Chapter 19
Flames licked the sky as we pushed through the burning entrance. Heat slammed against my skin, the sharp pop and crackle of collapsing beams roaring around us. Smoke and the acrid stench of burning rubber and hickory wood clawed at my lungs, but we didn't stop. Somewhere inside, Micah was trapped.
After running past the reception desk and along the corridor, we went into the front of the building. Above the desk, there was a sign that read Orphanage. This must be the location where a young child was taken when his father passed away.
"Oh, my gosh...Beck, there may be children here!"
Just then, screams echoed from upstairs—Micah's voice, frantic, mingled with the terrified cries of children. Without hesitation, we bolted toward the staircase and charged up into the dormitory.
The sleeping quarters were in chaos—bunk beds tossed, smoke coiling through the air. Children huddled beneath mattresses, eyes wide with terror. And at the end of the hall loomed a monster straight from a nightmare.
A massive demon, birdlike in form, its feathers ablaze like phoenix fire, was shaped like a grotesque rooster and screeched as it rampaged through the room. Its fiery wings tossed beds like toys, searching for something.
"Micah, Beck—you get these kids out of here! I shouted, " NO arguing, I'll deal with the demon. Micah, you've just had your power restored. And Beck, you will be able to protect the kids. Now get them out of here and—GO!
"Okay, understood." (Micah and Beck shouted in unison).
"Okay, kids, we are going to lead you down the stairs and out the doors. Keep your heads low to the ground and try to take slow, easy breaths; stay close!"
"After the battle, when I was able to form my sword, Baby gave me a bracelet to attach my feather charm. That was used to conceal my sword if I ever needed it."
I ripped off the feather charm and shouted, "Soar, Rising Crane."
A bright purple glow illuminated the charm, which formed into a long sword.
"Okay, bird beak, you seemed to be looking for something earlier. Well, here I am, shouting it at the top of my lungs as best as possible in the oxygen-lacking room."
I was trying to distract this monster from going after the kids. I picked up what looked to be a kid's softball and threw it at the demon-skeletal bird head.
Thump!
It worked. The demon's burning eyes locked onto me. With a piercing screech, it spat fire in a deadly arc. I dove under a bed just as flames seared past, the heat singeing my arms.
Where on earth might I use this thing, looking down at my long sword?
I needed space to maneuver. Just as it charged, I rolled out and sprinted left. It barreled through three beds, trying to get to me, splinters flying as furniture crashed against the wall.
"Yeah, I bet that felt great, bird beak; keep it up," I taunted. Breathing hard as I dodged another burst of fire.
Oxygen was dwindling. The inferno sucked the air from the room, and sweat poured down my face. I couldn't keep this up. I had to make a move quickly.
The creature raged angrily, grabbed a bed with its beak, and threw it towards me. I jumped to the side, avoiding the bed.
After the smoke parted, it was then that I realized, as I looked back behind me, that it was looking to trap me in the room. The door was closed off, and there was no way to exit now. Soon, the building was going to collapse with me in it.
Enough time has passed that the kids should have been able to make it out safely. I need a plan B. I thought to myself.
Now trapped, the creature, with his fixed gaze upon me, slowly crept towards me.
There! Behind the demon was a window; I might be able to get out from there. However, I'm going to have to get through this creature first.
My heart was racing, practically pounding out of my chest as I gripped my sword with both hands and ran at full speed.
The creature attempted to peck me with its beak. I dodged, ducking under his enormous neck. Sliding to my knees, I cut his wing with my sword, arcing upward—slash!—cutting deep into its wing. Feathers ignited as it screeched in pain.
I got a burn on my shoulder as I lunged to the window, jumping through it. I slammed my entire body through it with all my strength, glass exploding around me.
The cool night air slapped my face. I landed hard—splash!—in a pool below.
I gasped, sputtering. I didn't expect that. I was looking for an exit. What good luck. I thought.
Above, the phoenix-demon let out one final, pained scream and flew into the night sky, one wing trailing black smoke.
Pulled myself up out of the pool. I found Micah and Beck with the kids. At this point, the fire department and cops had arrived.
All except one child looked shaken up. One boy stood apart, tears streaming down his soot-streaked face.
"It was you," I said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You started the fire, didn't you?
"Don't you think that you shouldn't be so hard on him?" Beck scolded me. "He just went through a traumatic experience. We don't even know—"
"No, she's right," the boy said quietly.
