|
|
|
|
"The Blank Book" (Part 5) by Joseph Linhardt, ©2003 (From Part 4 ...) They walked out quickly, Aaron leading the way and Jake close behind him. The moment they were out in the hallway, with the door closed behind them, they looked at each other, stunned. Both were too surprised to say anything until they were out of the police station entirely. "This is really creepy," said Jake at last. He swallowed hard. "I don't know how those addresses got there, or even how this book is writing everything we do, but this is really freaking me out!" “So what are we going to do?”
asked Aaron, his voice tense. Jake looked at the book, holding it as
far away from himself as he could without looking conspicuous. “I…I don’t know,” admitted
Jake. “But I’m goin’ home now!” “Y-yeah…me too,” agreed Aaron,
swallowing. “You want to keep it?” asked Jake,
already handing the book to Aaron. Aaron jumped backwards, and almost fell off
the sidewalk. “No way!” he almost shouted. Jake had been only half-serious; he
slowly took the book back. The two friends began walking home, in silence. Since
they lived near each other, they walked most of the way together. When they had
to split up, each boy practically ran the remaining distance to his house! As Jake neared his home, he wrinkled
his nose. A strange smell was in the air. He sniffed again, his eyes half-closed
in concentration. Suddenly, a thick, black cloud caught his eye. “What is that?” he mumbled. His
eyes suddenly widened. “Oh NO!” Jake shouted as he realized that the black
pillar was no cloud; it was smoke! Something big was on fire, near his house!
Jake took off down the street at full speed. In seconds he rounded the last
corner to his home. The sight that greeted him took his breath away completely. His house was burning! A fire truck
had arrived and was sitting in the driveway. Its crew was desperately trying to
put out the fire, but the fire roared higher and higher, crackling as the flames
ate hungrily into the house! Jake could see his mother, standing in the
driveway, frantically waving at the house and crying. Jake realized, with
horror, his mother was the only one outside the house. Where was Sam, his
younger brother? Jake raced up the driveway and over to the nearest firefighter,
his heart pounding. “Where is my brother? Is he out
here? Is he still in the house?” Jake asked frantically. “Son, just stay here!” ordered the
firefighter, sternly. “We are trying to get your brother out. We have a man in
there now!” Jake looked at the flame-engulfed
house. The roof was sagging, the walls crumbling. Over the crackling of the
blaze, he could hear his mother was screaming and crying hysterically. Jake just stood in front of the
house, paralyzed by the sight! Suddenly, he remembered what the firefighter had
said. Sam was still inside the house! Jake took a deep breath. He had to do
something to get Sam out! Jake looked around quickly. No one was
watching him. Without a second thought, he dashed around to the back of the
house, trying to see if he could get in the house through the back door. He was too late; some of the firemen,
including the fire chief, were around back already. They saw him immediately.
The fire chief ran toward him, trying to get him to go back out front. “It’s not safe! The roof is about
to collapse!” he shouted. “But…!” began Jake. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass
rent the air. A desperate shout came from one of the basement windows! The chief
stopped running at Jake and ran back to the window well, with Jake close behind.
Jake and the firemen looked, trying desperately to see through the smoke pouring
out of the broken window. Arms waved through the empty pane! “There he is! Get him out now!”
yelled the fire chief. The smallest fireman immediately
jumped down into the window cell. “No use, sir!” he yelled. “I
can’t fit through that opening!” “Can you reach him?” bellowed the
chief. The fireman pushed his arms through
the windowpanes, straining to reach as far as he could. After a moment, he shook
his head. “No! I’m at least a foot and a
half short!” “We need someone in there to lift
the kid!” shouted the fire chief. He turned to one of his men who had radios
in both hands. “Where is—” he began. Suddenly, another yell issued from the
basement, interrupting the fire chief. The fireman that had been sent into the
house had made it to the basement! He dashed to the window and immediately
sprayed compressed air. The smoke cleared. “Sir!” he shouted, his face dirty
with ash and dust. “If I pick up the kid, can you reach him?” The small fireman nodded.
“Definitely!” He turned to the men around him. “Be ready to help me
pull!” “Okay! Men, get ready!” shouted
the chief. The firemen scrambled into position for the operation. In seconds, everything was ready.
Three firemen stood around the window cell, ready to help pull Sam out. “Ready…pull!” shouted the chief.
In one smooth motion, the fireman inside the house lifted the boy up and out,
and the three gathered around the window cell pulled him out. “OK, get ready!” shouted the chief
to the firemen in the house. “We’re going to try and pull you out!” But before they could do anything, a
rumbling sound was heard. Sickening snap followed. Time seemed to slow down as
everyone looked up. The roof and upper floor of the house collapsed entirely!
The house caved in on itself, unable to withstand the flames that ate into it.
With a deafening rumble and crash, the basement and everything in it was buried
beneath a pile of burning rubble and wood fragments. Smoke billowed upward with
ashes and sparks. “Noooo!” cried the chief. He leaped forward desperately, but the fireman in the house was gone, buried underneath tons of burning, smoking rubble. Want to comment on this article? Please click here for a comments/suggestions form.
|
|
|