12
Fire
411
"When's Mama coming?"
Jon-tai asked with weary tears as he tugged on the monkey's sleeve "She's been gone forever."
The monkey sighed and picked the little boy up. It had been nearly two weeks since his mother had left him and ever since his questions had been constant. Where had she gone? When was she coming back? Was she alright?"
It was the same with many other children, but no less heartbreaking.
"Later, it's time for bed now."
Jon-tai fidgeted with his stick beneath the blanket while the rest of the children fell asleep on their mats.
Finally, restless and filled with an unsettled feeling that his young head couldn't place he crawled out from the blankets and up to the small window. He scuffled with the shutters and finally managed to get them open, then swung himself up onto the sill and stared out, the winter air biting at his legs.
He shivered and pulled his knees up to his chest, in the same act dislodging the lit lantern that was hung just above his head.
He squeaked in dismay as it shattered behind him and almost instantly the dry grass mat he'd been lying on caught alight.
The other children began to wake up when they heard the crash of breaking glass, then screams began to fill the room as smoke poured up from the burning mat.
Terrified of the fire, Jon-tai tumbled forwards out of the window and onto the thin layer of snow. Then, regaining his feet, he started running, away from the fire and the shouting into the dark cold night.
He stopped when he lost his breath in the dark air and he found himself lost, on a long road that stretched through the silent buildings.
Slowly he approached one with a glow leaking out from under its door, and finding that a bit of warm leaked out too, curled up pressed against the wood, and fell asleep.
Mei-li stared at the burnt out shell of a building, feeling horrified and sick. She knew several days had passed since the fire, but she was certain she could still see smoke rising out from the charred roof.
"Ma'am?"
She whirled around, her lungs squeezing all the air from her chest, then choking her as she couldn't take another breath.
It was the monkey.
"I'm sorry."
No.
She's taken him here so he would be safe.
"We couldn't find him after the fire. I'm so sorry."
Fire
411
"When's Mama coming?"
Jon-tai asked with weary tears as he tugged on the monkey's sleeve "She's been gone forever."
The monkey sighed and picked the little boy up. It had been nearly two weeks since his mother had left him and ever since his questions had been constant. Where had she gone? When was she coming back? Was she alright?"
It was the same with many other children, but no less heartbreaking.
"Later, it's time for bed now."
Jon-tai fidgeted with his stick beneath the blanket while the rest of the children fell asleep on their mats.
Finally, restless and filled with an unsettled feeling that his young head couldn't place he crawled out from the blankets and up to the small window. He scuffled with the shutters and finally managed to get them open, then swung himself up onto the sill and stared out, the winter air biting at his legs.
He shivered and pulled his knees up to his chest, in the same act dislodging the lit lantern that was hung just above his head.
He squeaked in dismay as it shattered behind him and almost instantly the dry grass mat he'd been lying on caught alight.
The other children began to wake up when they heard the crash of breaking glass, then screams began to fill the room as smoke poured up from the burning mat.
Terrified of the fire, Jon-tai tumbled forwards out of the window and onto the thin layer of snow. Then, regaining his feet, he started running, away from the fire and the shouting into the dark cold night.
He stopped when he lost his breath in the dark air and he found himself lost, on a long road that stretched through the silent buildings.
Slowly he approached one with a glow leaking out from under its door, and finding that a bit of warm leaked out too, curled up pressed against the wood, and fell asleep.
Mei-li stared at the burnt out shell of a building, feeling horrified and sick. She knew several days had passed since the fire, but she was certain she could still see smoke rising out from the charred roof.
"Ma'am?"
She whirled around, her lungs squeezing all the air from her chest, then choking her as she couldn't take another breath.
It was the monkey.
"I'm sorry."
No.
She's taken him here so he would be safe.
"We couldn't find him after the fire. I'm so sorry."
