The wind was now raging with an intensity she had never imagined possible. The walls of the flimsy shack creaked and groaned. The entire structure appeared to be in danger of flying away. A steady stream of leaves and branches pelted the roof.
Both candles had burned out. Emily fumbled for the flashlight, found it, and used the beam to look around the cabin. The walls shook every time they were hit by a strong gust. There was a deafening crash. Something heavy had landed on the cabin’s roof. Emily jumped to her feet and ran for the door. Buttons tried to follow, but Emily feared he would panic again and run into the night. She firmly shoved the dog aside with a foot, slipped outside, and closed the door behind her.
The wind was so strong she had to hold onto a tree to keep upright. Even without using the flashlight she could see that the top of the tree had broken off and landed on the roof, ripping open a hole.
The gale had brought new life to the forest fire. Ferocious winds were fanning the flames and the other side of the lake had become an inferno. It was a wall of fire that seemed to stretch forever. As Emily watched in disbelief the tallest flames joined together and began to whirl around. It was the most awe-inspiring and chilling thing she had ever seen — a tornado made of fire.
The fiery whirlwind seemed to be alive. It went spinning across the land, consuming everything in its path. It halted at the lake’s edge and the bottom of the funnel moved erratically back and forth, as if seeking food. For some reason the word firenado came into Emily’s head. Had she just made it up, or had she actually heard that term before?
Then the firenado seemed to make up its mind about where to go next. It moved on to the lake’s surface and headed directly toward Emily. It was as if one of the fiery devils from her nightmares had seen her standing on the shore and was determined to devour her. There was no possible escape. It looked as unstoppable as a locomotive. Emily wanted to turn and flee, but terror caused her legs to go numb. She fell to her knees and held up her hands in surrender.
At the precise moment she gave up all hope the towering flames started to lose their intensity. There was no fuel on the lake’s surface — the fiery tornado disappeared in just a few seconds.
Discovering that her legs were working once again, Emily got up and turned to run. The flames of the firenado may have died but the intensity of the wind hadn’t diminished. Just before reaching the cabin she was knocked violently to the ground by a massive cloud of swirling ash.
A flock of sparks landed all around. The lake wasn’t wide enough to ensure safety after all. It wouldn’t be long before some of those embers started new fires. Emily understood that the surrounding forest would swiftly become a death trap for any living thing caught in it. Once again the lake appeared to offer the only hope of escape. She had to get into the boathouse.
The cooler was lying next to the spot where Emily had fallen. She already knew the container floated well. It was also large enough to hold a lot of supplies. She got to her feet and carried the cooler it into the cabin, where she was greeted by a frantic Buttons. The dog sensed danger all around and wouldn’t stop barking.
Using the flashlight to find her way around the shack Emily grabbed everything she could think of that might prove useful. She threw matches, emergency candles, condensed milk, beef jerky, a can opener, and all the spare batteries into the cooler. As she moved the beam of light from her small flashlight around the cabin it suddenly illuminated the ball cap and jacket hanging on the wall. She put on the cap and jacket, hoping they’d offer some protection from flying embers.
Emily placed the cooler next to the door and went back outside. Once again Buttons attempted to follow. Not wanting to run the risk of losing the dog she shoved him back inside and hoped the flimsy door wouldn’t blow open.
Then she picked up the axe, aimed the flashlight at the ground, and ran toward the one place that seemed to offer a chance of escape.
Ten
Having made the trip several times, Emily she was able to make good progress, even in the dark. As she got nearer to the big cabin she saw the first flames.
A tree next to the cabin was blazing from top to bottom. The flames leaped to another tree and then to the roof.
Emily knew there was a Jet Ski inside the boathouse. She’d seen it through the window. Hopefully they weren’t complicated to operate. If Emily could figure out how to get the machine going and into the water it should be possible to drive back to the shack, grab Buttons, and speed to the middle of the lake. Until she got into the boathouse Emily wouldn’t know what was actually inside. The building was large and she’d only been able to see a small part of the interior through the window. It was even possible there was a small fishing boat inside.
