Love Torn

3. Eyes Wide Open

I don't wake up by myself, yet a hot presence. I slowly open my eyes and the light blinds me. It's almost like I'm staring directly at a... fire! There is a fire in the house! I rush out of bed right as I hear Athinia's scream.

"Catt!" I don't even have to hesitate before rushing through my door and running downstairs; not even caring about the fire all around me. Athinia lies under a large wooden board- which came from the ceiling- struggling to get loose. I move the heavy board off her frail body, and she darts into my arms. I hold her up and rush upstairs as fast as my legs can go. The fire is burning hot-compared to the cold we usually feel-and I can't take much more of this. Walls collapse around us and I'm terrified. The house is barely recognizable now, and I don't know which way to go! I keep turning around trying to find the front door, but it's almost impossible now. All in a second I hear the pop of a window giving out to the heat, and glass shatters everywhere. I hold Athinia close to my chest and protect her from the glass while I get a large shard in my right arm. I scream; for it is severely hot and hurts very badly. I switch Athinia into my left arm and pull the glass completely out of my other; leaving a huge gouge left in its place. Athinia's scared eyes look at mine as she yells at me to keep moving; but my arms feel weaker and I don't remember how to work anything. I drop the bloody piece of glass and listen to the fire crackle at its presence. I come back into reality when Athinia screams my name again. I take a step forward right when the walls in front of us collapse at my feet. I jump back tripping over a hot log and dropping Athinia onto the ground. I crawl up from the log and try to grab Athinia back, but everything is so blurry I can barely see. The smoke and fog overlaps me and breathing is almost impossible. I hear my name one last time before everything goes black and I'm pulled under.

The dizziness doesn't help my awakening, and neither do the bright lights but soon my eyes slowly open. I prop myself up with my elbows and I immediately feel the pain. I rest back down, and look at my arm -the one which had the glass shard in it. There are five small stitches placed evenly down and I'm surprised I didn't awake when they put them in; since I'm deathly afraid of needles. I run my fingers across the smooth threaded stitches, sucking in the pain it brings. My whole body seems raw and sore, but I slowly sit up again; groaning the whole way. I didnt recognize the room I was in at first but soon I knew exactly. I'm in one of the Rateno's spare hospital rooms one in which Mrs. Rateno uses for her hospital patients.  

A couple minutes pass and soon I hear the doorknob to the room pull open. Walking in with a tray of vials is Calix! I gasp right when he looks my way. His face turns to excitement as soon as he looks my way.

"Cattlin!" he says placing the tray on the counter and rushing over to me. His hug on me is tight and I moan out slugishly. "Sorry, forgot." He says sitting next to me on the bed. "You finally woke up, I was afraid you never were-" he says solemnly cutting off. I nod and try to say something back but my throat is killing and I can barely speak. I try to breathe steadily but nothing works. I gasp and gasp for air since and it's beginning to be hard so Calix gets me an air mask. He holds it steady against my mouth as I take huge gulps of air. It's weird having to wear one of these and I keep wondering where they got this from in the first place.  

After about three minutes I breathe better so I place my hand on his and remove the mask. For the first time in a long time our eyes meet slowly. His blue ones against my green ones make my heart rapidly increase in speed.

"Did you save Athinia?" I ask hoarsely, barely getting the words out and never leaving his eyes.

"Of course. But I wasn't alone, another neighbor came and helped, he brought back Athinia while I brought back you." all that is running through my mind right now is that Calix had saved our lives! I don't even know how I can repay him for this; I know I can't. Then I think hard about something else. The fire. The blazing hot burning fire; which surrounded us. The fire in which almost killed us.

"Did you get...hurt." I hesitate. He releases my stare and lifts up his sleeve, showing multiple large burn marks on arm. I gasp but not for needing air, from shock. Calix has permanently hurt himself for me and Athinia's safety. I completely sit up and crawl over to him looking at the burns. They look bad and I'm surprised he's not in pain -unless he's hiding it.

"Calix!" I breathe loudly. He immediately covers it back up and hugs me again.

"I don't care about that, I care about you Cattlin." I smile -even though he can't see it- and realize how great he is. We stay in each other's arms for a while until I feel like someone had just thrown a stone at me -though they haven't- and I need to see Athinia. I release his grip and rush to the door.

"Where's Athinia! Where is she?" I fret. Calix comes over to me and grips my hand pulling me back to my bed.

"You'll see her soon. She's fine." Calix places me back under the covers and I start to panic. That is always what someone says when they aren't fine. I push Calix back unexpectedly and rush for the door again; my body hurting badly now. I open it up and notice Calix's parents and Keri's father; Len, all standing in the living room. They all stop their conversation and stare at me.

"Cattlin!" Mrs. Rateno says frantically rushing up to me. Calix comes to me as well and grabs my waist from behind locking his fingers around my stomach.

"I'm sorry mum; I was just putting her back to bed." he says turning me on my heel. I fight his hands off me and stand my ground; almost falling forward in the process.

"I need to see Athinia." I say looking past her shoulders and into the red eyes of Len. He seems upset by something, but I dont know what. I look back at Mrs. Rateno and her eyes stay locked on mine as she offers her hand out; laeding me into a different room.... Calix at my heel. The room in which she brings me into is like mine, but less bright. Athinia lies asleep on her bed; her face blotched with just a small amount of smoke and sweat from the hot presence of the heater running. I run up to her and kneel down beside the bed, wiping her forehead clean. When she doesnt wake up I start to worry.

"We put some morphing in her, and she went out like a light. She's fine, just needs resting." Mrs. Rateno says kindly. I comb through Athinia's brown hair with my quivering fingers and every touch makes me have horrible flashbacks of her screams. The screams which made me realize how precise life really is; how you don't know what'll happen next. A single tear drops down my cheek and rests at the curve of my lip. I shake my head and try to get the screams out of my thoughts; but they won't leave me. An extremely bright light over-runs my vision and I grasp the bed in front of me for support.

"Cattlin?" I hear Calix say from behind me. I keep trying to shake the feeling off me, but the screaming gets worse in my mind and I swear my grip will break this bed. Everything's silent for a while until I hear her sweet little gossamer voice.

"Are you okay?" I slowly open my eyes and see Athinia looking into mine. I smile and then hug her; forgetting everything in which worried me. Her warm hands wrap around my back and makes me feel a whole lot better.

"Athinia, I'm so sorry I tripped." I say releasing her grip and looking back into her eyes. Her blueberry colored ones glare back at my green ones. Everyone says I look like my mother -since I have her sandy blonde hair, and Athinia looks like my father; and I have to agree with them.  

I hear the door click closed and I know Calix and Mrs. Rateno are gone. It's a relief though; I need some alone time with her.  

I sit on the rim of her bed and we talk for a long time about the fire, who saved us, why we shouldn't be afraid here and things like that; but the one thing which has been banging on the back of my head is how the fire started? We had never used the stove and we had put out the fire from dinner. It just doesn't make sense.  

I look back at Athinia and notice her eyes drooping closed. I kiss her forehead slowly and go to turn off a couple of the lights before leaving gingerly. When I get out into the living room I notice Len still there. His face looks sad and very idle while he stands and listens to Mr. Rateno go on about the fire.

"What's going on?" I ask coming over. Len looks ashamed and Mr. Rateno has to incite him to keep talking. I get irritated fast and I don't know why; I'm never really felt this way before. Finally Len speaks and when he does it's very low.

"I owe you a great and abundant apology. The fire was completely and utterly my fault.."