Rose Eleven — Christopher Charles

She turned and began running down the drive. She had to go below the burning trees. Her chest hurt from the smoke-filled air, and her legs wanted to cramp.
She heard a burning branch fall behind her. It sent her moving faster. She could barely see through the smoke. She quickly crawled back through the hole to find the road full of smoke. She looked back towards the cart. She could not see it! The fire was leaping over the road and attacking the trees. The cart was somewhere beneath it.
Taking a deep breath, she ran the direction she thought the cart should be. The smoke hurt her eyes. She could not keep them open. She almost ran into the cart before she stopped. She heard Ana crying. Ignoring her, she slid the crowbar towards Isabel. Still holding her breath, she took the cart handle and began running up the street. The wind had intensified bringing the fire from the burning houses. It cleared the smoke for a moment allowing her to see the road.
She started to take in a deep breath and stopped when the searing heat burned her throat. Her legs wanted to knot from the strain, but she kept pushing. She pushed past the gate to her aunt's house as the smoke came back. She heard the burning oak fall against the house.
There was no more oxygen to breathe. Her lungs were starving for air. She felt her body would ignite any second. Each step became slower. She pushed harder and felt herself falling. She had to breathe! She had to breathe now. She managed to push the cart forward. The cart rolled over her and disappeared into the smoke around her. Laying on the cobblestones, she tried to breathe and managed to take in a little air that was not smoke. Her right leg was gone. The knot had formed, but she was too tired to work on it and accepted the pain as she passed out.