Raising the axe above her head, Emily hit the door as hard as she could. The blade wasn’t sharp and all it did was take a small gouge out of the wood. She struck a second blow. Once again it only scratched the surface. At this rate it would take an hour to smash through the door. Then she recalled that on television and in the movies people always kicked doors near the handle when they wanted to force their way in.
Using the blunt side of the axe head she hit next to the door handle as hard as she could. There was the sound of breaking metal and splintering wood. She hit it again. The doorframe was definitely coming apart. One more blow and she was inside.
As she used the flashlight to search the boat house her hopes evaporated. There wasn’t a boat. Even worse, the Jet Ski she’d pinned her hopes on was useless. The engine was in pieces on the floor.
Emily remembered the canoe back at the shack, but she couldn’t recall seeing any paddles. The only thing she knew about canoes was that they were supposed to be very tippy and the prospect of going on the lake in one, especially without a paddle, seemed foolhardy.
She took another look around the building. There were a lot of life jackets hanging from pegs on the wall. She grabbed two adult and one child-size.
The workbench was littered with tools, most of which Emily didn’t recognize and had no use for. The only thing of interest was a filleting knife in a sheath. She grabbed it as she headed out the door.
Emily had only been inside the boathouse for a few minutes, but a lot had happened. As she stepped outside her eyes were drawn to the nearby log cabin. Its roof was ablaze and she was certain it wouldn’t be long before the entire structure was on fire.
Emily started to run back toward the shack where she’d left Buttons, but stopped in her tracks. She’d just remembered the oar that had helped keep her head above water during the swim across the lake. It was designed for rowing, and was too long to make a good paddle, but was better than nothing. It had come ashore with her near the boathouse ramp. Luckily it was still there. Her arms were full of life jackets, so she tucked the oar under one arm, and headed back to the shack.
Once again Emily found herself in a race with fire. Trees were bursting into flames on both sides of the path. She was grateful for the extra protection from sparks provided by the cap and jacket. It was tough to move quickly because she was dragging the oar and finding it difficult to run in the oversized flip-flops she’d found outside the log cabin.
A shocking sight was waiting for her at the shack. The back wall was on fire. Emily screamed. Buttons was still inside. So was the cooler full of emergency supplies. She dropped her load, pulled open the door, and was relieved to see the poodle race out of the building. She grabbed him before he could run away. Holding Buttons under an arm she reached inside and grabbed the cooler. The interior of the cabin was thick with smoke.
She’d rescued the dog and the supplies. Now Emily had to save the only thing that might offer escape. The canoe was stored between the cabin and a large pile of dried firewood. If it wasn’t moved immediately it would be destroyed.
Struggling to control the hysterical dog, Emily remembered the knife she’d taken from the boathouse. She’d shoved it into a coat pocket. With one hand she pulled the slender knife from its sheath and slashed at the clothesline she
’d put up earlier in the day. The blade was sharp and easily sliced through the rope. She took one of the loose ends and tied it to the dog’s collar. Buttons pulled at the rope, but the knot held.
It looked as though the canoe hadn’t been moved in years. Emily ripped off the weathered sheet of canvas that covered it. The canoe was made of aluminum and appeared ancient. She gave it a yank. It wouldn’t move. It was chained to a tree. Emily took a quick look at the lock. It was large and solid. She couldn’t believe her bad luck. The people who owned the shack hadn’t bothered to lock or hide anything else. Why would they lock up a decrepit canoe? It wasn’t fair!
The fire had spread to the woodpile and the heat was becoming unbearable. Mind racing, Emily figured she and Buttons would have to go swimming once again. At least they had some life jackets this time. With fires burning on both shores she would probably have to seek shelter in the very middle of the lake. Hopefully the life jackets would keep the two of them afloat. They might have to stay in the water all night.
