Chapter Three

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Isadora Quagmire was woken up from her sleep by shouting downstairs and she bolted upright in her bed. She rolled her eyes and began to lie back down as she heard either Duncan or Quigley - she could tell the difference between their appearances, but not their voices - yelling. The eleven-year-old sighed quietly. She loved Duncan, and she loved Quigley, but both of them, especially Quigley, could be so stubborn sometimes.

Her mother ran into her room.

"I heard the shouting," she smiled sleepily. "What happened?"

"Isadora, come with me." she said.

"Why?" She murmured. It was true that even Isadora - who was usually sweet and kind - could be as stubborn as her brothers.

"Isadora, just come with me." she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of sternness and urgency.

"Alright," she said. She practically rolled out of bed. Her mother grabbed her hand with one of her own, and picked up Isadora's pitch black commonplace book and pencil with the other.

"Where are we going?" Isadora asked as her mother's walk began to swiftly speed up.

Her mother sighed as if she had been keeping some dreadful secret from her. "There's a fire."

Her dark brown eyes widened in surprise as soon as the last word fell out of her mouth. "Near the house," she asked anxiously. "or in the house?"

"In the house." her mother said urgently.

She was scared for herself, scared for her parents, and scared for her brothers - but she couldn't help feeling a little pleased that her mother saved her commonplace book from the fire.

But when she saw the flames licking through the corridor, she didn't feel pleased anymore. In fact, she would gladly throw her book into the fire if it would stop it. She screamed and ran to the door with her mother.

She ran out of the house, appreciating the fresh air that had reached her at last.

Her eyes widened again and a smile formed on her face. Duncan was standing outside the house. His face lit up when he saw her.

"Duncan!" she cried as she ran to hug him.

"Isadora!" he said happily, hugging her back.

They pulled apart.

"Where's Father?" she asked.

"Where's Mother?" he asked, at the exact same time as she had spoken. "He went inside to find you, Quigley, and Mother." he added, answering her question first.

A sickly feeling formed in Isadora's stomach as she gripped her book.

"Duncan," she whispered. "I think they're still inside the house."

They watched as the last bit of house fell to the ground.

That was the moment they knew their parents and brother were gone.

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