the secret of silver lake

Gone

I watched as my mother moved to the middle of the window, a hand on either side of the window frame. I was really scared now that my mommy would fall. I looked from the window and up at Maggie, who was still holding my hand tighly.

Since Maggie had joined us, she had been like a grandmother to me. She was an older lady who loved to teach me stuff along the road, which plants were safe and not. Which ones were medicine. I was learning to snar rabbits, and she had promised to teach me to hunt other stuff as I got older or for as long as we traveled together. I liked her a lot,she had great games and She made me feel smart. Her brown eyes always seemed to shine with happiness. I had never met someone with two different colored hair, a mixture of white with hints of red curly hair bounced when she laughed. On the plump side, she gave the best hugs. Maggie had a strict side when you did not listen as told I learned the hard way.

She looked down to meet my eyes, but they had become different. A yellow light emanated from behind the brown that once was there. Maggie then dropped down onto one knee and wrapped me in her arms into a tight hug.

"NINA JUMP, I WILL CATCH YOU!" My father voice was desperate now as he watched her move closer to the edge of the window. Just before my mother could gain enough courage to push herself off the ledge, a painful scream came from behind her as the flames licked the top of the window sill above my mother's head. Loud creaking and cracking could be heard the roof had begun to cave in. Without warning, several bodies were falling from where my mother once stood, followed by hot ash and Tinder flying down.

Screams came from all different directions in the crowd as the people watched the women's bodies fall to the ground. "MOMMMMYYYY! I screamed as I broke free of maggies hug and ran as fast as i could towards where my mother's body had fallen. Maggie not far behind me, "stop stop, Lilly, STOP!" I ignored her and kept running.

My little legs were burning as I reached the edge of the crowd. I forced my way through the people who had gathered around the pile of bodies. My daddy was slowly untangling the women's bodies from each other."Nina, Nina, answer me. Are u ok." Panic made his words come shaky And hoarse. "Please be ok," he said to himself quietly, as another man had begun to help separate tangle arms and legs.

The last women to fall seemed to have very little injury, some scraps and scratches. Her fall broken by the women below her.

The womans light colour bearly visible beneath the ash and burned hair. A woman just below her had a broken arm, a broken leg she moaned and cryed out in pain as they pulled her from the one she was tangled with, her body twisted. Her eyes open and mouth hanging. No noise came from her as they pulled and set her body aside.

The final woman was alive but barely her breath shallow and labored. Her ribs completely broken with blood soaking through her shirt. As soon as I saw my mother, I ran to where she had fallen. She lay still eyes closed like she was taking a nap.

"MOMMY, MOMMY, WAKE UP MOMMY." I reached down to touch her dirty face. i tried to shake her awake, but her eyes did not open. A single steak of blood was coming from her right eye. "Why won't you WAKE UP MOMMY PLEASE WAKE UP." The tears were strong as my father sat down beside me, pulling me into his lap into the tightest hug I pushed against him. I looked into his eyes. Tears were running down his cheeks hard. "What is wrong with Mommy? Why won't she wake up?" I demanded through sobs. "DADDY, DO SOMTHONG MAKE MOMMY WAKE UP!" I screamed at him he lowered his head and said nothing,loud sobs echoed from him across a silent crowd as they watched.

"No!no, Mommy is sleeping," I said as I could feel my shirt getting wet from my father tears. I struggled against him harder now as I started to scream. I don't know when Maggie had made it to us.she was kneeled down in front of us, holding me into my father's grip, I didn't understand why they would not let me go to my mother. I was angry and mad that my mother would not wake up. I screamed as a white light started to shine bright from somewhere it was starting to hurt my eyes. I started to feel hot like I was too close to the fire. my father and Maggie faded away. I was alone surrounded by white light. my mother voice in the distance, calling my name. Lilly....lilly....LILLY.....LILLY....

Suddenly, I was in a dimly lit room, my eyes snapping open to see my father worried eyes. He was shaking me in my bed. Was it all just a dream.