Chapter 8: The Burning Memory
Socks breathed heavily. Her eyes teared up as she hid behind the shed that was in the backyard. She could hear her own heart throbbing rapidly in her ears. She grasped on her head, still feeling the burning sensation in her brain.
"Stop it! Stop it!" She yelled at herself, her grip tightened in the process. She screamed through her teeth, trying not to draw any attention to herself.
"This... This is all da-da's fault!" She yelled, her anguish turning into rage. "He was the one who kicked that door! He was the one who made me suffer! He was the fucking one who burned down our house!!" Her screams echoed throughout the small neighborhood. Socks sat there and cried, feeling both angry and sorrow for not only her family, but her own father.
"Y-Y-You... You just- had... t-to do something s-stupid... with f-fire, huh, da-da...?" Socks said to herself, her voice cracking. "Y-You thought you were c-cool when y-you were messing w-with the f-fire, right?" She looked up at the sky, visualizing her father holding a stick in each hand with two burning marshmallows on each of them.
Check it out girls! Stripe would say as he held the scorching sticks on the tips of his fingers. Maybe I should juggle burning marshmallows on sticks more often, don't you think?
Not when you're near the house, you shouldn't. Trixie would say to Stripe with hands on her hips. Especially when it comes to your tail catching fire. Again.
SPIN THE STICKS, SPIN THE STICKS! Muffin would yell out to her dad as she jumped up and down.
Alrighty, you asked for it, Muffin! Stripe would say to Muffin, preparing to spin the sticks.
Socks could clearly remember the moment her dad accidentally threw one of the sticks on the roof. It immediately engulfed in flames.
Oh, my god! Trixie would shout as she ran out the pool area to get the garden hose. Socks remembered Muffin's high pitched screams of terror and running around in circles, thinking it could do any good.
Aw, shit. She overheard her dad saying, blowing out the other burning marshmallow stick. Before the family knew it, the house was completely covered with orange, red and yellow flames. Socks remembered how big her eyes got. How she felt a sharp, hurtful pain piercing through her heart. She couldn't believe her eyes.
Socks, Muffin, RUN! Trixie would yell at the girls as she ran back into the pool area and turned on the hose, but no water came out. Shit! She shouted as she shook the hose violently, begging and trying to make the water come out.
Socks remembered running into the house with her sister behind her. She heard her mother frantically yelling something to them, but she couldn't make out what she was saying. Her question was answered when the inside of the roof came crashing in.
RUN, MUFFIN!! She remembered saying as she dashed towards the front door.
MY CAT SQUAD STUFF! Muffin would say, trying to run up the stairs to her bedroom to save her belongings.
MUFFIN, NO! Socks yelled to her sister. The moment she ran towards her big sis, the walls came crashing in. Socks recalled seeing Muffin getting bonked on the head by falling, burning debris.
NO! MUFFIN! She shrieked out in sheer terror, her voice cracking in the process. She ran over to Muffin's unconscious body, trying to shake her awake.
C'MON, MUFFIN, DON'T DO THIS TO ME! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! Muffin didn't respond.
PLEASE, MUFFIN, I NEED YOU! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS...
S-S-Socks...? Muffin would say to Socks as she coughed and hacked out clumps of smoke. Socks gasped.
M-Muffin...?! Socks would say out of surprise. The house continued to crash down and Socks wasted no time. She grabbed Muffin by her hand and dragged her out of the burning house.
Stay with me, Muffin! She exclaimed to her sister, using all of her strength to get her sister to safety.
Socks remembered how she tumbled out the door when they finally reached the fresh, outside world. She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath.
Oh, Socks, Muffin! Trixie would say, running towards her exhausted children with devastation.
Muffin's hurt... Socks said, rubbing her hand gently on Muffin's head. Trixie gently scooped up Muffin's body. Socks remembered how sad her mum was when she made eye contact with her injured daughter.
Oh, Muffin... Were the last words she said before entering the car and driving away to the hospital without telling Socks or Stripe. She remembered how she felt, just standing there all alone. Where was her father? Was he trying to put out the fire, or was he still in the pool area slapping, cursing, and blaming himself for what he had just done?
Socks stayed hidden behind the shed, the memories burned in her brain like a wildfire, spreading all throughout her frontal lobe and detaching itself from her body. She felt dead, like a zombie, like nothing. Yet she was still alive, still standing, still breathing, and so was Muffin.
If it hadn't been for Socks' quick thinking, she and her sister would have become burned hot dogs. She smiled at the thought of saving her sister, but also frowned too.
It's- It's all water under the bridge now, she thought to herself, digging her face into her knees as she sighed softly. Closing her eyes slowly, she tried to make herself sleep, while still thinking of the traumatizing moment where her own father had destroyed his family's lives.