Fated to the Beast

The scent of burning wood filled my lungs before I even opened my eyes. A sharp crack echoed through the house, followed by the distant shattering of glass. My mother's frantic hands grabbed my shoulder, shaking me awake.

"Flora get up! We have to go-now!" my mum said with her green eyes like dat of an emerald shining in the dark and fear on her face.

Confusion clouded my thoughts. The dim glow of the bedside candle had been replaced by a blurry orange light flickering through the doorway as I was trying so hard to comprehend what was going on. Smoke curled into the room like a creeping shadow, thick and suffocating.

"Mom?" My voice came out hoarse and scared.

"The house is on fire!" she said, gripping my arms tighter. "We don't have time!". My sluggish mind still struggling to process what was happening. Fire? How?

Before I could move, she shoved something into my palm-a small, cold pendant strung on a black cord. I looked down at it, trying to understand why she was giving it to me when our house was going up in flames.

"Listen to me." Her voice was desperate, urgent. "No matter what happens, keep this safe. Do you understand? Never take it off. Never let them take it."

Them?

Before I could ask what she meant, a loud crash came from outside, followed by the unmistakable sound of splintering wood. Someone had just forced their way in. I wondered who it could be

"Mum, is that help?". My mother's expression darkened, her grip tightening around my wrist. "We have to go. Now!"

The fire wasn't an accident. The realization sent ice through my veins.

I let her pull me to my feet, my legs trembling as we stumbled toward the door. Smoke filled the hallway, thick and suffocating, making my eyes water. The heat was unbearable, sweat slicking my skin as flames engulfed and devoured the wooden walls.

The front door was no longer an option. The intruders were there."We'll go through the back," my mother said, pulling me toward the kitchen.But before we could take another step, a loud creak came from above us.

I barely had time to register the warning before the ceiling began to cave in. "Move!" my mother screamed as she shoved me away.

A massive wooden beam, engulfed in flames, came crashing down between us, sending a burst of fire and embers in all directions. The heat was unbearable. "Mom!" I coughed, my throat raw from the smoke. She was on the other side, separated from me by fire and debris.

"Go!" she yelled, her face barely visible through the thick smoke. "Get out of here!"

"No! I won't leave you!" I tried to find a way around the flames, but there was none.

The fire spread fast, licking at the walls, the floor, swallowing everything in its path. The only way out was the window. My mother's eyes locked onto mine. "You have to jump!"

I shook my head frantically, panic clawing at my chest, with tears in my eyes. "No! We can find another way-"