They stood there listening to the radio.
They thought everyone was out of the building.
They heard screaming from the second flood.
They slipped on the air-packs and left their accountability tags with the engine man.
They ran into the house not caring that the flames was rolling over their heads.
All they wanted was to get the person out of the building.
The leader dropped to his knees and started to crawl.
He made sure to keep in contact with the wall as he did a search.
They found the steps and crawled up the steps.
The second person knew this house like the back of her hand.
She grew up in this house.
She grabbed the leader’s ankle as they crawled up the steps to the second floor.
She looked up at the fire and wondered how something so beautiful could destroy everything so easily.
She watched it till the leader asked her if everything was okay.
She replied yes and kept crawling.
It seemed like forever but it was only minutes before they was crouching in front of a door.
The leader wasn’t scared but she was…
She heard creaking of the floor and roof.
She watched her partner go into the room that had the victim.
She followed close behind him trying not to be scared of what she would see.
They heard the person screaming it was just a little kid.
The leader dropped back and allowed her to go forward to find the kid.
She searched all over and found the little boy.
She clutched him close to her she took off her face piece not caring what damage the smoke and fire could do to her.
She wanted the little boy to have fresh air.
She made her way to a window and took her helmet off and broke the window.
She saw the flashing lights through the smoke.
She thought the leader was behind her.
She saw the ladder reach to the window and someone came and grabbed the boy.
They took him down the ladder carefully.
She heard something she would never forget.
She turned around in time to see the floor collapse where her partner was standing.
She screamed as it collapsed.
There was nothing anyone could do besides evacuate the building.
She didn’t want to leave but the building was collapsing.
She watched her partner’s death it will haunt her for the rest of her life.
How could she forgive herself?
She climbed out of the window with her face piece in hand.
As she made it on the ground she was afraid to look back.
She didn’t stand long her legs couldn’t handle her weight anymore.
The EMTs rushed over to her and she heard them talking to each other.
She was bleeding from her head she didn’t even realize what was happening.
The building had collapsed, she made it out of the building as it was collapsing, and the little boy had minor burns nothing major. She had to have stitches in her head and she had minor burns on her hands.
She kept a picture of her partner in her jacket she always wondered if he went to a Heaven.
She would have quit her job if it wasn’t for the fact that was her father and he always wanted to do what she loved.
She was no longer afraid of what was happening.
She would look at the picture.
She would smile as she slid it back into the pocket and ran into what everyone else feared.
Yes she watched her father die but he died doing what he loved.
She doesn’t let his death get to her anymore.
She celebrates his death not mourn it.
She was the only one that wore white at his funeral.
His death made her tough.
She lives for her father, now her kids are following in her footsteps.
They wanted to be a fire fighter just like mommy and grandpa.
Her father would be proud and she believes he is smiling from Heaven.
Gabrielle D. Townsend