She put on one of the life jackets as quickly as she could, although her fumbling fingers had difficulty with one of the snaps. Emily looked for Buttons. The dog had backed as far away from the blazing cabin as the rope would allow. She was just about to cut the poodle free when she remembered something. The key! There was a key under the cutlery tray. It had struck her as odd when she’d found it because nothing on the property seemed to be worth stealing. Did the key in the drawer open the padlock that secured the canoe?
The back of the cabin was now fully engulfed and smoke poured out of the open door. Emily had learned about fire safety in elementary school. She knew you were never supposed to go into a burning building. You could die of asphyxiation because of the smoke, or the entire building could collapse on your head.
She hesitated for a moment. There was no guarantee the key in the drawer would even open the padlock. On the other hand, the drawer was tantalizingly close to the front door. All she had to do was duck inside, turn to the left, take two steps, and the drawer was right there. There wasn’t time to think things through. Emily had to make an immediate decision.
She steeled herself, took a deep breath, and rushed into the shack. The interior was completely filled with smoke. Almost instantly it blinded her. The extreme heat was painful. It took every ounce of courage she had to keep from turning around and running outside. Blindly, she stumbled toward where she thought the drawer was located. Her fingers touched the countertop. The drawer should be right underneath. It wasn’t there. Finally her hands located the metal handle. She pulled it open and then yanked out the cutlery tray. The crash of spoons and forks hitting the wooden floor was nearly drowned out by the crackle of flames.
The key was somewhere at the bottom of the drawer, but Emily couldn’t see anything. Smoke and her own tears blinded her. She’d never been good at holding her breath and was rapidly reaching her limit, but knew that breathing in smoke would be fatal. Suddenly she felt very unsteady on her feet. Time had run out. She was about to faint. Her fingers finally located the key. She grabbed it, turned, and tripped over the cutlery tray.
She hit the ground hard, convinced the end had come. To her astonishment she discovered there was a narrow layer of breathable air close to the floor. Gasping, holding on to the precious key for dear life, she felt a draft. That must be where the door was. She’d barely made it outside when part of the roof caved in.
Still half-blinded by the smoke Emily staggered to the canoe and discovered the aluminum skin was already warm. In a few moments it might be too hot to touch. The canoe was chained to a tree and the top of that tree was now burning furiously. She grabbed the lock, inserted the key, and twisted. The lock was rusty and didn’t want to open, but Emily yanked on it with strength she didn’t know she had. It opened with a metallic screech.
She dropped the chain on the ground, grabbed the bow of the canoe, and pulled. It would have been too heavy for her to carry on her own, but the narrow boat slid easily over the ground. After pulling it some distance from the blazing shack Emily starting throwing things into it. The two extra life jackets, the cooler full of emergency supplies, the axe and the oar were tossed haphazardly inside. Then she cut the rope restraining Buttons. Holding the struggling poodle under one arm, and pulling the canoe with her other hand, she staggered to the lake. The fire hadn’t yet reached the trees nearest to the beach. Otherwise Emily wouldn’t have had any hope of escape.
After reaching the beach Emily shoved the front of the canoe into the water. There were two seats, one in the front and one in the back. They had wooden frames and canvas webbing. In the middle of the canoe was a narrow board that ran crosswise, just like the seats did.
There was still a length of rope attached to Buttons’ collar. Emily used it to tie the dog to the front seat. She didn’t want him to run off at the last minute. Luckily the poodle cowered at the bottom of the boat.
Using the oar for balance Emily stepped into the canoe and sat down awkwardly. The canoe was still in the shallows, but already rocked from side to side. Desperate to leave the beach Emily used the oar as a pole until it was no longer long enough to reach the lake bottom. Then she started using it as a paddle. It was awkward to use, because of its length, but it worked.
Emily heard a tremendous crash, looked back, and saw the walls of the shack collapse. If Buttons hadn’t woken her she might still be inside.
