Fiery Opportunity

Matt was vigorously shaken awake in the middle of the night by his mom. He was very confused not only by what day or time it was but also by the shouting and the blaring sirens. The smell of smoke hit his nostrils hard and he realized he was sweating.

He squinted through the smoke to see his mom, now standing at his room door, shouting and beckoning him to get up from his bed. He knew something bad was going on but he couldn’t figure it out as he wasn’t fully alert yet.

Nevertheless, Matt got out of bed and rushed to his mom. The sight of the fire snapped him out of his sleep inertia. Somehow a fire must have started downstairs and was rapidly spreading throughout the house. Vicious flames were dancing everywhere.

He wanted to get his sister but his dad had already gone outside with her and they were in the care of the paramedics. The paramedics and firefighters arrived at the scene very shortly after Matt’s neighbour called 911.

Now Matt and his mom needed to get out of the house before the fire engulfed them. His mom took the lead down the stairs and Matt followed. A full blown raging fire greeted them when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

His mom acted fast and told him to follow closely behind as she made the way towards the front door. The fire was spitting flames everywhere and Matt stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs.

Upon reaching the front door, Matt’s mom turned around to check if he was following but he wasn’t behind her as she expected him to be. She squinted her watery eyes to see through the fire and smoke to locate him but her efforts were in vain.

She was about to run back into the house to find him but she was pulled out by one of the firefighters. She tried to fight him off while shouting that her son is still trapped inside and she wants to save him.

The firefighter told her not to worry and that it’s his job to find and bring her son. He quickly signaled to his fellow firefighter to get her to the paramedics and he rushed into the now inferno house.

Matt’s mom was sobbing hard and kept throwing anxious glances at her front door as the paramedics were attending to her. After what seemed like an eternity, the firefighter finally emerged but he was alone.

Matt’s mom frantically ran to him. This was the hardest part of being a firefighter; conveying the bad news. He told her in a guilty tone that he wasn’t able to find Matt anywhere. Matt’s dad and sister also heard this as they too had run to the firefighter behind the mom.

Matt’s mom was howling hysterically. His dad’s knees gave away and he fell to the ground. His sister was sobbing uncontrollably.

*****

Matt stopped in his tracks when he heard his mom’s hysterical howls. He was running in the woods behind his house to get as far away from the fire.

He escaped through the back door of his house. No one was there when he made it out. No one saw him.

He turned around to find his family and let them know he’s okay. He started walking towards his house while a battle was going on in his head.

No one was there when I made it out.

But I have to let my family know I’m still alive.

But no one saw me.

And they’re now in uttermost grieve under the illusion I’m dead.

No one was there when I made it out.

No one saw me.

As these kept repeating in his head, he had an epiphany. He is free to do what he wanted to do all this time. He couldn’t do it before because he was very worried of his family; he couldn’t abandon them just like that.

But now since they all believe he’s dead, he can finally do it. And with battle of thoughts being over, he then turned around and walked deeper into the forest.

He has always fantasized about disappearing. He didn’t like it here at all. He wanted to get away from everyone. He wanted to go far away from here. He was deeply attached to his family and that was what prevented him all the times before this. He didn’t want to leave them or hurt them.

And now when opportunity presented itself, he must be a fool not to grab it and utilize it for what he wanted to do all this time. He was ready and guilt free. It was now or never.

*****

The next day, the police received a 911 call. They rushed to the site immediately. They identified the victim from the label of empty medicine bottle in his hand. Matt didn’t mind being found after executing his long awaited plan.