She fumbled for the little key on the sill but she couldn't find it. Frantically she rushed to switch on the light to help her find the key.
she had just got back to the window sill when the light went out, she guessed the fire had burned some wiring and shorted it out. The key had to be on the sill, she always kept it there, but it wasn't there anymore.
The smoke was belching in under the door now. She grabbed the duvet and shoved it down to cover the gap.
Coughing and spluttering, she went back to the windows and crawled along beneath them feeling with her hands for the key. But she still couldn't find it. Terrified now, she began hammering on the windows with her fists, which made her family cry and scream even more. Desiree noticed that some neighbours had went out into the street to see what was going on.
She tried to think of something she could use to break the window.
A chair was first, but when she cracked it against the glass she merely broke off the two front legs. She tried a shoe, but that made no impression at all.
She knew she was going to die. Someone had once told her that smoke killed you before the flames did. And she was chocking now- her lungs were filling up with it- and there was nothing heavy enough in the room to break the glass.
Coughing and wheezing, her lungs feeling as if they were on fire, she fell on to the bed and covered her head with a pillow. She had though about what the future held for her and Elliot, but now she wasn't even going to get a chance to say goodbye to him.
☯
Elliot was smiling to himself as he was on his way to Desiree's grandmother's house. She didn't know that he was going to be there that early, but he had phoned her grandmother and she had told him that it would be a nice surprise if she woke up and found him already there.
As he was about to signal to turn right into the street that he had written on a piece of paper, a fire engine with sirens screaming came up behind him, overtook him and turned into the street. Another one followed it, and Elliot had to pull right over almost on the pavement.
Even before he turned the corner, he knew the fire was close.
The sirens had stopped, but halfway along the street he could smell smoke and see bright light from the fire engines.
He parked his car in the first space he saw, got out and ran the rest of the way. As he came in-front of the house he was that it was No.10, Desiree's grandmother house, the small window beside the front door glowing red with flames. He felt himself go cold with fright.
''My girl's in there!'' He yelled at the first fireman he reached. The man had just got of the the fire engine cab and was unrolling the hose. ''I must go in and get her!'' Elliot yelled with panic.
''You can't go in, the whole ground floor is alight.'' The fire man told him.
Elliot was aware that behind the man he had spoken to, the other firemen were moving quickly into their positions, one hose was already out and he heard the gushing sound as the water ran into the gutter.
The glass in the small window by the front door suddenly exploded, pieces falling out onto the pavement. The men lifted the house and aimed it through the window. Elliot heard sizzling as water hit the flames.
It was then he became aware of how many other people were out in the street. There were dozens of them, all wearing dressing gowns. The police arrived then and started moving people back, away from the fire. One came over to Elliot, signalling with his arms for him to get back too.
''My girl's in there'' Elliot yelled again over the noise of the engines and water. ''Please get her out!'' At that moment he spotted three people in front of him crying and hugging each other, he recognized them as the Locks. Elliot walked up to them and when they saw him they hugged him with them.
Everything seemed to have gone into agonizing slow motion. He saw the fireman he'd spoken to talking to a colleague, and pointing to the window upstairs. His colleague spoke to someone else, and it seemed to take forever before he saw them positioning a ladder.
The first fireman came towards him and the Locks. ''Is there anything in the house or garage we need to know about. Gas cylinders? Cans of petrol?''
''My car is in the garage. Oh hell there's mot only petrol in the car, but there's probably paint stripper, white spirit and God knows what else too!'' Desiree's father said.
This news seemed to have a galvanizing effect on the fire crew. The front door was instantly broken down and the hoses played right into the inferno of the hallway.
A ladder was now firmly in place and a fireman with a breathing apparatus went up it. Elliot was unable to stop himself miming breaking the window, hopping from one foot to the other in agitation.
A woman had walked up to them. ''They will be alright, they'll get them out' she said. ''Look, an ambulance is here now.''
At last Elliot heard the sound of breaking glass falling into the street. He held his breath as the fireman on the ladder put his mask over his face and climbed in.
Elliot's heart was pounding with fear that Desiree was already dead from the smoke. He didn't know what he'd do if she had died.
At last he saw the fireman as the window with Desiree over his shoulder like a sack of coal. At that point there was a loud bang from inside the house and a tongue of flame licked out of the front door and up at the front of the house.
