Fire Call

Marcus was having a strange dream. It was swirly smokey colors fading in and out and in the background he could hear someone calling his name. He was having such a nice dream about his girlfriend that he didn’t want to wake up. Marcus was fighting waking up but the person calling his name was persistent.

“...wake up! MARCUS!” the voice yelled, “You need to wake up”

Marcus opened his eyes quickly at the voice and saw his room was filled with gray smoke twinged with different subtle colors. He gave a start when he looked at the door and saw a figure who was wearing full firefighter gear, including the face mask. “Who are you?” He asked the figure. “What’s going on?”

“Marcus,” the voice was urgent. “The house is on fire. You need to get your brother and sister out of here. NOW! Go wake them!” The figure gesticulated wildly but made no move to grab Marcus and drag him out of bed. “You need to hurry and get your siblings.” The figure was going out the door and Marcus jumped out of bed and ran past him to go to the twins’ bedroom.

Thick smoke made it hard to see down the hallway. Marcus reached out to touch the wall and quickly pulled his hand back because it was hot to the touch. The smoke was so thick and acrid, that it made his eyes water, making it hard to see. It was also making it hard to breath and he quickly pulled his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth. He could hear the firefighter’s garbled urging through his mask. He just kept urging him on but not touching him.

By the time he reached the twins’ room, he could barely breath. He stepped through into the bedroom and quickly shut the door and started yelling, “Get up!”

Marcus went to Evaine’s bed first and started yelling and shaking her awake. When she started stirring and sitting up, he went over to Alex’s bed and shook him. Alex woke with a start and got out of bed to join Evaine and Marcus by the window. The smoke was starting to curl in under the bedroom door and invade the bedroom.

“Marcus, you have to break the window and get everyone out!” The fireman yelled. Marcus looked over at him and seen that, for some insane reason, he had his hazard mask off. The man’s feature’s were obscured by the smoke but Marcus could see dark sooty hair, dampened down by sweat, framing his long face. Sharp cheekbones and a wide mouth. There were soot smudges all over his face and what looked like a burn or cut over his left temple. Both the twins’ were looking at the stranger in fear so they held on to Marcus, not letting him go. “The chair! The Chair!” The firefighter pointed to a kiddie chair by their play table.

Marcus pried himself from the two and ran to the chair and picked it up. He went back to the window and along the way, grabbed a blanket off from Evaine’s be and threw it at the two. “Cover up,” he commanded. “I’m going to smash the window.” With that, he made sure they were fully covered, kicked the beanbag chair out of the way and swung the chair as hard as he could at the window and it shattered into thousands of pieces.

Marcus cleared the debris and looked out the window and noticed his neighbor, Mr Jones walking his dog in his yard and his mid twenty-something son sitting on the porch. He yelled out the window, “Mr. Jones!” When the men in question looked up at the window in alarm, Marcus shouted out to him again, “Help! There’s a fire!” Mr. Jones immediately called out for his son to call 911.

Mr. Jones came to the window where Marcus was standing and yelled up, “Get out! I’ll help” Just then, his son come over with some cushions from their outside furniture. They quickly placed the cushions down where they could help break the fall of someone jumping out the window that was fifteen feet off the ground.

In the bedroom, Marcus grabbed another blanket off from Alex’s bed and pulled the twins over to the window. He placed the other blanket on Alex and then grabbed Evaine. He looked out the window and both of his neighbors were there waiting to grab the children. “I’m going to lower Evaine out first.” He said to the two down below. Alex helped Marcus pick Evaine up and put her through the window. Marcus started lowering her and Mr. Jones was underneath her waiting to grab her.

“We’ll catch her,” Mr. Jones said. “Come on, Marcus, let her go.” With only a couple of feet to go, Marcus let her go and, to his relief, the Joneses caught her with only a little struggle.

“Marcus, you need to hurry!” The fireman yelled urgently.

“Then why don’t you help me?!” Marcus yelled back. He was super scared and getting angry that the man only stood around barking orders. Marcus quickly grabbed Alex, who was now covered with the blanket, and put him out of the window and started lowering him just like he did Evaine. The Joneses caught Alex when Marcus had to let go with just a couple of feet from the ground.

Marcus quickly turned back to the firefighter and, to his surprise, he was close to him but still didn’t touch him. “Hurry,” He said urgently, “get out! Now!”

“Jump!” Mr Jones yelled. “Remember to roll when you hit the ground!”

Marcus turned to the window and started to crawl out. The Joneses were there encouraging Marcus to hurry and jump but Marcus was to big to be caught like his brother and sister and he was concerned that he would hurt the men below. “Move!” He yelled. And he jumped out the window.

