The child was wedged inside the chimney. It was a boy.
He was small enough to fit, although his limbs were pressed tight against the brick as if trying to push it apart. Soot smeared his pale face, turning tears and snot into black streaks. The whiteness of his face was an utter contrast to the blackness surrounding him.
His hair, cascading smoothly over his damp forehead despite looking grimy and dusty, covered half of his eyes when he bowed his head even lower, as if trying to hide it from me again.
But it was futile. I saw him already. Although I had no idea who he was, he seemed terrified of anyone finding him.
"Are you hiding from someone?" I blurted out, instead of asking the boy if he was alright.
I imagined the steam coming from the embers gathered in the center of the furnace, and I couldn't believe how a small child like him could endure it. I extended my hand with the intention of helping him come down.
