- 2.
“Sarah! You…”
She stopped mid–sentence, thrown off by my
reaction.
Ashley shot me a venomous look.
Realizing she couldn’t get anything out of me,
<
she stormed off.
)
)
Ignoring the kids‘ cries, she ripped a jacket off
a little girl, soaked it, and wrapped it around her
hand.
With the kids staring in horror, she shoved open the burning door and ran.
The kids cried even louder, asking if they were
all going to die.
The fire roared, the flames licking at the
classroom like some kind of monster.
But I stayed calm, a slow smile spreading
across my face.
The fire was a monster.
It took firefighters and staff over an hour to put
<
8:26
it out.
504
Everyone huddled in the parking lot, covered in
soot.
The principal and teachers counted heads.
They realized thirty–one people were missing.
Thirty–one people: me and the thirty kids from
my class.
The principal panicked, sweating bullets and
shouting, “What happened? Why didn’t anyone
tell me my class wasn’t out?”
News of the fire had spread.
Parents ditched work and raced over.
Grandparents came too, trembling with fear.
Parents from other classes found their kids.
L
But my parents couldn’t find their class.
Several elderly relatives almost fainted when
they heard the news.
Crying filled the air.
As more and more parents arrived, the principal
was freaking out.
Then Ashley, who’d been hiding in the corner,
spoke up.
Loud enough for everyone to hear, she said,
“Principal, it’s all my fault. I should have
stopped Sarah when she wanted to wait for the
die!”
She didn’t finish.
Furious parents swarmed her, demanding
answers.
8:26
<
She was a popular teacher, thanks to ner lOOKS.
With some tears and exaggeration, she turned
the parents against me.
The crowd surrounded Ashley, following her
back to my classroom.
“Sarah, we’re here to save you! Don’t just wait
for the die with those kids!” she yelled.
The parents burst in, searching for their kids.
But the room was empty.
Only me, Sarah, and the rubble.