Marcus’ life flashed before his eyes as he started his descent from the window. In his mind he saw his mother and step-father at their wedding, the twins coming home from the hospital after they were born and he got to hold them for the first time, and his first grown-up kiss with his girlfriend Kara. These all flashed quickly in his mind but the last image was the firefighter who woke him up to rescue him and his family. Then, suddenly, Marcus hit the cushions and excruciating pain started in his feet and ran all the way up to his knees. He rolled, like Mr. Jones told him too, screaming in pain as he did. The two men on the ground quickly grabbed Marcus and had him pulled a good distance away from the house when all of the sudden an explosion happened behind them.

There was screaming and sirens and other unidentified noises filling up the night air. The fire trucks had all of their equipment out and the fire hoses were hooked up and they firefighters were started to spray the house. A car screeched up to the curb and a female could be heard screaming, “My children!” Murmured voices of assurance could be heard in all of the chaos and suddenly Marcus felt someone hug him. He cried out in pain and passed out.

When Marcus came to he was on a stretcher covered with a heavy blanket and an IV tube coming from his right arm. He could see that his legs were put in temporary casts that blew up and then deflated every minute or so. His parents were arguing over who was going to ride with him to the hospital. He could see his brother and sister being escorted to his Aunt Gwen’s car. His Uncle Arthur and the surrogate uncles, all in their firefighter gear trying to put the blaze out, were getting tired and cranky. Who Marcus did not see, however, was the firefighter who woke him up and got them out of the house. He was concerned and called out to his parents.

“Where is the one who got us out of the house?” They looked at him confused. “He was still in the house after I jumped out. Then there was an explosion.”

Leon quickly ran over to Arthur and relayed the message. Arthur used the microphone attached to his jacket and informed the firemen in the house of a possible victim. Some time had passed when no one was found and the firemen had to get out of the house because it became too dangerous to stay inside. The goal was now to keep the fire spreading to other structures and neighboring trees.

The paramedics were about to put Marcus in the ambulance when Leon came back over to him and Morgan. “Marcus, they searched and could not find anyone.” he said solemnly.

“He has to be there.” Marcus insisted. “He had his mask off just before I jumped out the window. He had dark hair, long face with high cheekbones and a sore over his left eyebrow.”

Morgan and Leon looked at each other. Then the twins, who escaped Gwen’s car to check up on Marcus, pipped up and confirmed what Marcus was saying. They each gave a description of the person in the room with them. Then the paramedics told them that it was time to load Marcus into the ambulance. Marcus asked for Leon to go with him in the ambulance.

“Morgan, Gwen will drive you and the twins to the hospital.” Leon insisted. When Morgan was about to protest, he grabbed her shoulders and told her firmly, “You are a little too emotional right now for Marcus. He is extremely upset. Please, take the twins to the hospital because they need checked out, too. They don’t have the injuries that Marcus has but that doesn't mean they aren't hurt.” At first Morgan protested but Gwen managed to help talk her into getting the twins into the car and driving to the hospital. She kissed Marcus on the forehead and Leon on the cheek and went reluctantly with Gwen.

The paramedics picked up the stretcher and placed it in the back of the ambulance. After they had everything set up and one of them went to the drivers seat, Leon was able to climb in. He grabbed the hand hold out side of the door and hoisted himself up and in. He went to the left side of Marcus and sat on the side bench that held non-essential objects. Leon stroked the hair off from Marcus’ forehead and grabbed his left hand and held it.

“How are you feeling?” He asked gruffly.

“Fine.” Marcus’ voice was just above a whisper.

Leon noticed the paramedic adding the pain medicine to the IV. The paramedic nodded indicating that Marcus was ok. He let out a stuttered breath and gave a silent prayer of thanks.

“Marcus,” He started, “they could find no other person in the house.” Marcus started to stir and Leon quieted him and started again. “The person you described, the firefighter who helped you to get everyone out...Well, you gave an almost perfect description of Marcus Sr…your father.”

Marcus gasped, “But that is impossible! My dad d...” Leon stopped him. He needed to calm the youth down before he took a turn for the worst.

“This happens sometimes when we loose a loved one. Sometimes they come back to help us.” Leon insisted.

“Are you talking...ghost?” Marcus was visibly upset. He stopped and thought about the actions of the firefighter; he always had his mask on, he never once touched Marcus or the twins to help get them out of the house-he just shouted directions, and in an instant he had his mask off when the complicated contraption would have taken more than mere seconds.

Maybe it was the medicine or maybe he was just grateful he was still alive but he felt a calm acceptance come over him. “My dad,” He began, “would you tell me more about him?” Leon nodded, took a deep breath and started his story.