#That awkward moment when you're trying to celebrate Hanukkah and the house catches fire.

[angelic-writer]

Whumpcember Day 17 - Fire

December 22, 2003

Snow blanketed the neighborhood. The houses were alight with Christmas lights. Hymms were sung as everyone prepared for the festivities. In Yonder county as well as many others, Christmas was the most important holiday of the year. But for the Reed family, they weren't celebrating it yet.

Everyone gathered around the table, enjoying their delicacies as children of all ages got jelly all over their faces and fingers. The menorah had another candle lit. It sat by the window, complimenting the falling snow. Having come from a Jewish family, Elijah had seen this type of family gathering ever since he was born. Normally, he would be joining in on the festivities, but this year, there was something on his mind.

"Eli? Why aren't you eating? You didn't eat any meat, did you?"

Elijah shook his head. It wasn't that. He knew the tradition. No meat during Hanukkah. "If there is chicken on the table, you will find no butter or cheese." He picked at his latke, thinking about his friend. He met him not too long ago while he was watching TV. As Eli was a lonely kid, he talked about what he was up to at school. The man in the TV just smiled at him with his wire face.

Soon, the dinner was done and the other kids ran into the family room to play dreidel. Elijah didn't join them. There was someone he wanted to visit first. While his parents weren't looking, he went down the stairs to the basement where the old TV was located. It sat in the middle of the room, having been tossed in there long ago. Turning the screen on, it displayed a familiar title.

"The Might of the Subconscious."

A wire face appeared and Elijah smiled. "Hi Stanley."

------

"I don't know. He's never this quiet. He also didn't even touch his food. He always eats what's on his plate!" Amara Reed said, exasperated. She and her husband Ezra had went outside where their talk won't be overheard.

"He's probably nervous. You know how he is at family gatherings." He said.

"I know, but he still ate. This has happened for three days now! I thought there might've been something he didn't like, so I changed it. I even offered to get him ice cream! But nothing! The food was left untouched! And he disappears every time we finish eating! What if he's starving himself, Ezra?! What if there's something wrong?!"

"Honey, I think you might be overreacting. It's the holidays. Everyone's very jittery because of the mass disappearances." He shivered, remembering the alert he got. "We, at the very least, deserve to relax." He put his hand on her shoulder. "You look very tense. Why don't I massage your shoulders when everyone leaves? We still got six more nights."

"I... Yeah, you're probably right. I'm probably just stressed out." She tucked her face into her scarf, feeling the cold breeze against her skin.

He held her hand. "C'mon, let's go back inside."

With a nod, they went back to the festivities. The adults were sitting at the kitchen table, chatting about current political topics and what's going on in their lives. Ezra replayed his wife's words in his head. She's right to be worried about Elijah. He was always an introverted and quiet kid, always sitting alone at lunch and holing himself up in his room. He and his wife had done the test to see if he was normal and he responded accordingly.

The fact that he is this quiet, not even eating the food his wife made for him, gave him concern. He wished he could be home more often to look after him, but the station called him time and time again so they can tell him to deal with incident after incident.

When will it stop? It hasn't stopped since the nineties.

Poor kids...

Hearing about the Heathcliff incident reminded him of his own son. He hoped the same thing won't happen to him. The thought alone...

He explored the house, looking for any sign of his little boy. The kids were still playing dreidel in the other room. Eli should be in there, socializing with them or at the very least sitting on the couch, reading. He always loved books.

After a few minutes of wandering, he reached the door to the basement. He could faintly hear something on the other side. It sounded like... TV static?

Didn't he get rid of those?

Before he could turn the doorknob, Elijah suddenly tackled his leg. "Raaah!!"

He jumped before he chuckled. "There you are, you little stinker! Where did you go?" He said, ruffling his head.

"Oh, I was talking to my friend. I think I mentioned him to you before."

"Oh yeah, I think you did. If you don't mind me asking, what's his name?"

Elijah smiled widely. "Stanley!"

Stanley.... Where have I heard that name before?

"....Why don't you go get something to eat? You haven't eaten your dinner yet. You should try the doughnuts. Your mother worked really hard on those!"

