Opening Up (Nolan Holloway TW)

Chapter 10: Up in Flames

TW: minor character death, house fire, hospitalization

Nolan went to his room and texted Alec saying how awful it was. He threw on a sweatshirt and sweatpants, before pulling the blanket around him. He was freezing and exhausted, but also he knew no one was going to rescue him from his nightmare tonight. He managed to doze off as he woke up in some sort of dungeon once again. He smelt fire and figured it was from a lantern or something. He was dreaming, but the smell got worse, and Nolan opened his eyes realizing that it wasn't in his dream. He heard the fire alarms go off next and quickly threw on shoes, grabbed his phone, and saw smoke. He quickly ran towards his mom's room when he realized that side of the house was already in flames. He pushed through the smoke and felt the fire lap at his arm, but he shoved through trying to get to her. He felt a hand pull him back as he was coughing through the smoke.

"Nolan, you have to get out," Parrish looked at him.

"My mom," Nolan said in between coughing. He felt his vision go black as he passed out from the smoke.

Parrish and another deputy had been doing nightly rounds of the town as they saw Nolan's house on fire. He quickly pulled over as his partner called the fire department.

"Are you crazy?" his partner called after the deputy as he went into the flames.

"Trust me, I'm not going to burn," Parrish told him. He managed to see Nolan trying to fight through the flames, saving his life. The boy passed out in his arms; he quickly pulled him out of the house as his partner called an ambulance to come to get him. He tried to go back in for the boy's mother, but it was already too late.

Nolan woke up to the beeping of machines; his arm ached. His lungs still felt like they were filled with smoke. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Nolan!" Alec looked at him awake.

Nolan blinked a few times and registered that Alec, Liam, Theo, Mason, and Corey were in the room.

"Hey," he whispered, trying to pull himself up.

"Slowly," Liam reached down to help him as Alec held his other hand.

"How's my mom?" Nolan looked at them.

He saw all of them glance at each other nervously.

"She's dead," Nolan answered for them.

Mason nodded.

"Parrish went back to get her, but it was already too late," Liam told him.

"I shouldn't have let him take me out," Nolan muttered.

"Nolan, you would be dead if he didn't," Alec told him. Nolan didn't respond.

"It was Monroe wasn't it?" Nolan looked at them.

"How'd you guess?" Liam asked.

"Monroe knew where I lived and knew I was usually alone, a housefire is easy to play off as an accident."

"The police found evidence of arson this morning," Theo told him.

"So, it's my fault my mom is dead," Nolan said quietly.

"It's not your fault; you didn't know Monroe was going to a psychopath when you joined her," Liam started realizing what the boy was thinking and decided he should just stop.

Theo kicked him also indicating to shut up.

Melissa came in when she heard their voices, "how are you feeling Nolan?"

"Okay," Nolan told her.

"You have a second-degree burn on your arm; how's your breathing?" she asked him.