Sorry about not doing the chapter thing. I really shouldn't be online right now. I have a gov't test, but I wanted to post it. I promise that when I post the next chapter it'll be in that format. I know it probably doesn't take too long to learn, but eh...I'll figure out later...
This chapter is kinda short...well it's just shorter then the others I have written. I was just able to reach a good stopping point fairly quickly and I did not want to go into too much description, or jump back. This chapter is full of symbolism...we're studying it...I decided to incorporate it yadda yadda. So it might seem a little dull if you don't like that deep stuff.
You thought that was an evil cliffhanger?! You should have seen the won I was going to use, heh it was even worse. The next chapter has a very bad cliffhanger (not this one but chapter 4) I'll give you that warning.
Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are the greatest...
Sick of me rambling? Without further ado here is the 3rd chapter of 'The Fire'
Disclaimer: I don't own HA! (Gah, these are so stupid and pointless...)
Chapter 3: Lurking in the Darkness
Arnold gave the girl a quizzical look as she stood there, still holding his shirt firmly. Her blue eyes glared down at him fiercely almost like the fire itself. Just a minute ago she had been thanking him for saving her life and now she wish he hadn't? It didn't make any sense. Unless...
*"Now we're both going to those pearly gates in the sky and I'm going to be guilty of bringing about the death of an innocent boy who had no reason to die, who should be standing outside in the cold air huddled with his friends, watching the school being burned to ashes. Why couldn't you for once in your life stop caring so much for everyone else and think about yourself for your own idiotic sake?"*
Helga felt her heart rate begin to increase. Oh curse her big mouth! Now her beloved was staring at her with the strangest look in those jellybean green eyes of his. He couldn't know, could he? He couldn't have figured it out...right?
"Helga..." he began softly, trying to phrase his words so they would make sense. "You wish I didn't come back for you because you don't want me to die?" His voice was hushed and calm almost as if he had forgotten about the circumstances around him, and how close death was, that both could almost feel the Grim Reaper's cold breath on their neck, and see his black hood blowing in the breeze.
The girl opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She dropped the boy easily, turning away so he could not see her face. She felt faint. The world seemed to spin around her: lost images of flames, smoke, and of Arnold reaching his hands down to keep her from falling floated in her mind.
She wondered if the smoke had filled up her lungs already, or if because Arnold might know her deepest, darkest secret that she felt her eyes flutter. She wished so much for unconsciousness to take her out of this nightmare. Helga reached out to grab something to keep herself from falling as she felt her legs gave way, but nothing was there.
Green eyes studied the girl, watching the back of her pink dress, scrutinizing her every move. Her words continued to echo in his mind. Did she really care that much about him that she would have preferred him to not come back at all so he would live?
A hesitant smile formed on his lips. Helga had a good side no matter how much she consistently denied it; there was not a single doubt that lingered in that football-head of his.
Arnold was trying to decide what he should do next when he noticed something peculiar. Helga was swaying back and forth, her arms flapping almost as if she was reaching out to grab a lifesaving rope to pull her to safety. Had she lost it? Arnold watched as the girl began to fall and he reacted instantly. Stretching his arms out and dashing towards her, he caught her before she hit the tiled floor.
Her eyes were closed and her skin despite the burns on them and the redness from the scorching heat appeared lucid. Her body was limp, like life had been sucked out of it.
"Helga?" The boy trembled, his whole body beginning to shake with an increasing intensity. He pushed away a few wisps of blonde hair that were sticking to his sweaty face.
In the distance he could hear the sounds of the fire, the flames crackling, the beams collapsing, the glass shattering, and further away he could make out the soft call of the sirens. But above all what he heard that deafened his ears was the silence that came from the girl. Her lips tightly shut and her skin a ghostly pale.
"Helga, wake-up! Please, Helga, you have to wake-up!" the nine-year old began to cry out, making vain attempts of waking his companion. He shook the girl, but to no avail, she refused to open her fiery blue eyes to greet his.