Two more of the team advanced with another hose, and the sound of spitting and hissing as the water attacked the flames filled the air.
Slowly the fireman came down the ladder with Desiree. Elliot and her family rushed towards them.
''Steady on'' the fireman said. ''She's alive but she needs urgent medical treatment.''
The ambulance came forward with a stretcher and laid Desiree down on it, then gave her oxygen as they wheeled her back to the ambulance. She was wearing the same pink pyjamas that she had been wearing when she saved Elliot, in the yellow glow of the street lighting she looked about twelve.
''Will she be alright?'' Elliot's words were a plea more than a question.
''It's too soon to say,'' one of the men replied.''But if you want you can come with her family to the hospital.''
18☕
❝Death never takes the wise man by surprise; He is always ready to go❞
Elliot felt a surge of emotion as he looked down at Desiree in the hospital bed. The smell of smoke still clung to her and she looked so pale, small and vulnerable. Even though he knew she was out of danger now, the terror of the past few hours when he thought he was going to lose her would never leave him.
She had been unconscious on admittance to hospital, and so close to death from the smoke inhalation that they had to put a tube down her throat to give her oxygen.
When the doctor finally came to tell him and her family that she was rallying, Elliot wanted to hug the man for saving her. The doctor pointed out that she was very disorientated and nauseaous, and she would be plagued by coughing bouts for some time. But he smiled and said that Desiree was a fighter.
While they had been waiting for the news two different policemen called in to see how she was.
When he was finally allowed in to see her, the relief of knowing she was going to be alright made him feel almost euphoric.
He took her hand and stroked it. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He was shocked at how sore her eyes looked, and he bent to kiss her forehead before her family came and hugged her.
''Don't try to speak, your throat must be very raw. We're going to stay with you,just go back to sleep, you are safe now.'' Her mother told her.
''Where is grandma? Is she alright?'' Desiree asked with wide eyes as she remembered that her grandma hadn't been out with her family on the street when she was trapped in the bedroom.
All of her family and Elliot looked at each other, as they whispered something that she couldn't hear. As Desiree payed more attention to them she noticed that there eyes were all bloodshot and looked terrible.
''Will someone tell me what's going on?'' She asked them impatiently when no one told
her anything.
''Dessie, grandma didn't make it, she died in the fire. The police and the fire service investigated what cause the fire and they found out that she actually started it herself by lighting up the kitchen curtains with a match. As you know she had Psychosis, which sometime lead to suicide and in her case it did. I am so sorry Dessie.'' Her mother told her between sobs as she hugged her husband which also had a few tears streaming down his face.
''What? No, she can't be dead! She was fine, she was happy!'' Desiree screamed as she made an attempt to get out of bed, but failed.
''Shh shhh everything will be ok, baby girl. Just go back to sleep.'' Elliot told her as he started to caress her back to try and calm her down.
''She died, my grandma is dead! I have no grandparents left. She didn't even get to meet you or see me walking down the aisle when I got married!'' Desiree sobbed as she hugged Elliot tightly and cried in his chest, while her father was trying to calm down her mother and Alice.
''Love, I am sure that she will be watching over you from wherever she is. Thank the gods that you didn't die in that fire aswell. Imagine what that would have done to your family, and me. We love you so much Des.'' Elliot told her as he kissed her forehead and shortly after she drifted back to sleep with tear stained cheeks and his hand in hers.
☯
They moved Desiree later that morning from intensive care into a medical ward. As the ward sister wouldn't let them sit by her bedside, they had to wait in the visitor's room. They decided to go back to the burnt down house and see if any of their belongings had survived the fire, and after they were done they check in the nearest hotel they could find to the hospital.
The following morning they went to see her again.
She was much better today. Her face was a yellow grey, her voice was still very hoarse and her eyes sore, and she also had a headache, possibly from all the crying, and the awful cough she had to deal with. But she had managed to eat some lunch and she was no longer disorientated.
''How are you feeling today, sweetie?'' Her father, Rupert asked her as he sat down in the chair next to her where Elliot had been the previous day.
''Not good, but better than yesterday.'' She told him with a weak smile.
''That's good to hear, the funeral will be held a week from yesterday just so that you know. If you don't want to attend that's fine, we understand.'' He told her as he stroked her messed up hair which was all over the place.
