The combination of smoke and my broken glasses made it impossible to see. That's what I get for wearing fake glasses. My whole body felt like cement. I strained to move, starting with a twitch of my finger until I pulled myself up.
Immediately, my lungs cried out in pain. As I gagged on the air, I threw off what remained of my glasses and surveyed the area. Bushes smouldered as they after shock ignited them. The air rushed past me to feed the fire, but, after a closer look, it didn’t seem to get any bigger. My awe was interrupted by another sharp pain in my lungs. I needed to do something about the smoke.
Another quick look around revealed a water bottle, knocked a few feet away. Snatching it up, I quickly doused my slightly-charred flannel and put it to my mouth and nose. The water and fabric successfully filtered air; I could finally breathe again.
Two figures moved through the fog, but I was more concerned with the loud coughing that started behind me. The girl from the fire, Megan I thought, was hacking up a storm. I ran over and, kneeling down to where she sat, asked her if she could stand. No response, her bleary eyes were vacantly staring at the ground.
“Time to go.” I said, muffled by the damp cloth on my face. Hooking a hand under her shoulders and knees, I shambled away from the source, stumbling over every rock, twig, and uneven patch of ground. Suddenly, I never wanted to go hiking again.
The air finally cleared when we hit a cul-de-sac. Megan --who had been coughing the entire way-- was taking deep, shaky breathes.
“Sam!” Alex yelled in relief. She hobbled out of the woods, her arm around the kid from earlier for balance. Both of them were sprinkled with ash and their clothes were singed, but otherwise okay. I sighed in relief.
The kid’s eyes widened at Megan’s unconscious body. “Is she okay?” he asked, half-running towards us. Although her eyes were closed, her breathing was deep and steady.
I took off my makeshift mask “She just needs some rest. Let’s take her home.” We were about to leave, but waves of people were coming out of their houses to look at the distant fire. To them, the fried kids were the first suspects. People started to question us.
“What’s going on?” asked a plump woman with hair curlers.
“A fire out in the forest.”
“What happened?” inquired an old man in a nightgown.
“We got caught in the smoke”
“What were you doing out there at this time of night?” sneered a stern middle-aged man who eyed Megan’s form with contempt. I wasn’t sure how to answer, but the kid explained.
“Looking for my cousin.” The same man now raised his voice at us.
“And what was she doing out there.” A murmur rose above the crowd. It hung in the air, forming a thick cloud. More voices rose, demanding answers. Accusations where flung. Everyone pointed at Megan’s unconscious body. When someone started to dial a cell phone, that’s where I drew the line.
“Hey!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. Everyone went silent. “The fire wasn’t caused by anyone! It just ignited, like an explosion!” Another murmur rose. I’ve seen people mob like this before. Chances are, they didn’t believe it for a second. The crowd advanced towards us, Alex stepped between us.
Abruptly, a woman shrieked, pointing behind us. The mob quickly turned tail and ran, leaving us in confusion. Following their line of sight, I saw the source of their fear. The light from the fire was spreading out in both directions, surrounding the town.
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