He nodded before he bounded down the hallway.

Stanley... Stanley... Didn't I hear one of my co-workers talk about it?

Now that I think about it, there was something that happened in Mandela... Something about needing backup...

Ezra's blood turned cold. Slowly turning to the door, he grasped the doorknob and turned it.

Descending the stairs felt like an eternity. His heart hammered in his chest like an ominous drumbeat. There is no way they still have that. He and Amara got rid of those when the order came out. This can't be right...

He reached the bottom and his fears were confirmed.

There was a TV sitting in the middle of the room, displaying static. "So that's what you've been doing..." He whispered.

A loud scream from upstairs made him almost jump out of his skin. Rushing up the stairs and down the hallway, he could smell... smoke?

He turned the corner and ran into Amara. "Amara?! What's going on?!"

"The dining room's on fire!! We gotta get out of here now!!"

"What?!"

Elijah!

"Okay, you get the kids out of here. I'll get all our relatives out! Some of them can't walk!"

Amara nodded and rushed toward the family room. The smoke was beginning to build up as he went further into the house. He finally reached the kitchen where his sister and brother were trying to get their mother out of the chair. "Ezra! Help us!" Miranda shouted.

Hooking his elderly mother's arm around his shoulder, he lifted her up. He glanced into the dining room. Although it was hard to see, he could pinpoint how the fire started. It seemed one of the candles had fallen off the menorah, catching one of the curtains on fire. The flames climbed up the walls, reaching the ceiling. Thick smoke billowed out of the doorway, making his mother cough loudly.

The other relatives had already run out of the room, leaving the four of them alone. They led her down the hallway, making sure to stay out of the smoke filled rooms. It was not good for his mother's failing health.

Soon, they made it out the front door without any harm. Amara and the other family members stood outside with the kids. Some of them were crying, not understanding what was going on.

"Is everyone okay?!" Ezra commanded as he passed his mother off to his brother.

"Yeah, but I can't find Elijah anywhere! Was he with you?!" Amara asked.

"No! I was helping mom! I didn't-" He turned to one of the kids in the group. "Hey! Do you know where Elijah is?!"

"I-I don't know." A little girl stammered out. "I-I thought I saw him run out of the dining room."

Dining room... Where all the candles are!

Without another word, he ran back into the house, ignoring his wife's cries. The smoke was beginning to grow thicker. The flames had spread to every part of the house in record time. It won't be long before the house collapses.

"Elijah!!" He yelled, coughing as he inhaled the smoke. He covered his mouth with a wet dishcloth before he went further. Staying as low as he could, he kept calling out to him, hoping that he was still alive. He can't lose him. Not now!

He spotted a small body curled up in a ball in the family room, weakly coughing. "Eli!!" He raced to him, scooping him up in his arms. His face and parts of his body had horrific burns. He was wheezing, trying to get air in.

Shit shit shit shit!!

"Don't worry, son. I'll get you out of here!"

"St.... Stanley...."

He raced down the hallway, hearing the support beams collapse due to the raging flames. I can make it! I can make it! For him!

Something hit him in the head, causing Ezra and Elijah to tumble. A large piece of wood had landed on him, pinning him to the floor. They were only a few feet away from the door. A few feet away from freedom. The young boy had tumbled out of his arms, only lying a few inches away from him.

Elijah's eyes opened a little. He coughed. "D-Daddy..."

"Eli, you need to get out now! Don't worry about me! Just go!"

His eyes widened. "No!! I'm not leaving you!"

"Go!!" He tried to wiggle his way out, but he was stuck. "Please!!"

Elijah's small frame shook. Tears formed in his little eyes. He slowly stood up. "I-I'll call for help! Don't die, dad!"

With that, he ran out the door. Ezra smiled as he let the smoke burn his lungs. Please be safe...

Amara... Look after him for me...

It was getting a bit hard for him to breathe. His vision was beginning to cloud over. The family home that he and his wife built for each other was being reduced to ashes. And he was gonna die there, alone with no one to help him.

I'm sorry, Eli... I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you...

He heard the sound of sirens. Then, the pressure being lifted.

Then, silence.