Chapter 1

The smoke was choking me, it filled my lungs to the brim and i could hear screaming coming from the other room. It was a mans voice. I took a deep breath trying to get to the clear air, but my whole room has full of it, the black, thick smoke. I hurled my body out over the bed and scrambled over the floor. I hit my little toe in my desk and screamed out in pain. I reached up towards my door, because i knew that it was the only way out, my windows were locked and it was to far to the ground. I could still hear the screams.

I swung open my door and the whole livingroom was in flames. I could also see the flames coming up the stares, like they where chasing me. I tried to cover my moth with my sleeve but the panic was beginning to take over my body and my vision was beginning to get blurry. I crawled over the floor and reached the room where the screams were coming from. It was my parents room. I reached up to the handle and flung open the door. The furnitures were all over the place, some broken and some burning. In the middle of the room stood a man, he was screaming on the top of his lungs, and his ice-blue eyes were wrinkled up in pain. He was on fire. He flung himself against the wardrobe, that had already been trown against the floor and smashed, trying to save himself.

The balcony doors where open behind him, and i could se my mother trying to climb up to the edge. I screamed and screamed and when she finally turned around her eyes looked as hard as stone, as black as the darkest of caves, but still full of serenity. She just stood looking at me, as if she didn't remember who i was. She streched out her arm to me, and smiled. My father was still screaming in pain, but we both knew that there was nothing left to do. I don't know why, but for a split second i was afraid of my mother. That wild look in the eyes, and the hair a mess. As if she knew this would happen, that it was meant to be.

I could hear the roof cracking, and i knew it was about to crash down on me. But i wanted to stay with my father, nothing would ever take him away from me. If he was going to die tonight, i was too.

- Bella, we have to jump!

My mom whispered in the wind. I looked up at her and took her hand. She helped me up and just as we were about to jump, i looked back at my father. The screams had died down now, but the flames were still licking and tasting his flesh. He could barely lay still, the pain was to unbearable. He looked at me with his ice-blue eyes, and his lips formed his last words.

- I love you.

I woke up very peacefully, but the tears were streaming down my face. I took a deep breath and looked at the clock on my bedside table. Half past five. I knew i could never go back to sleep after my dreams so i got out of bed, my long crisp white nightgown fluttered around my legs when i tiptoed to my closet on the other side of the room. I opened the closet door carfully and took out my large sketch book and walked out on my balcony. I stood by the handrail and leaned forward, looking at the ground. It wasn't to far up, i could proberbly jump without hurting myself to much, i thought to myself. I looked up at the sunrise and closed my eyes. I could feel the warm breeze and I could still taste the smoke on my tongue. I took a large breath, enjoying the feeling of the clear air filling my lungs.

I opened my ice-blue eyes and tried to blink away the tears. I took another big breath and sat down on my little stool behind me. I started drawing with light strokes and i was lost in the moment of truth.

- We don't have any milk.

- We never have any milk, i said and look up at my mother who was standing by the fridge.

She came up behind my and gently stroked away my hair from my shoulder and placed a kiss on my neck.

- Oh, you smell really good, she said.

- Yeah i just showered.

She smiled and took a glas from the shelf infront of us. She filled it with water. She sighed happily.

- What? i said and looked up at her again, this time in wonder.

- Oh, nothing, she answered and smiled while she drank her water.

I looked at her suspiciously, and then realised,

- He spent the night again, didn't he? I asked angrily.

She just lifted up her shoulders a tiny bit and walked out of the kitchen, still smiling.

I finished my breakfast faster than normal that morning and ran off to school.