velvet sickness

chapter two

fighting the darkness


"victor?"

i cocked my head to the side, imitating a  dog, to show i didn't understand. i glanced behind be to see bolders of fire eating away at the five story building. one thought had crossed my mind, what happened?

i started to cough an uncontrollable nasty hack. this gained attention from the paremedics but they were to busy with other people to do anything.

i jerked my head around looking for a familiar face, but the only ones i recongized are the woman from the front desk and, victor. no mom or george. i hope she's okay, she must be tired right now, the last thing she needs is running out of a fire. how did it start? is everyone okay? was it an accident or a prank gone wrong?

i coughed again, and almost choked.

my thought's were inturupted by a man with short brown hair and a fancy mustache. he wrapped a blanket around me. WHY??!?? as soon as he turned around i pulled off the blanket and set it behind me. i'm not cold, in fact quite the opposite.

i gave out a soft cough this time, the smoke in my lungs tickled my throat.

it glanced back at victor who appeared to be staring intensively at me. perhaps i have cancer or worse, nothing at all. he didn't blink. he wouldn't blink. it was as if his life depended on him to stare at me.

i waved a hand over his face.

"hello, anyone home?" this gained nothing.

"hello, your staring." and again nothing.

"victor!" i yelled.

his reactive jump reseambled a rocket ship going into space. he jumped so high, i'm sure micheal jordan is jealous. i chuckled a bit at this.

"sorry, must've zoned out i was thinking." he stated, while awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"interesting. what were you thinking about so intensly?????" i asked.

the man wrapped me again, as soo as he saw i wasn't wearing it anymore. I'M NOT COLD!

"look..." i glanced at his nametag. "bill, i'm not cold, i'm not depressed or disturbed i am not injured to the point that i might die in the next five minutes, so will you please stop putting this blanket on me?!?" i asked now standing at the edge of the van.
he nodded and i sat back down. "thank you."

"you were thinking...." i said to victor.

he was staring again.

out of the corner of my eye i saw something flickering. i looked around, for something reflective or flashy. the only thing there was a man on his phone. i thought it might have been something inside being burned.

i looked through the windows, seeing nothing but fire. that is until i came across a one, three windows to the right of the big hopsital sign one the second floor. i saw a gown waving up and down. perhaps in an attempt to put out the fire, or a signal. i looked at victor, yep still staring.  ijumped off the van and started to walk up to the front, to get a better look. .

it was a man and a kid at the window. well great. i crawled under the tape and carefully climbed into the currently burning building. i jumped over a few charis that had been lite and found my way walking towards the stairs. i stopped infront of them. i was terrified. what am i doing?

i gathered up all my courage and climbed the stairs until i reached the second floor. there was something in front of the door, blocking my path. i turned around and walked back down. then i face the stairs again and jolted up the steps and into the door. i knocked down what looked like a filing cabinet to the floor. ijumped over that and started for the hallway. there were rooms everywhere! great. arted running down the hall jerking my head left to right, looking in each room as i go.

"empty, empty, dead person, empty, office, empty, bingo." i said to myself.

i had found the man and child sitting next to each other by the window. they had their shirt over their mouths. i walked up to the door and imediatley noticed the frame had been lite as well. i jumped over the ankle high fire and almost fell into the room.

my coughing had returned and it wasn't pretty. i jumped infront of them. i reached a hand for each of them and they took it quickly. the boy jumped onto my back,for some reason. i guess it be faster this way.

with jumpy on my back i lead, the older man out of the room and into the hallway. we walked, correction ran, towards the stairs until i saw part of the ceiling had collaped leaving the stairs as a bad choice of direction to head to. i lead him and the boy, to the other side of the hospital, an frankly it looked like a video game. jumping over burning things, trying to get to the finish line alive.

there was a hopspital bed infront of the door on fire. one good push and we're home free. i grabbed the steaming hot bars and pushed them aside before my hands started to blister up. might i say FREAKING OUCH THAT HURT!! we ran down the steps and reached the bottom, or me and the kid did. the man had cut his leg on a piece of wood. i set the boy down and told him where to go, in seconds he jumped over desks and through walls of fire. he made it safely. i ran up the stairs AGAIN, and ended upcutting my leg in the process. great. i pulled the person up into a standing position,or standing half limping, and i carried him out with him on my shoulders. this guy wieghts a ton. we finaly made it to the door and outiside when the buildon collapses. whew. a bunch a paremedics rished in a dragged us away from the debris. i was still coughing up a hairball, but at least those guys are safe.  

speaking of family.

"MOM!" I yelled.

"MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?!?" no response

i was carried into another van, and wrapped in that freaking blanket.

i saw victor climb in and sit across from me.

"have you seen my mother? she was in there, and i don't know if she made it back yet" i harshly spoke. my throat was badly damaged but a good cup of lemon juice and hot water should clear it right up.

he held my hand in both of his.

"why were you sleeping in the bathroom?" he asked.

"what does that have to do with weither or not my mother is alive?" i asked as a responce.

"it doesn't but i want to know, why were you in their, and why asleep? he asked again

"i think that's a bit too personal to be dishing out family issues right now, but i have a revelent question. HAVE YOU SEEN MY MOTHER??!!??!!??"i half asked half screamed.

he let go of my hand and left, started to leave.

"Wait! what are you doing? don't leave." i said  he truned around and looke at me demandingly.

"FINE, i don't like my stepfather, okay. i went to the bathroom because that's the only place in there that he can't go into. i feel asleep because i was tired." this made him sit back down.

"i answered your question, now answer mine." i ordered.

before he could bill i think, stuck a needle in my arm, without warning,i fell asleep again. my eye's fluttered close and the rest of me relaxed completly. after a few minuted i felt like mush on a table.

~~~flashback~~~

i ran up the wooden steps of our range  and was greeted my mr. whiskers, my cat. he climbed on my dress andonto my back, he then rested on my shoulder. i flew through the front door and into the living room. mom and dad where sitting on the couch cuddling, and watching a movie.

when mom saw me and mr. whiskers she gasped.

"josephine, what are you doing up, you have school tomorrow, or did you forget you were starting first grade." she said while scooping me up.  she laid me down in my oversized bed and kissed me goodnight. whiskers laid on my stomach protecting me from bad dreams.

i loved this. this feeling of security.

my dream was interupted my george standing over me, covered in blood holding a knife above my head.

i jolted up from the bed they had me on. my face was covered in sweat and terror was writted in my face. i could tell by the looks bill and victor gave.