LOVING A MANNEQUIN

Chapter 51: Angelo Is In Trouble Part 2

*BARBIE HEAVENWARD POV*

I almost flew to get down from the car when we arrived at the place. There were already many police officers working around. And more wounded  being escorted by the police to the safe side to receive basic medicine.

The surroundings were too chaotic and still smoky. Proof that there's been an explosion just  occurred.

“Angelo?” I mumbled. I immediately ran inside the restricted area but was quickly stopped by the police.

"What are you doing Miss? Where are you going?" Questioned by one of them.

"Sir, please let me in. My friend is inside, I need to save him." I answered in a raspy voice and cried again. "Please?"

"I can't. The situation is still dangerous. The surroundings have not been cleared out yet." Police looked back to the scene of the accident where the police were busy rescuing the school bus from falling. I assumed there was still someone inside. "Look, miss, we are too occupied to pay attention to you. Wait until we finish our work before you enter."

"But he is-"

“Miss, don't be selfish. We are not only worried about your friend's life but also about the two children inside the bus. So do not interrupt our work.” The police pushed me away from the restriction area where a police cord fenced all around the scene of the accident," Wait on the safe side.”

"Sir, please let me through."

Barbie grabbed me and pulled me to one side, "Barbie, we can't do that. We are not police so we can't go in."

"Melanie, nothing bad happened to him, did he?" I said while grabbing her arms.

Melanie squirmed a little but I was too corrupt with fear so I ignored it. "Sure, he is safe. Don't worry. Don't scare yourself too much. Here, let's find him around."

"Right! Right! Maybe he's just on one side."

We immediately went to each corner with crowds of people where there were wounded who received first aid and then were loaded into ambulances that arrived one by one. There were also families who came here like me to pick up their family who were involved in the accident.

We wandered all around. We went to every corner that could possibly be a good spot to rest but we still couldn't find even Angelo's shadow.

My mind was confused. Fear and pain engulfed my whole body until I couldn't feel anything anymore. Seems like it became numb.

Every time I called Angelo's name, my tears flowed endlessly like falls. I was so scared that it was as if my heart would jump on my chest and my soul would be separated from my body.

I crouched to one side and hid my faces between my two legs and drowned myself in tears.

Melanie patted my back and crouched down next to me as well. She sighed deeply, and said, "Barbie, enough crying. No one has heard yet that someone has died so there is still a high possibility that he is safe. Don't worry too much, okay? I'm sure, Angelo doesn't want to see you like this either. Look, there are many more people inside, what if he is just there and helping the police to rescue the two children inside the bus?”

When I heard what Melanie had to say, I was enlivened. It might be. Judging of his personality, he certainly participated in rescuing the kids. He surely would not watch and let the two kids die.

I stood up and wiped the tears with my hands, "You are right, Melanie. Angelo is a skilled man and virtuous. He may really be doing good deeds now. Right!" I quickly pulled Melanie.

"Where will we go?"

"We're going to the side. There we can clearly see what's going on inside."

"The police may not allow us to watch."

"We are just going to watch outside the restricted area."

As we approached the restricted area, the police on guards immediately stopped us, "Miss, you can't come in. It's dangerous."

"Sir, we're not going in. We're just here outside to see what's going on inside. Just allow us." I held out my palm, "Promise, we won't make a mess."

Melanie spoke with a pathetic face while holding a policeman, "Sir, please. Allow us to peek inside. My sister’s husband is there. We just want to see if he is safe."

The two policemen looked at each other, and nodded. Perhaps, they found us annoying so they let us do what we asked.

As soon as we got close, we immediately saw what was going on inside and it was suffocatingly horrible. Inside, police were in full force pulling the bus which was constantly swaying and squealing using ropes tied to its all front parts. My eyes kept searching for Angelo all around but I still couldn't see him.

My heart leaped in my chest as we heard screams of pleading for help.  According to the different pitches of the voices, two children confirmed were inside. A girl and a boy and their voices came from the end of the bus that was already hanging on the cliff and sliding.

"Brother, help us. We are scared. We do not want to die yet." Cried by the boy.

"Mom! Dad! Help us." Cried by the girl.

"Jesus Christ!" Melanie and I whooped in fear at the same time.

