CHAPTER 4

The pharmacy was the closest place from home. It was the only pharmacy the town had and they seized every opportunity to boast about it. It became widely known when the pharmacist, Sir Facy supposedly prescribed a medication that revived an 'almost dead' child - if I`m to quote the towns people. Not even up to half of them were around to witness the incident, but Pharmacist Facy and a few eye witness were fast to gain that piece of cake, its popularity.

In my opinion, the whole thing was exaggerated. Sir Facy was fairly good at his job or so the town thinks but I'm pretty sure the child- who I know more than anyone - wasn't close to death as the people say.

After the incident, people believed greatly in Mr Facy and felt that they could never get cured of their illness until they went to him. All of these in my books is rather unnecessary and dare I say, gullible.

It is the true that I was terribly injured that day, but something terrible also happened to my family that day and suprisingly, no one knew or they did but preferred to keep silent about it since they didn't want to destroy one of the good things they had in the town because if there is one thing I'm sure of, a parrot wouldn't hold a torch to a these people.

The little stone at the back of our house is a constant reminder that more than one soul was lost that day. I was just ten years old but I remember how it happened and why I'd forever blame myself for it.

The weirdly shaped orange with a hint of blue thing that sat on a white stick and was slowly melting was fascinating as it flickered when there was a slight shift in the direction of air. Mom had warned me severely to step away from the candle light, I did but just for some minutes, approaching it once more to test its will to stay lit when mom went to our neighbor to grab something.

I remember putting my hands through the flame, hissing and crying at the pain it caused as I jumped away from it. The speed of my flee made the candle fall off the table and rolled to the wall, directly on our newly purchased curtain.

The fact that the light was still on was shocking as I expected it to turn off. The once little orange flame started to increase as it transferred from the candle to the curtain. I stared in awe at first, but became worried when the whole place became dark and I could barely see a thing.

I quickly ran to my room hoping to escape the anger of the beautiful colored, but wicked fire. I mean, it burned my hand! I started to cough as smoke entered my room from beneath the door. I heard a male's voice yelling "where is he!"

I'm here Dad! I wanted to say but a handful of smoke went up into my lungs as I opened my mouth making me cough in an attempt to get it out.

I was on the floor when the door was opened forcefully, I didn't lock the door though...they didn't have to break it down, or did I?

My senses seemed to fail me at that point, I was lifted off the floor by strong hands, definitely dad's.

" Aurora you shouldn't be here! I told you to wait outside the house. The baby!"

" I couldn't stay outside and do nothing when my baby boy is in here."

"You have a little baby inside you to think of!"

"Let's go already, the fire is spreading" The argument was making my head pound in a vicious way.

We went out the door to the living room. it was engulfed in flames. The wood already falling off from being weakened by the fire.

Mom was behind us barely able to see from the smoke. We were all coughing at this point. Fire service should be here by now but there was no one. Mom became very weak as her pace slowed down, she must have inhaled more smoke. The cloth placed on my nose prevented smoke from getting into my nose.

Dad got me out before noticing that mom didn't come out with us. Tears pooled in my eyes as I cried for my Mother. I was placed in the arms of one of the neighbors standing outside doing nothing as Dad went back inside to get her.

I sniffled back the mucus coming out from my nose when I saw dad with mom in his arms. They were so close to the threshold, so close... but a plank covered in fire hit dad so hard that he fell, he pushed mom with all his strength out the door giving me a faint smile with tears in his eyes. I yelled for the people to help him but they were all afraid to go inside a house that would collapse any minute... and it did.

I wailed as the weakened house fell on dad, snuffing his last breath. The whole place began spinning as I heard people crying.

They are all fake, FAKE! They stood there and watched him die, their tears were useless. They will pay, they will all pay. I thought as I was dragged in the abyss of darkness.