Eleven
It took less than a minute for Emily to realize the canoe might not be her salvation. It was even tippier than she’d expected. The light craft was almost unmanageable in the strong wind. With each gust it skittered across the surface like a panicked horse. Emily discovered that even if she paddled as hard as she could it was barely enough to keep her more than a few metres from the shore. All the trees along the shoreline were aflame. If the canoe were blown to land it would be a catastrophe. Overcome with frustration she began screaming every insult she could think of at the fire. The temper tantrum ended when Emily was startled into silence by a number of loud bangs.
The noise seemed to come from the big log cabin, now clearly visible from the canoe. The cabin was completely engulfed in flames. It sounded like fireworks going off inside the building. Then Emily remembered all of the threatening No Trespassing signs posted on the property, including the one featuring a picture of a gun. If they’d stored ammunition somewhere inside, it would explain the sound of explosions.
Afraid of being hit by a stray bullet she put her head down and put every ounce of energy she still had into paddling.
The sky, lake, and land were suddenly bathed in blue light. The air crackled with electricity. There was a painfully loud bang that sounded like the cracking of a giant whip. A lightning bolt had hit nearby. The thunderstorm the radio station had warned about was now a reality. Emily didn’t know much about wilderness survival, but she realized that being in a metal boat on a lake was probably one of the worst places you could possibly be during a lightning storm.
There were two more lightning strikes in rapid succession, although they weren’t as close. The wind continued to blow the canoe further down the lake. Emily paddled clumsily in an attempt to stay a safe distance from the flames. She passed another burning cabin. It stood on a heavily wooded point that jutted into the lake and was directly in her path. The canoe was headed toward the most intense part of the inferno.
Emily now had a tiny amount of practical experience in how to steer the canoe, although every time she aimed the bow toward the middle of the lake the light craft was tossed around by the gale. It was impossible to go in a straight line. She leaned forward and paddled until her arms felt like they were going to fall off. A single blazing tree, surrounded by large rocks, stood at the very tip of the point.
A sudden gust did her a great favour by momentarily driving the canoe away from the shore. Emily could barely see through her swollen and sweat-drenched eyes, but sensed she might be on the verge of safely passing into open water.
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nbsp; The flaming tree was still much too close for comfort. When the canoe was halfway past it another blast of wind caught the craft and pushed it back toward the flames. She looked up and saw burning branches less than a metre above her head. In a panic she used the oar to try and push the canoe back into deeper water. Unfortunately the lake bottom was muck and it swallowed the wooden blade. Trying to pull out the oar actually pulled the boat closer to the burning tree. The fire was so hot it felt as though her skin was beginning to crackle.
In desperation she pushed the blade of the oar into the trunk of the tree. There was a sickening crash. The tree was rotten and it cracked at the very spot where the oar rammed into it. The top half of the tree swayed in the fierce wind. The scene seemed to play out in slow motion. The burning tree was falling directly toward her. Once again Emily lunged desperately with the oar. The blade hit something solid. The front of the canoe turned away from the shore. The trunk narrowly missed her head before hitting the side of the canoe.
Twelve
Emily felt as though she were being cooked alive. The heat was unbearable, so when the canoe overturned and she went into the water it came as a relief. The life jacket prevented her head from going under the water and she bobbed around, dazed, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The broken tree trunk that had overturned the canoe floated nearby. She heard the hiss of the last flames being extinguished by the lake water.
The canoe floated well upside down. It rode high enough in the water to provide some protection from the nearby fire. Buttons was barking furiously. Emily could hear her companion’s nails scratching across aluminum, but at first she couldn’t figure out where the dog had gone. Then it dawned on her that Buttons was trapped underneath the canoe and was still tied to the seat.
Emily gook a deep breath and tried to duck under the canoe and reach the dog. The life jacket was so buoyant that she couldn’t get her head under the surface. As she thrashed the water in frustration her feet touched bottom. She’d stumbled upon a sand bar. Her toes eagerly pressed into the packed sand and it dawned on her that both flip-flops had fallen off when she went into the water. Her ball cap had also come off.
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