55. Ashes, Ashes. We All Fall Down…
ASHES, ASHES. WE ALL FALL DOWN…
Ijolted awake in a panic, gasping violently as if my lungs were desperate to catch every ounce of air they could.
A brutal, wracking cough seized me as I forced my eyes open, fighting to see through the haze of chaos.
Ash covered my body – clinging to my arms and legs — blanketing everything in a suffocating gray that seeped into my very soul.
My heart slammed to a halt with fear, pounding deafeningly in my chest. I scrambled to take in my surroundings, chattering as I stared at the wreckage of the cabin—mostly consumed by flames.
Worst of all, my leg throbbed in relentless, crushing pain as if it were shattered beyond repair.
I struggled to find my voice, struggled to speak, but all that escaped were tears—deep, desperate tears that refused to stop. They were dead. Completely dead.