To Fall So Deep

The ride back home was a quiet one for Nina. She sat in silence, trying her hardest not to cry while Joleen rambled on and on about how epic the party was, and how Nina missed out. Deep in thought, Nina tuned out her so-called best friend. Sneaking out, hurting her mother, and seeing her own friend kiss her crush made Nina regret going to the party with tenfold guilt.

"Nina…" Joleen whispered. Nina was still dazed.

"Nina…" Joleen said again. Still in a daze.

"Nina!" Joleen screamed, bringing her car to a sudden stop. Nina's body jerked forward, and she was brought back down to earth.

"Oh my God…" Nina gasped. She jumped out of the car, and towards her home. The only home she ever knew, engulfed in flames.

"Don't go near there! Wait for the fire department!" Joleen yelled.

Worse than the dizziness from alcohol, everything seemed to go by in slow motion. All Nina thought about were her mom, and Kathleen. Without any second thought of getting hurt, or even dying, Nina charged up the porch and to the front door. She grabbed the door knob, but in reflex, took her hand back. The doorknob was too hot to touch. Nina looked around, and saw a rock. She picked it up and flung it into a window. The glass shattered, and created a large enough hole for Nina to crawl through.

Nina winced from the pain from the shards of glass that pierced her skin, as she climbed through the window and into the living room. She began to cough, the thick smoke filling her lungs. She covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her jacket, and ran through the house.

"Mom! Kathleen!"

Nina was at Kathleen's room first, the door was wide open. She hurried inside, only to find Kathleen's bed unmade and empty.

Mom's room.

Nina tried to run down the hall, but the smoke was so thick that even the short distance from Kathleen's room to their mom's, was a mission. There were flames everywhere, and the air was tainted, making a simple short breath very difficult. The heat was unbearable, and beads of sweat trickled down Nina's face.

"Mom," Nina coughed, as she entered the room. In the corner was Kathleen and their mom, huddled together in fear.

"Nina," Arianne whispered, hugging her daughter with a tight grip.

"Let's go! We have to get out of here!" Nina urged, pulling the arms of Arianne and Kathleen. They wouldn't budge. "What are you doing? Come on!"

Nina looked at her family closer, and realized that her mom's leg had a huge gash, and was bleeding.

"I can't walk… take Kathleen and go!" Arianne demanded.

"Mom, no, we can't leave without you," Kathleen cried.

"I'll help you walk mom, please!" Nina pleaded. She pulled her mom up to her feet, and with her arms around the neck of Nina and Kathleen, helped their mom stumble out of the room. It was already hard to breath, and the extra exertion from carrying their mom didn't help. But the sound of sirens outside motivated them to get their mother towards safety.

"Come on, mom, keep going. We're almost there," Nina breathed. Both her and Kathleen struggled to carry their mom's weight through the heat, flames, and smoke.

"Anak, leave me here. Take care of Kathleen," Arianne said. Nina shook her head, still trying to carry her mom. Arianne let go of her daughters and fell to the floor.

"Mom! Please!" Kathleen cried, crouching down to pull Arianne up.

"Baby," Arianne began holding onto Kathleen's face, "save yourself. Your sister will watch you. I love you."

"Don't give up mom," Nina said, tears in her eyes, and anger in her tone.

"Take care of Kathleen Nina. I love you," Arianne cried. "Anak, run! Please!"

Nina looked into her mother's eyes with concern and love. She grabbed Kathleen's hand, "we'll get help mom. Someone will come get you!"

Hand in hand, Nina and Kathleen hastily make their way out of the house, but the flames were rapid, and were engulfing everything in sight. A wall of fire barricaded the girls and the front door, leaving only the broken window as their main exit.

"Through the window Kathleen," Nina said, "hurry. Careful of the glass."

Kathleen eased her way out the window, and onto the porch. She held out her hand to help Nina, and with her sister's help, Nina climbed out of the window and into the night air. The fire department, an ambulance, and police officers lined the front of the house as the sisters ran hand in hand towards them.

"Help! Our mom needs help!" Nina yelled.

And that was it… the only home Nina and Kathleen ever knew was gone. A huge ball of fire exploded from within, causing fire to erupt out of the windows, and the entire street to shake like a small earthquake. Nina and Kathleen flew through the air and landed on the concrete. As they lied unconscious, paramedics came to their aid.

*** FIVE DAYS LATER ***

Nina slowly opened her eyes; her vision blurry. She saw shadows, lights, and heard mumbling from a far. Her head was throbbing, and her throat dry as she tried to swallow. Nina lifted her arms, and gasped when she saw needles and tubes attached to her arm. She turned her head from side to side, looking at her surroundings. A monitor and IV poles surrounded the bed she was lying in.

"Help," her voice cracked.

The door opened, and a young nurse in green scrubs walked in. She saw Nina's open eyes and smiled happily. Quickly, the nurse ran out the door.

"Doctor Travis! Come quick! Patient in room 230 is awake!" the nurse called, and in less than 20 seconds, another nurse and Doctor Travis walked into the room.

"Nina Dela Vera," Doctor Travis said. Mid-forties, greying hair, but a warmness came with him as he stepped closer to Nina.

Nina nodded.

"Do you know where you are?" Doctor Travis asked.

"H-h-hospital?" Nina whispered. The doctor smiled and nodded.

"Do you know what month and year it is?" he questioned.

"April, t-t-two thousand and f-fourteen,"

"Very good. Nina, you've been in an induced coma for the past 4 days," the doctor informed. "Do you remember what happened?"

Nina looked down, and a million memories all came crashing into her mind; swirling together in anarchy. Fire. Heat. Explosion. But the only thing that stuck in her mind was,

I love you.

Tears began to brim Nina's eyes. Filling up to its maximum before actually falling. She looked back up at Doctor Travis.

"Where's Kathleen? My mom?"

The doctor looked at the two nurses before he stepped even closer to Nina, "Kathleen is okay and will be released today. She can come visit you if you'd like."

Nina nodded, "and my mom?"

Doctor Travis sighed, "Nina I don't know how to tell you this, but your mother unfortunately passed."

Nina's heart sank so deep, and suddenly the world seemed to stop-- including her. She looked forward, past the doctor, and past the nurses. It was as if her entire body was numb; her feelings frozen solid. Nina wanted to cry, to scream, to yell at the top of her lungs, but couldn't. The hurt she felt when she was betrayed by Joleen was no comparison to the ache she felt now. Because with Joleen she still had the strength fueled by anger to cry and scream, but the pain in her body now was so heavy it made her too tired to even try.

The doctor kept on talking, but Nina tuned him out, "…the gas leak in your home resulted in the fire, which resulted in the explosion. Your mother died instantly, and did not suffer. Someone from child protective services will come by to inform you and your sister about what will happen next, and your new living situation."

New living situation?

Notes