Inferno

The roar of the fire coming from all around was deafening. The entire building was being consumed by the flames, but Daniel and his little sister were trapped. Maria was just a baby, who had no idea what was happening other than that it was utterly terrifying. Daniel had been sent by his parents to get her and get out, but as he was struggling to get her out of her baby carriage, the supports of the door had collapsed, and the only way in or out of the room had been sealed. He had no idea what had started the fire, or how it had spread so quickly and done so much damage. All he knew was that if he didn't find a way out quick, he and his sister were goners.

But Daniel wasn't all that old either. He had only recently started the third grade. Part of the reason his parents had sent him was because they knew that he was smaller than they were, and could get under an already collapsed wall in the hallway leading down to Maria's room. He hadn't had time to think or argue. Something in him told him that this wasn't something that should be argued, and he had leapt into action.

Staring at the now sealed door, he was beginning to despise that decision.

The smoke was finally starting to get to him, too, filling his lungs and eyes and making it hard to think straight. It took him far too long to realize that Maria had stopped crying. She had passed out, and he was struck with a fear that perhaps she had already died. He considered if he would have a better chance of escaping if he left her behind, but the flaming rubble that had filled the doorway weren't going to budge for him regardless. Besides, after a bit he realized that he could still feel her breathing, though it was incredibly faint.

Outside, he could hear a distant sound of sirens. He prayed that that meant the fire department had arrived. Surely his parents wouldn't allow them to just leave the two inside. Surely they would report that they were still trapped.

Unless, of course, they hadn't made it out either. If the door to Maria's room had fallen, who was to say that others hadn't done the same? Perhaps his parents had been trapped inside as well. Or worse yet, underneath.

Daniel wanted to cry as his sister had been crying, but it was too hot. Every pore in his body was fighting to keep him cool, but they had already failed. He had never been good about drinking as much as his parents told him, and he was feeling the consequences. He had peed his pants when he had seen the flames, and while that was now dry due to the intense heat, so was the rest of him. He was completely out of water.

He dropped to the ground and wound himself into a tight ball around Maria. His body wracked itself with tearless sobs, and it didn't take long for him to begin to lose consciousness.

The last thing he saw was a single piece of rubble from the doorway pop loose from what looked like a long pole being jabbed through from the other side.