I Left Before the Bells Rang

The prayer room was a wooden annex of the mansion, and the fire took hold fast.

I scrambled to my feet, yanking at the door, but it was locked tight from the outside.

Smoke billowed, stinging my eyes shut, and I stumbled back to a corner untouched by flames.

Just when I was sure I was a goner, the door burst open, and Tracy and Jim barreled in.

I looked at him, begging with my eyes, but when Jim saw me crumpled on the floor, his gaze flickered.

The kneeling pad was nearly swallowed by fire, and without a second thought, he turned his back on me. Watching him walk away, my hope shattered.

Tracy yelled out, "Elias, save Dorothy!"

She stamped her foot, frustration clear, and dove back into the inferno.

As she got close, I caught her sneer. Then she slapped herself hard across the face.

The sound of the slap rang out, and she hit the floor. I could not believe my eyes.

Jim heard the commotion, spun around, scooped up Tracy, and shot me a poisonous look. "If you're so keen on staying in the fire, be my guest!"

He then calmly instructed the servants, who were scrambling with buckets, "Forget the fire. She'll let you know when she's ready to come out. Then you can save her."

I closed my eyes with a wry smile.

Seven years together, and it was nothing compared to a handful of photos.

…

However, I did not die.

When I opened my eyes again, the sharp scent of disinfectant stung my nose.

I locked eyes with my son, his gaze red and raw. A mix of relief and regret washed over me.

"Dorothy, if you're going to die, do it somewhere quiet, on your own. Don't take anyone else down with you!"

Jim's eyes were laced with red veins, betraying his weariness.

"Tracy tried to save you out of the goodness of her heart, and you nearly got her killed. Do you get that?"

I could not help but let out a mocking laugh.

"What's so funny? She's still out cold from the shock, right over there. You're going to owe her an apology!"

My son's voice wavered with tears. "Mom, you were playing with danger, and when Aunt tried to save you, she got knocked down. You really need to say sorry."

I burst into laughter, unable to contain it any longer. "Elias, Alan, were you really just waiting by my bed to lecture me about apologies?"

He paused, caught off guard. Just as he was about to reply, the nurse announced that Tracy had come to.

Father and son dashed to the next room as if their lives depended on it.

I closed my eyes slowly, tears trailing down my face.

Three days can feel like an eternity, I mused.

Before I could open my eyes again, Jim was lifting me up. "Tracy's in tears, blaming herself for your injuries. Go and clear things up!"

As the fire raged, timbers tumbled down, and I instinctively reached out to shield myself.

He grabbed my burned arm tightly, and I winced, recoiling from the pain.

He scowled. "What's your problem?"

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with sorrow. "Elias, I'm not causing trouble. I just wanted to go where Jim went. Is that too much to ask?"

His grip softened, a flicker of compassion in his eyes.

Then we heard Tracy's daughter, her voice laced with panic. "It's awful. Mom's passed out from crying."

He started pulling me frantically, not caring as the bandages unraveled and my wounds scraped against the ground.

He dragged me to Tracy's bedside, where they commanded me to stand. "If Tracy doesn't wake up, you're going to stand there until she sees you and forgives you."

The burns on my hands and feet stung fiercely, but that pain was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

Tracy lay on the bed, unconscious, her eyelids fluttering.

I bent over and yelled with a heavy heart, "Tracy, I'm sorry!"

My voice echoed so loudly that onlookers in the hallway gathered to see what was happening. Tracy woke up, more out of necessity than desire.

I looked up numbly. "Can I go back to my bed for treatment now, Elias?"

He just stared at the bloodstains on the floor, his brow furrowed, silent. My son had already been giving me looks of disdain.

With Tracy's smug eyes on me, I used all my strength to leave the room.

At the doorway, I could still hear her whining to him, "Dorothy's injuries look so bad. They're scaring me."

Because of her act, I ended up in the general ward downstairs, since there were no beds left.

They put me in the hallway of the ward.

All through the night, I lay there, listening to the coughs echoing down the corridor, enduring the searing pain, waiting for the morning light.