Inferno

***~188~ This Can't Be Real***

Taylor's POV

Time has stood still. I can't even scream anymore. My voice is so hoarse that I can't even scream. I can only writhe in pain. I'm not hearing any screaming from anyone else either. It's totally quiet. Either they can't scream anymore, or they're dead. I almost hope they're dead. I hope I'm the only one still suffering.

After a while, I have no idea how long, I hear yelling.

"Chief!" I hear someone yell. I can't tell if it's Tatum or Jenkins. Hell, I'm so disoriented, it could be our female firefighter Delaney for all I know.

I feel my shelter getting ripped off of me.

"Chief!" Tatum says in a panic. Once he looks at me, he folds into me and cries. "I'm sorry. We got to you as quickly as we could. I can't believe you're still alive" he sobs.

"Liam...Greene...Tony" I get out. I don't even recognize my own voice.

"Greene is alive!" Jenkins says, completely shocked and elated once he takes the shelter off of him.

"Tony!" Delaney gets out. Tony is alive, sir" she says.

"Liam" I yell, trying to sit up and rip the shelter off of him. I'm too weak at the moment to do anything. Tatum hurries up and rips it off of him.

He's not moving.

I swear if I lived and my son died....

Suddenly I see Liam's hand move, and then I see his eyes flicker.

"HE'S ALIVE!!!" Tatum chokes out.

"How the hell did you all survive that?'!?" Tatum sobs.

"How did you get the fire off of us?" I croak.

The wind shifted enough to get the water cannons on. I have no idea. You guys would be dead if the winds hadn't shifted" Tatum says, still crying.

I sit up and Delaney hands me a water bottle.

"Everyone else ok?" I ask.

"Yeah, Chief. The wind has totally died down. We might have a chance to save this town. You just gotta get your ass up!" Tatum says. This is the first emotion other than doom any of us have had in 48 hours. Or 24 hours. Or 36... I have absolutely no idea how long it's been.

I stand up and help Liam up. I hug him tight and cry into his shoulder.

"I was praying for death" he says weakly.

"Me too. Nora and your mom can never know how horrible that was" I say seriously.

He nods his head, in full agreement.

Then I go over to Wes and help him up. I bring him to me and we both sob.

"Have you ever felt such pain?" He asks.

I just shake my head.

"Do I still have my skin?" He asks seriously.

I just nod, giving him a smirk.

We take a few minutes to drink some water, and then we get back to work. All I want to do is cry and go to sleep, but I can't. I've got another chance at life.

I have to save this town.

We work through the night. The wind has totally died down. The retardant that the helicopters are dropping is actually helping. I'm starting to feel optimistic for the first time.

We're working on a section by the mall. We're containing it well, and several areas are almost out. Suddenly I hear a scream.

I rush over, and I see Wes on the floor.