"I'm the one who set fire to the building, he continued, looking down at the ground. "I want to play a prank by waking up all the kids by setting off the smoke alarm. I'm not sure what came over me. I just thought maybe if I held a candle close to the fire alarm, it would trigger the alarm to go off. I accidentally dropped it and hit the curtain, and the fire spread so fast… Then that thing came out of it."
"That's what happens when your heart is full of anger," I said. "Demons feed off that."
"You stomped on Ann's grave, too, didn't you?"
His fists clenched. "Because her family got to live normal lives while my dad rotted in jail. I lost my only family and had to live in the orphanage. He was only defending our home. It wasn't fair."
"You were lied to," I said firmly. "Your father wasn't some innocent man. He was a gangster. Ann's family refused to sell their café. Your dad tried to make a statement by murdering a child."
I exhaled and lowered my voice. "That girl was another man's daughter. She was the only thing he had left; his wife had died from giving birth to her. Your father took that all away from him. Why do you think your father was in jail? He wasn't a good man, and it was not an accident."
The boy crumbled, sobbing. "I didn't know. I am sorry; I was tired of being alone. I didn't know."
Uncle arrived then, his eyes wide with horror, frantically scanning the front of the building as the police arrived and the crowds gathered around it.
"Are you girls okay? Did you get hurt anywhere? No, not really, Uncle Micah explained; a couple of scraps, but Kaysi. She has a burn on her shoulder and a couple of cuts. She made sure to help all of us get out of the building."
The kid explained to the police what had happened. They didn't believe him about the creature emerging from the fire. They said that he was probably hallucinating because he was scared. As they started to load him into the police vehicle, he looked at us with sad eyes and cried back, —I'm sorry again.
Uncle walked over to the police officer. He was one of the local repeat customers we had at the cafe.
"So what's going to happen to the kid?" Uncle asked.
"Well, since he's still an older kid and this was an accident, he'll probably go to court, and they'll either keep him in jail until he ages out. They could see it as an accident and let him go. But since he has nowhere to go.
He looked back at the boy. "They're going to have to find another orphanage. He's been in trouble here and is not welcome because he has been too much of a danger and a hassle to everyone. Thankfully, the other kids have another location that they can go to, but there is no hope for him."
"Let me take him in. Uncle pleaded, "I'll make sure he goes to all his court appointments and pays back everything for all the damages. I'll even put him to work through community service until he's an adult and can make his own choices."
"But, sir, with all due respect. Do you think that it's a good idea? Considering his relationship with you and his history as a juvenile delinquent?"
"I once was hurt by the death of someone I loved as well. I know how angry and upset it made me, to the point where I wanted to go and hurt somebody. Of course, I knew better. Also, I had people to guide me, love me, and help me get through the pain."
The officer cleared his throat. "I see if you're willing to take full responsibility for this boy. Follow us downtown to fill out the necessary paperwork; you can most certainly foster him."
Micah shouted to her uncle, "I want to come with you. Hold up."
She looked back at us. "Beck, see to it that Kaysi gets to the hospital as soon as we're done. I'll come and visit if you're not out by then."
The cop almost shut the door of his police cruiser as Micah and her uncle got ready to go to the car. When the sky opened up, rain began to pour down. It helped dissolve the last bit of the fire that the fire department was struggling to put out.
There's a slight glow in the distance above the graveyard. Lightning struck, and you could see what looked like the shape and outline of a small child.
Everyone froze this time because we could see this ghost-like figure. She bowed as if to say thank you and waved just as her spirit faded off. I believe this is her thanking us and saying goodbye. Maybe that's why she stayed: she saw that evil spirit attached to the boy and wanted to protect him.
Uncle's knees buckled.
"Ann... Ann, baby girl... is that really you?" His voice broke.
She hovered there, glowing faintly, her eyes locked on him. She gave a soft, solemn nod. Then, slowly, she lifted one hand, placed it over her heart, and mouthed, I love you, Daddy.
Tears streamed down Uncle's face. He reached for her, stumbling forward as if he could still hold her, cradle her.
"I'm sorry," he sobbed, voice raw. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I wasn't there."
Ann smiled, and as lightning lit the sky, she bowed... waved... and vanished.
Everyone stood in stunned silence. Even the firefighters stopped what they were doing.
Uncle dropped to his knees, trembling. Micah knelt beside him, wrapping his arms around the man who had raised him. Beck joined, and I did too.
"I saw her," Uncle whispered. "I saw my little angel. Thank you... all of you... for letting me see her one last time."