For the first time in his entire life, he did not know what to do, what to say, or even what to think. His mind drew a blank. He wondered how he could have spent so much of his life helping others out, giving advice, supporting them through dark times and not know what to do in this crisis. He had no advice to give to himself, and there was no one there to console him.
He continued to shake her, pressing his hands against her shoulders, wishing that she would just open her eyes, wishing that everything would just be alright, just like it was less than an hour ago. He placed her cold body gently down on the tiled floor of the hallways.
Slowly he reached out to let his hand touch her cheek, tracing the scars and the burns that were consequent of the fire. He shuddered at the iciness from the touch of her skin. Silently to himself he made a vow.
*'It's either the both of us get out together, or neither of us do.'*
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"What's going on in there?" a deep voice thought out loud.
"I wish I could tell you, son," replied an even deeper voice. Gerald's parents stood behind him. His mother was caressing his shoulders lovingly, thankful that her baby was safe. The boy, who had always boosted about his reputation of being one of the coolest kids in PS 118, no longer cared what people thought of him for at least the time being. Letting his parents show their affection for him openly in public, he did not mind who saw him, or what they might say.
Gerald turned to the scene before him. Those brick walls that were collapsing seemed to be a barrier, an impenetrable force field he could not cross. A tear trickled down his cheek. He should have stopped Arnold from going in, if only Mr. Simmons had been notified of either child's absence sooner then maybe...
He could feel his mother wrap her arms around him in a crushing embrace. The tears continued to spill down his cheek. Maybe if something had been done they would be out here right now, arguing as they always did, Helga with her loud mouth: full of insults and Arnold with his sincerity and honesty.
He was going to loose the best friend he ever had. A friend like Arnold did not come around that often, he was a once in a lifetime type of amigo. They still hadn't done everything they planned to do together. They were supposed to go fishing this week-end, and they had decided to spend summer vacation together, hanging out at the pool, playing baseball.
And what about the years to come...when they got their driver's license, their first french kiss, their prom, their graduation? The two of them had plans...why did some stupid fire have to ignite and burn their future together like it was worth no more than a single piece of scrap paper?
Gerald gritted his teeth. This was all Helga's fault. If she had not gone inside the building in the first place then none of this would be happening. Then the dark boy felt a slight twinge at his heart. He knew he should not be blaming Helga for this and even if she was the cause. She was paying for her mistake dearly with her precious life and Arnold's as well. Letting a strong compassion win him over, he regretted every rude remark he ever made to the pig-tailed girl.
He closed his dark, brown eyes. Wanting more than anything else to hear those two voices again, even Helga's. He wondered if he would ever hear her call him 'Tall-hair-boy' again. The fire seemed to answer his inquiry in a unanimous cry of 'no!'.
The 9-year-old boy shivered. The wind had suddenly picked up and blew strongly, if there were trees in the city they would be tossing wildly in the air. The people along the street huddled together for warmth and comfort. Gerald gazed out into the street; his dark eyes scanning for his classmates whom he had lost
in the pandemonium when they were forced to move back from the building.
He recognized Phoebe's small and delicate body. Her red-headed mother was clutching her tightly, running fingers through her daughter's black hair. Phoebe was in near hysterics. Her voice choked with sobs.
Not bearing to watch the poor girl suffer any longer, Gerald turned away to see Stinky, Sid, and Harold. They were standing side by side. Gerald could hear their voices over the sirens, shouts, and flames as the wind carried the sound to his ears.
"I'm confused," began Stinky, scratching his head. "Why did Arnold go after Helga? She doesn't even like him."
"I don't know," replied Harold, reaching down to take a bite of the donuts he had brought for the excursion to the roof for stargazing. Feeling guilty over his friend's predicament, he thought better of it and forced himself not to eat any more of the sugary sweets. "You know Helga's not all that bad when she's not screaming at you."
