Page 51 of Raging Inferno

Loving the attention, Christopher runs off to fetch a game him and his aunt can play. Once he’s out of sight, Amber reluctantly turns to me and mutters a curse.

“I may have done something stupid,” she starts.

Just as I’m about to roll my eyes, I catch sight of the television and I freeze. The DVR recording must’ve ended because it was now broadcasting the news and a horrible fire that spread across five homes. Glancing down at the ticker rolling on the bottom of the screen, I realize it happened on Staten Island. That knowledge alone has me brushing past Amber and reaching for the remote. Raising the volume, I stare at the screen, as the cameraman spans across the street showing the dozens of firetrucks blocking traffic. I scan the trucks, squinting to read the ladder and engine numbers.

“Holy shit,” Amber says from beside to me.

“Shh!” I demand as the news reporter continues to speak.

Once again, this Rosanna Torres reporting from the New Springville section of Staten Island, where the FDNY has been battling a five-alarm fire for three hours. Several firefighters have been injured and three are trapped inside trying to rescue a little boy who allegedly started the fire. We do not have the names of those firemen at the time.

“Melissa?”

My eyes snap to my sister and I force myself to breathe.

“What if it’s him?” I rasp. “Oh my God, Amber, what if Jimmy is one of those men?”

What if this is another piece of the tragic story?

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