Chapter 12
Smoke hung low inside shed. Heat pressed against my face. I clutched rabbit tight in left arm, hose heavy in right hand, brass nozzle dripping. Mommy knelt beside Daddy where rope bound his torso.
Mommy had returned, out of breath, kitchen shears in hand. Gray handles, orange rust speck near screw. She'd run across yard, grass damp, then back through smoke. Her eyes watered. She coughed, then steadied.
Daddy leaned forward, white shirt torn at shoulder, chest tattoo dark with sweat and soot. Thick natural fiber rope coiled around his ribs, knot tight behind his back. He couldn't reach it. He'd tried. Rope burned slightly where embers had kissed it, fibers frayed.
Mommy slid blade under lowest coil. Metal caught. She pulled.
Rope resisted. She reset grip, both hands now. I watched her knuckles whiten. She cut.
First coil snapped. Fibers popped, one by one. Shirt tore more as blade slipped, white fabric ripping open along chest seam. Daddy hissed. Not cry, just breath through teeth.
"Hold still," Mommy said, voice hoarse.
She cut second coil. Then third. Rope fell loose in heavy loops around his waist, then dropped to wet concrete with splash. Water from hose had pooled there, reflecting orange flame light. Rope landed, soaked, steaming faintly.
Daddy's shoulders released. He rolled them, then pressed palms against floor to push himself up. Knees shook. Smoke had weakened him. He'd breathed too much inside this box while bound, unable to crouch low. He coughed hard, doubled over, then forced himself upright.
I still held hose. Water flowed, weak but steady, sputtering from brass nozzle onto floor near flames. Steam rose where water hit hot concrete, hissing, creating thin white cover between us and fire along back wall. Flames licked up wooden studs, hungry.
Daddy reached for me first, not rope, not door. His hand found my shoulder, then slid around my back, lifting me slightly. Rabbit stayed crushed between us, one long ear over his forearm. He pulled me close, soot on his cheek against my hair.
"You did good," he said, quiet, still hoarse. "You stayed."
Mommy grabbed hose from my hand for second, yanked it aside so we wouldn't trip. She tossed loose rope coils away from exit path with foot. Then she took my hand, her other hand on Daddy's arm.
Fire cracked loud behind us. Shelf along back wall collapsed, sparks burst up. Heat surged. Smoke thickened, then parted where hose water made steam.
Daddy pushed us toward door, hand firm between my shoulder blades. He stumbled, caught himself on doorframe, black iron latch dark above us. Daylight waited beyond gap, bright gray, air clean.
We moved together, three bodies low, smoke above our heads. My bare foot slipped on wet concrete, pink sock soaked, then caught. Daddy lifted me next step, carrying me now, rabbit still in my grip, hose dragging beside us, water still dribbling from nozzle, leaving wet line across threshold.
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We crossed into yard. Cool air hit my face. I gasped. Cough ripped from my chest, then Daddy's, then Mommy's. Grass felt cold under my feet. Sound changed, fire roar muffled now behind us, contained still inside shed, flames flaring higher through open doorway, smoke pouring out in column above roof.
Daddy set me down but kept hold of my hand. He swayed, then steadied with Mommy's shoulder. We stood outside shed, all three together, daylight on our faces, shed burning behind us, rope cut and left inside on wet floor.
