the phone to his ear again.
"Please pick up Christine, please pick up..." Again, nothing, and he flipped it shut, smashing it onto the floor below him.
"Dammit!" His heart raced. He couldn't tell for sure how far Nathan would go, but the fact that Christine had sent him the text, had given him enough reason to think Nathan had completely lost it. Frankly, he was worried for Christine's life. As he reached the garage, he suddenly had to stop to blink tears out of his eyes. Something was making them sting, and he rubbed his eyes roughly.
"For gods sake I don't need this!" He spat, wiping away tears. He coughed, before suddenly standing up straight, and trying to focus his eyes. Except he couldn't. Smoke had somewhat been lingering in the air, and Miroku's sensitive eyes had immediately reacted, consequently blurring his vision. He swore, and reached out for the garage wall, making his way along to Ford Drive. Finally reaching the corner, he stopped. Even through watery eyes, he could clearly make out the mansion he called home, engulfed in flames. His breath caught in his lungs, and his body stood rigid, watching as a number of around eight firemen tried to douse the flames, some standing just as tense as he. The entire house had been surrounded by flames, some of the windows smashed. Miroku could just make out the thin piece of burning material hanging from his charred curtain rail, swaying from what was once his bedroom window. Miroku didn't know whether it was the sudden gust of wind that got him running again, or the sudden shock of an ice cold tear, sliding down his burning cheek.
"Oh Jesus...no!" His legs moving at incredible speed, he nearly reached the house, just as a strong arm stopped him, and held him back.
"Son! It's too dangerous in there!" A rough voice shouted. Miroku, his vision still hazy, turned to see a large fireman, still in his gas mask, looking down at him. Miroku tried to escape, clawing at the man's arm.
"My mum's in there! Please, just let me help her!" He shouted, tears now streaming down his face. The sting of cold tears again his face, now burning from the heat of the roaring flames was almost unbearable for Miroku. The fireman tried to hold him back, but once distracted by a loud crash, he let Miroku go, and suddenly wished he hadn't. He darted from the man's grip, and sprinted into the garden, looking to his left. His heart stopped. One side of the house had seemingly collapsed, and landed in a pile, crushing the garden fence. Gathering what courage he had left, he turned back to look for something to cover his mouth, and in a split second made out the faces of Sango, Kagome, InuYasha and Hachi, standing behind a fire truck. Sango looked as if she was crying. Kagome already was. He suddenly remembered his blazer, and cupped it over his mouth, and ignoring the protests of the men outside, took a step into the house.
...
It was suprisingly dark in the house. Despite not thinking straight, Miroku at least expected there to be some sort of light from the flames. He knew his way around the house though, and darted for the living room. He quickly retreated though, when a back draft hit him. He swung the charred door back out of his face, and winced at the heat. His skin felt like it was burning, and he wasn't sure whether it was or not. Wary of the firemen that may have gone after him, he kicked what looked like a broken wooden beam out of his path, and made straight for the kitchen, which was seemingly unharmed by the flames. He lifted the blazer from his mouth.
"CHRISTINE!" He shouted, his voice cracking under the sudden intake of smoke.
"CHRISTINE ANSWER ME!" He furiously wiped tears from his face, and ran to the sink, soaking his blazer in the water, and draping it over his face. He shuddered at the sudden coldness against his skin, and quickly came to his senses. His eyes were still stinging, but he refused to let any more tears fall. Stumbling back into the hall, he looked towards the landing, and his heart leapt. Slowly walking towards the stairs, he noticed a body draped across the steps. One arm had been draped over the bodies face, and, petrified, Miroku kicked it back. He gasped.
"Nathan!" He whispered. The charred face of his abuser lay upright, his face twisted in amazing agony. He was dead. Miroku's chest heaved, and he quickly brushed the man aside, staggering into the bathroom.
"CHRISTINE!" His voice rose a pitch higher, and tears once again started to flow down his face as he made out the haggard from of his mother, huddled at the base of the bath. She was shivering, she was scared, and she was alive. Miroku, despite everything, found himself smiling, and he slowly made his way through the smoke filled room, and reached out for her.
