Terror at 14 Circle

A terrible feeling of suffocation woke Lacy up. Their bedroom was dense with smoke. In an attempt to escape, she struggled with the bed sheets. Now soaked with sweat they clung to her body. The sheets had become an animal with Lacy caught in its teeth. Finally, she was untangled from the bed.

"Jerry, where are you?' She was screaming.

'No good SOB, he probably started this. Let's see, there are things I can do. Low to the floor, feel doors to see how hot it is behind them.'

'Her children, she had to get to them fast. This place is a cardboard box.' Her thoughts were racing.

'First get Suzy, at six, she could run next door. Then Nathan, only three, in his crib. They were all that mattered.'

She grabbed a wet towel from their tiny bath; covering her face. 'What if she drank like Jerry?' She thought. 'They would all die.'

Lacy had to pass through the living room to get to the kids' tiny bedrooms.

There he was, the king, in his filthy recliner with beer cans all around. She knew what had happened. He had fallen asleep drunk; a dangling cigarette had been the trigger to destroy and now the monster was a flaming inferno. She felt nothing but contempt.

Her head pounded and lungs screamed as smoke blinded her eyes. She knew opening any door would cause the fire to burn quicker. She remembered oxygen feeds the flames.

Lacy grabbed Suzy, shaking her awake. She saw flames dancing, leaping toward her in the hall as she pushed her daughter out the bedroom window screen.

Suzy was crying so hard she couldn't breath. She was afraid and couldn't hear Lacy. Lacy popped the side of Susie' face.

"Baby, run to Doris! Bang on her door til she comes! Scream, if she don't come, go to Mr. Donnie's. Somebody gotta call 911."

She pushed her daughter out of the window screen. The poor kid was crying again but she ran for Doris' house right next door.

Next was Nathan. She couldn't see or breathe but she knew every inch of this matchbox. "'Dear God in heaven, if you are real, please help me save my baby".

She crawled along the floor, flames licking at her knees, feeling her way.

Nathan's room was straight across the hall. She was fighting panic; heart was racing, her lungs felt like they would burst.

Then she heard the cheap windows popping like fire crackers. She had seen what a tornado had done with cheap trailers.She heard people screaming outside and a siren still too far away.

She felt for the crib and pulled her son close. His breathing was a smothering noise. Flames were at her back now as the walls seemed to melt. She felt for the metal window, so hot her hand stuck to it. She screamed as the searing pain traveled from her hand to her arm and shoulder. She took a deep breath, reached down inside her last reservoir of courage and pulled her hand loose, skin clung to the window.

At this point Lacy was in shock. She wanted to die to escape the pain. But first she had to save this baby and then she could let the flames take her. These kids never asked to be born into this lousy family.

Someone broke the other window and pulled Lacy and Nathan to safety. Lacy collapsed into hands that could help her for now.

Suzy was such a smart beauty with her singed golden curls, sooty black face and huge blue eyes. then Nat, her sweet baby at three sucking his thumb. Will he remember this?

One of the brawny firefighters came over, "Is there any one else in the home, mam? We did find a body in the living room. He is covered with massive burns. I am sorry."

"Don't be. I am sure his beer and cigarettes caused this tincan inferno."


By Kathie Stehr
Edited May 2012