Novel & Cerita Home Fire By Kamila Shamsie

I needed to know now, I could no longer prolong the inevitable. Cameron released a breath before he began, “Ma’am.. did you hear about the fire that occurred inside the Kwon Mansion?” My eyes widened at his words, “F-Fire?” I couldn’t keep my voice steady even if I tried. Her screams penetrated my mind, making me fight the urge to cover my ears as my heart thumped against my chest, slowly clouding over her screams. I gulped, trying to keep my fear at bay as I dug my nails into my palms.

my mother says. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" My whole family is screaming and covering me. I feel the heat before I see it, engulfing everything in its path, my hapiness, my home, my memories, my family. They all start disappearing in front of me one by one. First it's my mother then my father and lastly my brother. I can't see them. I am left in the middle of the fire screaming my lungs out for a way out. **************

Once we got home, Jeremy thoughtfully helped me put my bag on a hook, change into slippers, and brought me to the dining hall to show me that he had cooked a feast for me. “I called my mom to ask about what’s good. These foods are very nourishing for people who’ve just had a miscarriage. Have a taste.” I pushed away the cutlery he gave me and snorted before mocking him, “You’re thinking about taking care of me now that the baby died? You should have done this before.” “I got stuck on an insignificant problem. Joy was right. What’s important is us properly spending the rest of our lives together.” I sneered. Joy really was the one pitching him ideas.

Even Ivan’s wolf, usually a force of nature, seemed to falter as he fought. “What’s happening?” I whispered, my panic growing. Before Jasmine could respond, a burst of light caught my attention. I turned just in time to see flames erupt from the south. My heart sank as I realized where they were coming from. The Alpha House. “No…” The word escaped my lips, barely audible, as I stared at the blaze. The home where I had built my life, where I had raised my children, was being consumed by fire. Smoke curled high into the sky, thick and black, carrying with it the scent of ash and destruction.

’Please help me. Faye woke with a start as the sound of her cellphone ringing ended the vivid dream. It felt so real, as if she had really been there, on that beach as the woman burned. Even awake she could still feel the heat from the fire, smell the stench of the smoke and charred flesh. All her life these dreams had haunted her and all her life she had no idea why. Her parents used to tell her it was all in her imagination, that she had a vivid way of conjuring up fantastic stories and they even pushed her to become a writer at one point. Only in her heart, she always knew there was more to these dreams, so very much more.

Scared of the monster she couldn’t protect her children and herself from. Most people run away from the shit that scares them. Only a few crazy fucks like me run towards it. “This is a fucking disaster!” I grit my teeth, standing in the shadows and watching the house burn down. The fire devours what used to be a beautiful home, leaving only ashes behind for the mourners to cry over. “No kidding!” Cyrus mutters from behind, leaning on his bike with his arms crossed. We stand there for a while, watching the firefighters do their best to put out the fire. But the explosion did a damn good job of tearing the house apart. If there was anyone inside, they’re probably burnt to a crisp by now.

A chill ran through me as I stared at him in disbelief. Seeing the terror in my eyes, Tucker curled his lips into a knowing smile. Panic took over me, every fiber of my being screaming to push him away and run. But my body refused to cooperate. The fire inside me had barely dimmed, leaving my body limp and unresponsive. I grabbed his tie, my attention drawn to the flush creeping over his ears. "Can you take me home?" I asked. Reading my unspoken request, Tucker quietly began to remove my clothes. "Tucker… No…"

It was home it never felt like home, not even when my family and I shared good memories. I retrieved the lighter from Raphaël's hands and flicked it open. The smell of kerosene lingered in the air, but I didn't hesitate when I walked into the living room and tossed the flame at the furniture. The fire was spread fast across twenty-thousand square foot building, flames licked the walls and ceiling, destroying anything in its path. Raphaël and I escaped through the front door, charred ashes filtering my nose. We both stood a safe distance, watching the flames spread out of control.

She might probably do it just to make sure that her daughter is very secure or even put both of them in order to secure the safety of the house. Their discussion over the phone was very intense and daring just the way she normally did with Bruno. That was the very first deep and arousing call they had made ever since they started talking to each other. During the call, they talked about many things and one they didn’t forget was to plan for proper meeting and execution of plans. His house would have been perfect but due to the kind of parents he had. The mum was sick, so the sickness wouldn’t allow her go anywhere. It was like that before though, the mum used to be a principal in one of the

WARNING-the content of this book is VERY graphic and VERY dark. Do NOT read if you cannot stomach graphic violence or explicit intimacy. HYACINTH (AGE 15) "Daddy!" I sputtered and coughed in the upstairs hallway, lungs already dangerously full of smoke. The fire crackled all around us-my childhood home going up in flames.