#onehandoneheart

PROLOGUE:

The air wasn't cold, like it should be in mid-January when there was snow on the ground. It was burning hot. Flames were rising into the air, getting hotter and higher- getting more vicious with each passing second. Families that lived in the west wing of the complex came rushing out, running for their lives. But the fire was still getting bigger, slowly swallowing the building like a snake, and the apartment complex was huge- there was no way everyone had gotten out yet.

The firetrucks arrived not too long after the fire had even started, and men and women alike went straight to work with only one goal: leave no one behind. More and more people gathered around outside- there were never fires this bad in Westerville; everyone was concerned.

The media arrived soon after, the fire was a big deal, and was big news. No one wanted to miss out. They all waited, worried and anxious, as the heroes in yellow brought survivors out, lead them to a medical examiner and rushed back inside.

Sirens were blaring all around them, groups of people were barely visible through the heavy smoke that was filling the air quickly. The bright, flashing lights broke through the clouds of smoke, leading the firefighters like a ship to a lighthouse. Yells, coughs and cries of pain filled the air, louder than the sirens themselves.

Four of the five firefighters were now out of the house- but where was the other one? Newscaster Amelia Bands got closer to the chief, who was stationed near an ambulance, talking to his firefighters. She caught bits and pieces of the conversation over all the noise, but was still unsure completely as to what was going on. Apparently, though, Anderson wasmaking his way outside with the last family of three.

When they exited the burning building, half the crowd seemed to sigh with relief, but it was silenced quickly as the building gave a loud groan; the fire was refusing to be diminished, and the building wasn't going to last too much longer. The woman who had just exited the building was shouting something about her son: he was still inside.

The firefighter transferred her from his arms to another man in yellow, yelled something no one could make out, and turned, sprinting back inside the building. Again, the building creaked, causing surrounding voices to hush. Seconds dragged like minutes as they watched, waiting.

By now, police were surrounding the area, keeping the crowd a safe distance away from the fire. There were several people who tried to escape the crowd to go and see their loved one's who had been trapped inside, but they were pushed back with warnings: they would not pass.

The fire was finally starting to dim, and the feeling of relief washed over everyone like a tidal wave. A boy of about fifteen came stumbling out of the building, immediately being surrounded by medics. But where was the firefighter that had entered the building five minutes ago? A new wave of voices rose as everyone pondered the question. The fire was nearly out now, but the building was still groaning, threatening to give way.

The entire crowd became silent as the building started to fall. It started out slowly, a few pieces of wood clattering on the pavement, but in less than a minute, half of the building was out of the air and lying on the ground. Surprisingly, amazingly, the crowd was still quiet. Sirens were still blaring and reporters still narrating into microphones and cameras, but nobody knew what to do.

The ominous, movie-like silence was broken a few second later when a man broke through the crowd, screaming, trying to get past the barriers. The officers attempted to hold him back, but he broke free of them, running toward what was left of the half-standing building.

A firefighter with the name “Montgomery” printed on his back tried to restrain the man from getting any closer to the building, which could continue falling at any moment, wrapping his arms tightly around the man's waist. The man was still screaming, his voice filled with desperation and agony so strong, it hurt the others just to hear it.

“BLAINE!”