It was the middle of the night
I was safe, asleep in my warm bed
The worries from the long day long gone
And not yet worried about what tomorrow might bring
And that's when I heard it

Desperate fists pounding on the door
The person on the other side begging
For what I did not know…

Until I heard the screams…

And smelled the fire…

Burning human hair and flesh
An odor so pungent I'll never forget
Though I wish I could
The cries of agony
The screams of terror
The wailings of agony
The sounds singed my soul

She was racing towards a finish line
Be it aid or death, whichever came first
Either would be a relief at this point
The pain must have been…indescribable…
My heart was racing
My flesh ran cold and my blood boiled
My body lay paralyzed with fear unimaginable

I could hear her every movement
Her feet hitting the ground as she ran
Her arms flailing trying to extinguish the flames
The fire consuming everything about her

Door to door, banging as hard as she could
Trying to get someone's attention
Trying to get help
Trying to save herself

Finally, I got the nerve
I answered her call
I threw off the covers
Leapt out of bed
Raced to the door
Tore it open
The heat was unbearable
The smell was unbelievable
The sound was deafening
The brightness was blinding

And then there was nothing
I stood in my doorway
Alone
Looking out
Into an empty hallway...