Chanice Greenberg May 2, 2002
English Boo's point of view
The Night of the Fire
I was just about to go to bed one night. I was thinking about the strange things that had happened during day. It had snowed, and the two children were outside making a sort of person made out of snow. I turned off my reading light and started up the stairs, but an orange glow caught my eye. I spun around and saw it, the house across the street was on fire. I didn't want to yell out and wake Nathan or mother. I just stared out the window. A few minutes later, men began to come out of their homes. They all ran to the burning house. A lady was coming out of it. She was coughing but looked ok. The men went into the house and came out with furniture and the woman's belongings. I heard a crash above me and then Nathan bounded down the stairs. He said nothing to me, just slipped on his shoes and coat and ran out the door. I followed him with my eyes as he ran to help. Then I saw the two children, Scout and Jem. They were making their way over to my house, both staring wide-eyed at the fire. They watched as the fire truck was pushed into the street. In the top floor of the house, a man was stuck in a window. Jem whispered something to Scout and she buried her head in his arms. The man in the window finally pulled himself out and jumped to the ground. I watched the children talking about the scene before them. Soon the men stopped running in and out of the house. The fire had eaten most of it up and it looked like a giant orange ball. I noticed that Scout was shivering in the cold night air. Quietly I tiptoed over to an armchair. There was a plain brown blanket folded up on one of the arms. I picked it up and crept to the door. The children were still watching the blaze. I eased the door open to walk through, left it slightly ajar, and started down the steps. I walked lightly until I was right behind Scout. She was on the other side of my front gate. Very gently I placed the blanket over her shoulders. I wanted to reach out and touch her hair, but pulled back my hand just in time. I walked backwards up my steps and back into the house. My eyes never left the back of Scout's head. I closed the door and walked back to the window. The children had started back to their house. Scout didn't notice the blanket draped over her. I smiled, and turned to go to bed.
English Boo's point of view
The Night of the Fire
I was just about to go to bed one night. I was thinking about the strange things that had happened during day. It had snowed, and the two children were outside making a sort of person made out of snow. I turned off my reading light and started up the stairs, but an orange glow caught my eye. I spun around and saw it, the house across the street was on fire. I didn't want to yell out and wake Nathan or mother. I just stared out the window. A few minutes later, men began to come out of their homes. They all ran to the burning house. A lady was coming out of it. She was coughing but looked ok. The men went into the house and came out with furniture and the woman's belongings. I heard a crash above me and then Nathan bounded down the stairs. He said nothing to me, just slipped on his shoes and coat and ran out the door. I followed him with my eyes as he ran to help. Then I saw the two children, Scout and Jem. They were making their way over to my house, both staring wide-eyed at the fire. They watched as the fire truck was pushed into the street. In the top floor of the house, a man was stuck in a window. Jem whispered something to Scout and she buried her head in his arms. The man in the window finally pulled himself out and jumped to the ground. I watched the children talking about the scene before them. Soon the men stopped running in and out of the house. The fire had eaten most of it up and it looked like a giant orange ball. I noticed that Scout was shivering in the cold night air. Quietly I tiptoed over to an armchair. There was a plain brown blanket folded up on one of the arms. I picked it up and crept to the door. The children were still watching the blaze. I eased the door open to walk through, left it slightly ajar, and started down the steps. I walked lightly until I was right behind Scout. She was on the other side of my front gate. Very gently I placed the blanket over her shoulders. I wanted to reach out and touch her hair, but pulled back my hand just in time. I walked backwards up my steps and back into the house. My eyes never left the back of Scout's head. I closed the door and walked back to the window. The children had started back to their house. Scout didn't notice the blanket draped over her. I smiled, and turned to go to bed.