''I will attend, do you know when they will discharge me? I hate how everything is white here!'' She told them, which caused her visitors to smile a little.
''We brought you something, to cheer you up!'' Her sister told her as she walked towards her and handed her a soft toy of a white and gold eye with humongous eyes.
''That's so cute! Thank Al!'' She told her with a smile as she hugged her sister and cuddled with her gift.
''I brought you something aswell.'' Elliot told her as he moved closer to her and moved his hand from behind his back which was holding a bouquet of a dozen roses.
''Oh Elliot! They are beautiful, but you shouldn't have!'' She told him with a smile as he handed her the flowers and she inhaled them. She wanted to kiss him so much, but she felt uncomfortable with her family looking at her and besides they had only kissed once before, which had been breath taking, literally.
On Tuesday, four days after her admittance to hospital, as Desiree waited for the doctor to do his rounds and discharge her, she dressed herself in the clothes that her family had brought to her the night before. Elliot had to go back home since his parents were concerned about him, but he promised to be there for the funeral.
When they drove her back to the hotel, the enormity of what had happened hit her.
She didn't think she could ever forget the terror of being trapped in the bedroom with the fire raging downstairs. Aside from almost dying she had lost most of her belongings and her beloved grandma. She had also lost the house in which she had many childhood memories.
That weekend was certainly one that she wasn't going to forget, but not in the way that she planned.
19☕
❝Too many funerals, not enough graduations. Too many baby showers, not enough weddings.❞
The dreaded day had arrived, it was the day that everyone was going to say their last goodbye to Holly, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and friend to many.
Desiree got up from her bed slowly and tried to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. She still had a slight cough but she was pretty much back to normal. Elliot, Noah, Mia and her family had all been very nice and kind to her and she couldn’t help but thank god for giving her amazing family and friends.
She walked towards her walk in closet and opened it to pick an all black outfit for the funeral. Desiree spotted a middle length dress with sheer sleeves and picked out her most comfortable black high heels. Since it was October and the air was not quite chilly she grabbed a black coat to keep her warm. She wrapped her hair up in an elegant bun, applied her signature black eyeliner and mascara, some nude lipstick and went downstairs.
As she walked into the kitchen the smell of delicious pancakes and tea instantly greeted her. Her family was all there gathered around the table, picking at their food and sipping on their tea, and Rupert on his coffee.
She poured a cup of tea for herself and sat down on the table with them.
‘’Good morning, sweetie. We’ll leave in about ten minutes so if you haven’t done something go do it quickly.’’ Her father told her with a smile as she gave a small nod.
After they had all finished their breakfast they made their way into the car and drove off towards the church.
When Desiree walked out of the car she was surprised to see Elliot, Noah and Mia waiting for her outside of the church. As she walked out to them she couldn’t help but think about how handsome Elliot looked in his suit and black beanie.
‘’Thank you so much for coming guys, it means so much to me!’’ She told them with a smile as she gave them each a hug.
‘’We’re here for you, Dessie, that’s what friends are for.’’ Mia told her as she returned her hug.
‘’I know, you are the best friends anyone could ever ask for.’’ She replied. Desiree couldn’t help but notice the look on Elliot’s face when she referred to them as friends.
‘’Come on let’s go inside, it looks like it’s about to start raining soon.’’ Mia said as she grabbed her hand and walked her inside towards the front row.‘’Elliot is so handsome, I can’t blame you for choosing him over Noah.’’ She whispered, which made Desiree smile.
‘’We are just friends, Mia.’’
‘’You won’t be for long, he looks at you the way every girl want a guy to look at her.’’ Her bestfriend told her with a smile.
‘’Only time will tell.’’ She replied with a smile.
‘’Desiree, do you mind if I sit next to you?’’ Noah asked her from behind them.
‘’Su-‘’
‘’Actually she has already told me that I was going to sit next to her. Sorry Noel.’’ Elliot replied as he took Desiree’s hand in his and sat down in the front row next to the rest of her family.
‘’It’s Noah, and don’t get on my nerves, punk.’’ Noah replied as he walked away with Mia to find their seats.
‘’What the hell did he just say to me?’’ Elliot said angrily as he started to get up from his seat, but Desiree stopped him.
‘’Please Elliot just sit down and forget about it. Don’t make this day worse than it already is.’’ She told him.
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