Sid gave him a quizzical look, his eyes narrowing at his large friend. "And how would you know?" he asked, his voice high and curious as if he was accusing Harold of committing some horrendous crime.
"Well me and Helga missed the bus on that field trip to the chocolate factory. She loves wrestling, but you know that already. Anyone who likes Wrestlemania is okay even if she can act like a Madame Fortress Mommy sometimes," Harold rejoined with a shrug. He was somewhat surprised at himself. He was sticking up for Helga? They could hardly stand each other.
"Are you saying that you like-like Helga?" The hot-dog-nosed boy's voice taunted Harold. Even in times of grave seriousness Sid could find a way to make fun of someone. "Cause if you do, boy howdy..."
"I do not!" snapped Harold immediately. Then he glanced back at the burning building where the two classmates were trapped inside. He reconsidered. "I mean...I don't know...I don't want her to die..." He was bewildered by both his actions and his words. "Gah, Sid, you're confusing me! You'd better shut-up, or I'll pound you!" The large boy shook his fists while the small child gulped nervously.
Suddenly, a crashing sound split the frigid air; a piece of ignited wood was sent into the velvety sky. People scattered as the piece came fulminating down on the concrete, awfully close to where the string-haired boy stood. He shrieked like a little girl while Harold ran off crying for his Mommy.
Sid recovered enough to stare down at the piece of wood only a few feet from him as the flames on it slowly began to die. The mix of yellow, orange, red, and a glint of blue reflected in his wide eyes still full of consternation. He glanced back at the school.
That school...that structure...he had grown up in it with the kids that he had become so close to. An uncontrollable impulse came over him as he broke down sobbing, letting his entire fragile body shake. He cried for how he was going to loss that cherished school, the end of a carefree childhood, and above all the almost certain fall of two unfortunate children.
Gerald shook his head with a sigh. Everyone was breaking down, giving themselves up to grief and tears, something they hardly ever did. His legs were beginning to hurt and he wondered if he should sit down on the pavement. Thinking better of it, he opted to stand.
He glanced up at the sky. It was dark and still covered with clouds. He narrowed his eyes. Dumb old, Mr. Simmons. If he had not dragged the class back to school to study the stars when there were none, everything would be alright.
The boy let out a deep sigh, letting his lungs fill with the evening air, although containing some smoke, was still fairly fresh. He knew he could 'what if' all he wanted and still not change anything. It was the past now, but he could not help, but feel a strong sensation of regret. Perhaps if someone had done something differently.... The boy shook his head firmly. *'What's done is done...' * He thought to himself, repeating the phrase over and over again in his mind. *'What's done is done, what's done is done...'*
The boy found his eyes staring up at the heavens above him. He could be not help but ponder whether or not Arnold was there already. Then in the corner of one of his eyes he saw something sparkle. Blinking in disbelief, he continued to stare up at the sky.
Behind the misty clouds that had been lurking the entire evening, a small glittering object could be depicted. It was difficult to see: one had to squint his or her eyes to make out the coruscating light that had been so carefully hidden by clouds. Gerald's dark eyes widened as he could see the star shining brighter with every second that passed.
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C'est la Fin!
Okay now here are some random notes:
~Offcentre- hmm...sure I'd like a beta reader (BTW- what exactly is it?) Oh and thanks...heh I did not catch that grammar error, it was supposed to be a ';'
~The next part is in the writing process could be up as soon as tomorrow or as late as two or three weeks from now. As always it depends on its demand, school, and junk...
~Do you like it? Do you hate it? Too boring? I wanted to add some kind of symbol in the story...the next chapter if everyone wants one will probably have less symbolism and focus on the plot more.
I'll post the next part as long as people still enjoy reading it (regardless of people's opinions I'll probably still finish the story, though I probably won't bother posting it if no one wants me to continue).
So it's up to you guys and gals for whether or not you want me to continue posting the next parts... Constructive Criticism as long as it's helpful is accepted gratefully.