Keni

I stirred in my sleep all of a sudden when I heard someone screaming outside my bedroom. Then I opened my eyes and sat up on my bed when my nose smelt something burning. That is when I realized that my house is on fire!

"KENI!" My mom screams from outside my bedroom, down the hallway.

I quickly got out of my bed and coughed as the smoke sneaks into my room. "MOM!" I shouted back as I opened my bedroom door, which I regretted right away because I noticed the fire from downstairs is making its way through the hallway.

My mom calls out for me again and then I slipped my head out of my bedroom through the door and see her trying to make it through the burning hallway. "MOM! DON'T COME HERE!" I yelled in worry as my eyes looked for a way out of here. Then I remembered that in my closet there is a trapdoor. I yelled at my mom to wait for me and told her that I'll be going to the attic. My mom nods her head as she returns back into her bedroom. I took a deep breathe in and closed the door in front of me. Then I quickly ran to the closet, slamming its door open and pulling the string of the trapdoor open. Then the small ladder fell down in front of me and I started climbing up on it.

After climbing, I closed the trapdoor and cursed under my breathe when I forgot my phone, but that doesn't matter right now. Right as I was going to walk to the windows, I hear the sirens of the police cars and the ambulance outside my burning house. I hurriedly ran to the window and looked outside. Then I looked for something to break the glass of the window. Right on my left is my father's old baseball bat and I quickly took it. I got into position and swung it right at the window. The glass broke into pieces while the baseball bat itself slipped from my hands and out the broken window. It took all of my courage and guts to just jump out of the window, and yes, I regretted it right away when I landed on my ankle, which is now twisted.

"Miss?" A voice of a man spoke up from my right side. I looked at whoever it is as I bit my tongue in pain. I see the familiar silver badge on the left side of his uniform and realized he is a policeman. "Miss, are you alright?" He asked as he ran over to me when he saw my condition.

I nodded hurriedly and said, "M-my mom... She's st-still inside!"

The policeman's eyes went wide right after what I said. Then he grabbed his small radio on his right shoulder and pressed its main button. Then he spoke into it," Officer Holley, over! I found a young girl by the side of the house, who needs medical attention right away! Also, she claims that her mother is still in the house! Send someone in there right now!" Another voice spoke up from the other line and tells Officer Holley that they just sent in some firemen inside the burning house. Officer Holley, who looks to be in his early 20's sighs in relief and looks back at me. "I'll carry you to the front," He calmly tells me as he gently wrapped his arms around my body. I am so glad right now that it's a bit dark on this side of the house since I'm worried that Officer Holley might see my red tinted cheeks.

We both made it to the front and Officer Holley laid me down on the stretcher near one of the ambulances. I sat up and watched as the medical team asked me where I was hurt. I just pointed at my swollen, twisted, left ankle since I am more focused on searching for my mom, who should be outside waiting for her daughter, but I couldn't find her in the crowd. Then a group of firemen ran out of the front door, one of them carrying my mom in their arms. I quickly pushed someone from the medical team and jumped off the stretcher, ignoring their calls for me to go back and the excruciating pain in my left ankle. Then I ran to where my mom was being sent to.

"Miss, sorry, bu-" "That's my mom!" I cut off the person from the second medical team and got inside the ambulance.

I noticed how pale my mom looks when I took a glance at her. Not knowing at what else to do, I started to cry for the first time after my father's death 5 years ago. Then I felt someone rubbing and patting my back. I looked up to see Officer Holley, who is holding a blue handkerchief in his other hand. I took it quietly and slowly thanked him. Then I wiped my tears and nose using the blue cloth. After awhile, the fire is gone and so is my house for the last 16 years. Even the crowd that gathered outside is gone, too, and so is my mom. 17 minutes ago, when one of the medical people came to check up on my mother, they realized their mistake for not giving her an oxygen tank and sending her to the ER at the hospital uptown. I was too tired and heartbroken to yell out my anger at them, after knowing that I lost another parent in my life.

Now, I am truly alone...

Or, so, I thought.

Officer Holley accompanied me to the hospital to get my left ankle checked on properly, and after that he bought me a chocolate ice cream to cheer me up. The ice cream helped me a bit since it's my favorite flavor, but it was the flavor that my mother made me fall in love in the first place. I was given a place in the Police Station downtown LA after chatting with Officer Holley, who I just found out is actually 18 years old, and not in his early 20's. I was a bit surprised to find out that an 18 year old is a Rookie in such a hard job. I mean, he does look hot in a police uniform, but it is still difficult to believe that he's only 18. Then after being introduced by some people in the Police Station, I changed into some clean clothes thanks to the Head Officer of LA's Police Department and slept on the couch in his office.

I couldn't sleep properly that night, but I did eventually fell asleep.

The next day, Officer Holley, came to check up on me once again after I got cleaned up. Then my family's lawyer came to visit me to explain that my parent's Last Will & Testament is not with him, but in Seoul at my grandparents' house. Of course, I knew this, but I'm still 16 and even if I get to own something big, like my grandparents house, I doubt that I'll even move there since I have no passport or a citizenship from South Korea anymore. Right after my dad died when I was 11, my mom burned the things that are related to him and my grandparents. So, hearing the news from me family's lawyer made me think that I'll be living in the orphanage for the next two years of my now broken life.

I'll just hope that mom and dad are regretting all of this for leaving me behind...

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-Keni-

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~ Chapter 2 - COMING SOON! ~