Fear and joy occupied my whole body and heart at once as the man spoke inside, because I undoubtedly recognized the owner of the voice so well. I could not be wrong, it was Angelo's voice. Maybe, he was the one being asked for help by the kids. "Don't be afraid. Brother is here, I will save you. I will take you out here. I promise, but before that, you must follow what I say. Understand?"

"Yes! Yes!" The two answered in a trembling voice.

"You two don't move. Even if the bus swings, don't move. Let brother come over, Okay?"

"Yes. Yes. We will listen to you, Brother." Said the boy.

"Good!"

Plenty of police were pulling the bus but they still couldn't pull it off completely due to the slippery cliffs caused by the rain last night. Even if they did not know when they could successfully save the children, they still did not stop pulling the ropes. This was the only hope they could make so that the bus did not fall.

There were also many stranded vehicles from both directions that added to the noise of the surroundings.

After, we did not know what was going on inside because they had quieted down. Coincidentally, I could clearly see that the force of the police was gradually weakening. If the three did not get out sooner, the bus would definitely collapse with the three of them.

"Don't stop pulling." I couldn't help but shout at them.

"Barbie, let's just watch. They're doing everything they can now." Said Melanie.

Sweat as big as peas appeared on the faces of everyone and the rope turned pinkish red. I guessed their palms had hurt.

After a while they all shouted as the ropes slowly slipped from their grip, causing the bus to plunge down.

"No! Don't let go." I shouted again.

"Sir, we can't hold on anymore. Quickly get out of there."  Yelled out from one of them.

It didn't take long and the ropes finally slipped from their hands. The bus swayed before it slid down the cliff. The police even tried to chase the ropes but were unable to pull it again.

My eyes widened. My lips parted but I could not speak even a single letter. My hands were stuck in the air as if I had suddenly become a statue.

"Barbie!" Melanie cried as she shook my arms.

Whoops of terror roared around the place when the bus suddenly exploded from under the cliff.

"Angelo!" Finally, I managed to let out a word.And since everyone was nailed because of shock and frustration of failure of rescuing, I successfully slipped inside. I was not sure if Melanie followed me. I leaned over on the side of the cliff  with my both palms propping on the ground and I sobbed while shouting Angelo's name.

I could not see anything below because only smoke and fire occupied the bottom and the smoke was even rising.

I coughed and coughed as I inhaled the strong bad smell of the smoke.

Soon, there was a heavy breeze passed above me and the sound of clothes as well. At the same time, it was accompanied with the weak voices of the children crying.

"Jesus Christ, they are safe!" A policeman shouted. "Everyone, they are here. They are safe. They were saved. Hurry, help the children."

When I turned around, I saw the back of Angelo, who was wearing his favorite disguise get-up. Black hoodie and black mask. If others barely recognized him with that look, I don't know why, maybe because I know him very well  so even if it's only his presence was very familiar to me and could easily identify it's him.

"Angelo!" I called him again. "Angelo!"

On the second call of his name, he slowly turned around. Police just finished removing the two kids being tied by the seat belt of the bus at Angelo's body.

"Barbie?" He called back.

I did not wait for him to come to me. But as I ran closer towards him, he also ran to meet me and we hugged tightly as we reached out each other's hands.

I sobbed on his chest.

He held my head and cupped my face, "Silly girl, what are you doing here? You are making me worry."

"Bastard. I should be the one to say that. You don't know how scared I am. I thought I would never see you again. I thought-"

I did not finish speaking when he suddenly owned my lips.

After that, he looked at me lovingly straight in my eyes, and said, "Didn't I say to wait for me? Why aren't you listening?"

"You can't stop me from worrying and being scared. I thought you melted with the fire."

Suddenly, someone coughed behind me. As we turned around, we found it was Melanie, and she was giggling, "Barbie, you are really stupid. You should at least use a correct verb to tell something. You should say he has burnt to ashes, not burnt to melt. He is human, not plastic."

Angelo and I looked at each other. We both shrugged and laughed. Then I hugged him again.

"Alright! Let's go home! You two just continue that lovey-dovey act at home. Just give a little respect to a loveless person like me." Said Melanie.

We laughed as we let go from each other's hug. And as I stepped, unexpectedly, my vision darkened and I fell down.

"Barbie!" Melanie and Angelo shouted at the same time which was the last voice I heard before everything around became serene.