"M...Miroku..." She stammered. He turned the shower on, crying out in pain as he realised how hot the metal had become from the heat. The water drenched them both, and he was grateful for the sudden relief.
"Mum! Get out of there! Come on, were going now, you'll be okay..." He reassured her. Wrapping the blazer around her, he suddenly found it increasingly hard to breath, and broke into a coughing fit. Christine held him upright, and begged for him to get out of the house. A couple of seconds passed, and Miroku looked up, seeing the large frame of a man standing at the door.
"Are you okay?" He shouted. It was a fireman. Christine clasped Miroku's hand and dragged him forward, his blazer now in front of her mouth as she coughed. The fireman in turn lead the way, looking out for signs of danger. Halfway down the stairs, Christine suddenly lost Miroku's hand, and she turned, reaching out for him. He was gone. In fact, in their haste to get down the steep stairway, Christine hadn't even noticed the first floor give in beneath him. She screamed, and clawed her way across the rubble that covered the huge drop Miroku had fallen down into.
"Miroku! Oh my God, no!" She wept, and broke into another coughing fit as the firemen dragged her back out of the house, just as the doorway collapsed behind them.
...
"MIROKU!" Sango screamed, her voice horse from her sobbing. She'd seen the blurred black figure race up the stairs, and she'd seen him stagger past a window. Then the first floor gave in. She prayed, hoping he had already gotten to the door, as tears stained her face. Upon seeing Christine being dragged from the house, and held against the garden floor, she hadn't caught sight of Miroku. Then the doorway collapsed. The shrill screams of Christine told Sango what she'd feared most. Miroku. He was dead!
...
The top part of the first floor had literally caved in on itself, and it was fairly obvious the second floor would follow in a matter of minutes. Smoke had now filled the entire house, and from somewhere behind him, he could here a hissing sound. Miroku moved. His eyes shot open, and for a second, thought he was dead. No, he reminded himself, his body suddenly shuddering in agony, he was still alive. Unfortunately. He moved again, and shouted out in pain. After he'd felt the vibrations under his feet, he knew what was coming next, and had let go of Christine's hand so she wouldn't come crashing down with him. Just in time. He'd barely hit the floor, before he heard her screaming. No doubt they'd made it out though, he'd made sure of that when the floor had collapsed, and the worst of the fire had been crushed to ashes. There was no sign of light, however. Miroku didn't even know where he was. Most probably the kitchen, judging by the amount of smashed glass that lay underneath his outstretched body. He took it as the patio window, and felt a sudden rush of hope as a cold wind hit his legs. Sucking in his breath, he moved again, biting his lip to prevent from screaming in pain.
Lying on his stomach, he figured that he'd actually fallen in a good position. The first floor had caved in, but he had been on the staircase at the time, meaning he hadn't been completely crushed. Now, he was currently lying underneath a pile of rubble, and what appeared to be the charred remains of his bed, wardrobe, and chester draws. He cursed, bending his leg upwards, trying to heave his back up to sit on his hands and knees. It was still completely dark, but could make out his hands, and some of the floor beneath him. Moving his arms around, his palms knocked away bloodied shards of glass, and his fingers found something cold and stiff. His eyes suddenly fixated on Nathan again, and he froze, his fingers still lightly brushing the crusted tip of Nathan's rigid shoulders.
"God damn you." He whispered, and with one, excruciating manoeuvre, swung himself round to kick the charred human away from him. He saw the hard metal of a lighter, and heard it clank onto the floor, now free from Nathan's hands. Tears once again dribbled down his cheek, and dropped onto his now exposed chest. His white shirt had been torn to rags, and dreaded to thing how much of his lower body was now bare. Now facing what he thought was the back of the house, he lifted himself, and started to claw his way across the floor. About a metre away, he thought he could see the side of the kitchen sink, and slowly put his head down, and, baring the pain, pressed on.
The thought hadn't occurred to Miroku, in the midst of pain and fear, that once the first floor had collapsed, the second was now unstable. Within minutes, it'd be crashing down under the strain. He only heard the familiar sound of stone scraping against stone, and the vibrations once again sending shock-waves through him, and knew this time-he probably wouldn't survive.
Muhahah, were you expecting that? No, me neither, but still...hope you liked!
Please R&R!