We turned toward the blazing candles as one, watching in horror as they landed on the floor.

The kerosene caught, the old floorboards immediately bursting into flames with a whoosh. As we watched in shock, the fire started around the room in both directions, surrounding us in seconds.

We were trapped!

“Gabriel Celtic!” I heard the man say from the hallway. “You have meddled one too many times in the affairs of God. He has determined that this is your day to die…enjoy your coming hell!”

“Bastard!” I shouted after him, his laughter only renewed at my words.

Turning toward Abby, I found her still transfixed, even as a line of flames approached her position. My heart stopped as I sprinted toward her, wrapping my arms around her waist and swinging her around, narrowly escaping the line of fire as it passed. When the passing fire reached the center of the room, it branched out left and right…creating an eerie cross that burned in the center of the floor…our final message from the man!

“Bastard,” I repeated again helplessly under my breath.

We both glanced around the room, glumly taking in our quickly deteriorating situation. The room was rapidly being devoured by the fire, and the smoke was already choking us to tears.

Seeing a burning chair against the wall, I grabbed it and ran toward the curtained window, flinging it through the material at the last second. The shattering of glass that met my ears was a welcome sound, even as the added air promptly hiked up the level of the fire.

Grabbing Abby’s hand, her eyes were wide as I shouted, “One chance kid, let’s do this!”

We both started running toward the wide window, the curtains that blocked it burning at full intensity. Jumping blindly, I said a quick prayer as our bodies were propelled through the burning fabric… into nothingness...

J. T. Lewis