Redemption

Chapter 5

"What is freaking going on?" I demand. "There are people in there! Children!"

I don't understand what exactly is running through my mind. Smoke clogs my lungs. My throat feels raw. I try to swallow, but I am greeted with a pain similar to small paper cuts. I am going to die. I turn towards my sisters and meet their eyes.

Claire's eyes are full of fear. Meghan's eyes are full of confusion, but there is something else. Her eyes show a spark. She was born to be a rebel. In time, I will too. Some, are just born with that spark of determination and others, like myself and Claire, are replaced with fear.

The building is burning, I remind myself. I grab both of their hands. I turn to the rebel, "We need to get out of here! Now!".

We race through the door and into the hallway. I hear screams and coughs, children wraith in pain. The air is poison. I turn to my sisters and make the motion of covering my mouth and my nose. The air would poison us and seep into our lungs, possessing them until we were no more.

My eyes water. We pass two more exits. They are blocked with fire.

I follow the boy to the end of a suite. 

"Where do we go?" I ask. 

His reply, is a finger pointing right. I pick up my pace. Claire and Meghan follow. As I push in front of the rebel, I find a hallway that hasn't yet been licked by the flames.

"This way!" I yell.

I begin to lead through doors and classrooms. There has to be an exit. Finally, we come to a room with a large window planted in the wall. The only issue is that we are two stories up. I turn to the others. "This is our exit. Follow me." I instruct.

I turn around. As I open the window, Claire shouts. Similar to my first time speaking out, her voice cracks. The flames have reached the door.

"Let's go!" I yell. Timidly, I step onto a ridge just outside the window. I beg myself not to look down. Don't look Avery, just keep moving forward. I hug the brick wall. One slip, and I fall. I can't bear to think of leaving Claire and Meghan alone.

A cement statue is planted a few meters away. It is also close to the first story. The statue is around four feet down. If I can reach the statue I can guide the others to me.

I heard a saying once. I honestly do not remember where or who I heard it from. It was a common phrase used long ago. The phrase has been gone now. All creative words have dissipated.

Take a leap of faith Avery. What a leap of faith was, I don't know. I can only guess that it means to make a descision, a decision that put your life or dignity on the line. I have to trust in myself to push through the obstacle.

Whether or not to take the phrase as a metaphor or otherwise is not known to me. I take it literally.

Beneath me, the concrete supports begin to crack. Fear builds up inside of me. If I jump, my siblings and the rebel will fall. If I let them jump before I do, I risk all of our lives. If we are to slow or apply too much pressure to one area, our support will crumble. We will all fall to our deaths.

I shake both of the scenarios out of my head. I will find my own way.

"Meghan, you are the lightest. Come on," I say. Meghan makes her way towards me. I back up against the wall and help her around.

"Meghan, listen, do you see that statue?" I motion to the cement carving ahead. The ridge made a cracking sound. I look down, the ridge's splits began to branch out.

"Yes, Avery I'm terrified." she says. Her eyes still hold the spark.

"Don't be. Take a leap of faith Meg." I reply. She nods. Meghan lets go of my hand and jumps over the ridge fractures and down onto the statue. She lands with a thud.

She grabs onto the statue's base and pulls herself up as the rest of the ridge closest to me crumbles.

"Claire! Come here!" I say. She nudges towards me. Claire's eyes are full of tears. "I can't do it. I'll fall Avery." she whispers. I kiss her head.

"No you will not. I would never let that happen. I promise." my voice fills with pain as I talk. What if I couldn't keep the promise? What if she did fall? I shudder at the thought.

Claire looks at me and shifts her focus to the statue. Meghan was holding onto an area of the animal. One of her hands extends for Claire.

Claire jumps off the ridge. As she falls, I notice a flaw. She hasn't jumped far out enough.

"Claire!" I scream. "Claire! Reach for Meghan!" I yell. My heart pounds. Claire reaches for Meghan, but grabs only air. I scream louder.

A second more passes and Claire catches onto the edge of the statue. She screams for Meghan. Meghan tries to pull her up, but her strength is weak.

Meghan starts to cry, "Hold on Claire! I can hold you."

Claire is dangling from a story up. She is holding onto the statue with one hand. It is the best to keep concentrated. I look at the rebel.

"What do we do?" I said.

"I will lower you down to the ridge below us. That statue cannot hold anymore weight. Then, you can help pull up your sister." he replies instantly.

I knit my eyebrows. "Surely the ridge we are on will crumble. How will you survive?" I ask quickly.

"One thing at a time," he says.

He grabs me by the armpits and swings me off the ledge. My new destination is down low enough for me to grab Claire and pull her down to my level, along with Meghan.

He lowers me down. It is the furthest he can. The building is beginning to burn the flammable construction pieces on the outside of the building. I drop onto the ledge. I stumble as I hit the concrete.

Meghan strains to hold onto Claire. I grab Claire's waist and pull her to safety. Meghan scoots around the statue and drops down.

I look up. The rebel boy is beginning to manuver down the way we had just come. We don't have time to wait for him. I run across the ledge. A rusty ladder is hastily screwed to the brick. I test it with my weight. It should hold. I climb down and put my feet on sturdy ground. Claire and Meghan follow. Soon, the rebel is on our heels too.

We are all safe. I look at my sisters. Both of their faces are smudged with dirt and smeared with sweat.

The rebel stares blankly at me.

"Okay rebel, we just escaped a burning building. What now?" I can't help forcing anger into my words. There were innocent lives lost. All of this happened for a stupid rebellion idea. Who knows if it will even be a success.

"First of all, I have a name. Second, the Government is probably looking for survivors around the perimeter. We cannot be captured for questioning." he says stubbornly.

"What is your name?" I asks. 

He grins, "Mac."

"Well, Mac, we need a plan. What do you have in mind?"

He smiles, "Nothing."