Chapter Twenty-One




Cody reached her hand up and put it on the cool metal of the top shelf, where she saw the flashlight. However, all her hand touched was metal and dust. Cody moved her hand around, fumbling for the flashlight. Her hand touched the cool rectangular metal of a gasoline container. Cody moved her hand away; it wasn't the flashlight so she had no reason to bother with it anymore. As soon as she pulled her hand away, her arm knocked the container and it fell down.
The container was uncorked so when it fell the fluid poured all over Cody as well as the floor. The fluid poured all over the surprised Cody, getting her eyes as well. Cody let out a painful cry and dropped the candle as she began rubbing at her eyes with her gasoline-covered hands. The candle hit the ground and the flame hit the fluid and burst into flames. The flames spread throughout the garage a lot faster then normal, aided by an unusual amount of lighter fluid that continued to leak from the container.
Cody could feel the flames lick her skin but she couldn't see them, she couldn't see anything; Cody began to panic. She stumbled forward and her right foot stepped right into the flames. Cody screamed in pain and fell forward; she blindly struggled to get away from the flames, lying on her back against the cool garage floor that wasn't so cool anymore.
The flames caught clothes that were in laundry baskets on fire, aiding to the spreading. The flames began to lick the ceiling, catching old, dry rafters a flame; the flames licked the garage door, scorching the wood. The garage was almost fully aflame and the house was beginning to catch afire as well. Cody begun to cry as she squirmed to get away from the flames.

Annabel had begun to hurriedly walk up and down sidewalks, hoping she could figure out which house was the right house -how she would figure it out was beyond her- but she had had no luck. Annabel let out a strangled sigh and sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, deciding to wait until Nicolas and Joshua returned, wherever they were.
Out of the corner of her eye, Annabel saw a bright light against the blackness of the sky. She turned to face the light and realized that it was fire; one of the houses was on fire.
Annabel leapt to her feet and raced toward the house, her heart leaping in her throat as she ran as fast as she could. Annabel reached the house and saw that the fire had nearly engulfed the garage; regardless of the 'danger' Annabel ran down the driveway and looked down at the closed garage door.
She bent down and grasped the metal handle, which was scalding hot due to the fire inside. Annabel let out a cry of pain and shock and jerked her hands away. Annabel bit back a sob as she looked at her hands, which were already showing signs of server burns.
"Idiot." Annabel muttered in a harsh whisper as she looked around for something to tie around her hands so that she could lift the door. After finding nothing, Annabel grasped the bottom of her shirt in her throbbing hands and ripped it, tearing off strips. Annabel hurriedly tied the strips around her hands and grabbed the metal handle and lifted the door. The heat still reached her hands but the strips helped a little; what matter was that Annabel had managed to open the door.
Annabel begun to cough as she stared into the garage it was impossible to see anything at all but fire and smoke. However, Annabel stumbled into the garage, tears forming her eyes from the smoke and her chest aching.
"Cody!" She called into the smoke, sure that this was the house she had been searching for.

From on the floor, Cody vaguely heard someone call her name. She had given up trying to free herself and was lying on the ground waiting to die. But now someone knew she was here, someone could save her. "Here!" Cody managed to call out, her lungs felt as though they were on fire.

Annabel heard someone answer to desperate call; Cody was in here. "Hang on! Where are you?" Annabel called. The smoke had burned her eyes, forcing her to close them; Annabel could feel the heat against her skin.
Annabel forced herself to open her eyes and looked around, trying to see Cody. However, all she could see in the dark and smoke was a metal gasoline can that seemed unfazed by the heat. The fire begun to scorch the legs of a wooden table, causing the wood to dissipate and crack in the heat.
The table, which was another one of the things Annabel could barely see, begun to lean forward, staggering under the missing support. The table legs cracked and the table fell forward, knocking into a shelf. The shelf was full of junk and small garden towels such as spades and tiny rakes that could be used to rake easily around tree trunks.
When the table knocked into the shelf, the shelf begun to sway dangerously and tittered forward. The shelf fell forward; Annabel looked up just in time to jump back. She tripped over something and fell onto the ground; the shelf fell as well, falling on Annabel's left foot. Lucky for Annabel it didn't land fully on Annabel's leg, just on her foot. However it hurt and Annabel let out a scream of pain as the shelf landed on her foot.
Cody, however, was not as lucky when the bulk of the shelf landed on her upper body, crushing her head and breaking her neck.
Annabel could swear she heard Cody's bones snap as the shelf hit her; Annabel begun to cry and try to drag her foot out from under the shelf.

Joshua and Nicolas had arrived just as the shelf landed on Cody and Annabel, they ran up the driveway as Annabel screamed and Cody died.
"Annabel!" Joshua yelled and ran toward the open garage, Nicolas in tow. They could barely see Annabel lying on the floor, jerking herself back in forth, trying to free herself.

Annabel was about to give up trying to free herself when she felt someone grab her arm on either side and begun to pull her backward, trying to free her. Annabel looked up to see Joshua and Nicolas; Annabel struggled to help them free her. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Annabel felt her foot come lose -however, Annabel wasn't sure if having her foot freed hurt as much as having the shelf land on her.
Joshua helped Annabel stand and the three of them hurried out of the garage.
As soon as they exited the garage, it exploded; Annabel guessed there were plenty of things in their to cause the garage to combust, she was only thankful that it hadn't exploded when they were inside.
Annabel shielded her face from the heat in Joshua's chest, closing her eyes and fighting back tears. Another person was dead, another person that she had 'saved' from dying earlier. It was too confusing and Annabel knew there was no way she could understand it. There was only one person whom Annabel could think of who could understand it and explain it. She could only hope