A Dinner Disaster!

I screamed, "OH MY GOD! EVERYONE OUT! HURRY!" Just then I look up and see a wooden pillar which was now burning coming down... On me!

The whole house was on fire and if I didn't do something quickly I may as well die!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8 Hours earlier~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amy hollers to me from the kitchen, "Jessica! Get the pie! It's going to burn!"

I sprint across the room, and into the kitchen to find Amy tending to the chicken on the stove. I grab a pair of oven mitts, and open the the oven door, and cautiously stick my hands into the oven, and take out the Apple Pie.

Once I set it on the countertop I inhale the sweet flavor of the pie. Amy sees me and asks, "That good eh?"

I smile, "The best"

After I set out the pie to cool, I get out a few potatoes and start making the mashed potatoes. I ask Amy, "After can you make the gravy?" Amy simply nods.

I have been waiting for this day for a 6 years! There's only one tradition my WHOLE family gathers together, and that's on Thanksgiving (today!), Every year we choose to meet at one of my relatives house, this year it's finally my turn!

My family is HUGE! Every family member has a family that consists of AT LEAST 3-4 people! The only problem is that nearly EVERYONE lives in different countries! Meaning it's REALLY hard to find a time or place that everyone can take a day off from work and all that.

However, before I was even born my family has a tradition of no matter what everyone shall meet together on Thanksgiving, and as far as I know, this tradition was only broken once in nearly 5 generations, and that was only when there was an really important crisis.

I had asked my older sister Amy to come a day earlier to help with the preparations. You see I wanted this day to be unforgettable! I really wanted to make it so everyone enjoyed it!

(A couple hours later)

"RING"

oh my god! The first guests are here! I thought to myself as I rushed quickly to the door, to open it!

It was my younger brother, Aiden and his family! I opened the door and was instantly greeted with my two nieces rushing inside with Cindy, the youngest was running from Shelly, who was chasing her.

Their mother, Michelle laughed, "Oh sorry about those two Jess!"

I smiled, "No problem! It's nice to have some energy in the house for a while!" I saw Aiden come up behind Michelle from the car, "Hi Aiden!"

He locked the car, and then smiled, "Hey Jess! How've you been?" I laughed, "I'm good! I should be asking that to you two though! I mean look at those two" I pointed to the Cindy and Shelly who were now jumping on the beanbag.

Michelle sighed, "You're telling me! They won't sit quiet for even a minute! Oh how they possess so much energy!"

I opened the door fully, "I'm sure your trip must have been exhausting! Do come in!"

Aiden took a look around the house, the perfectionist that he is, examined everything for a brief moment before saying, "I love what ya done with the house!"

Michelle pitched in, "I agree! You're décor is stunning Jessica!"

I smiled in relief, all the work had paid off! "Thank you!" That's when Amy spoke up from the kitchen! "Michelle! Aiden! Hi! It's been such a long time!" Amy dried her hands on a towel and walked over to give them both a hug!

"It's great to see you Amy" Aiden said after he pulled back.

One by one the guests started to arrive an by around 6:30 or so, everyone was there.

Each and every one was indulged in a conversation with someone else. All the kids were running around and seemed to be playing Hide & Seek at the moment.

Amy sidled, up to me, "Hey ya ready!?"

After a moment of hesitation I nodded, "Yup!"

I found my way to the big dining table, picked up a glass of champagne, and tapped my glass with a nearby spoon to get everyone's attention, "Excuse me everyone" I waited a minute as the crowd silenced down, Then I continued, "I'd just like to take a minute to thank everyone for making this long journey over to Washington for this special night, I know you all have come from all over the world, Spain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Australia, and so... Let's celebrate together over this meal, that I hope you enjoy!"

Slowly one by one everyone started walking over to the table, and me and Amy set everything up with a little help from Aunt Cas.

In just a couple minutes everyone was seated, and starting to serve themselves their chosen items. I sat down with Emma, the daughter of, Erin, the youngest sibling in all of my siblings. On the other side of me was Amy.

The conversation was very lively it started out with what everyone was doing for a living, then to funny stories on things that happened recently, and now everyone was basically just talking about random things.

"And that's how I literally had to be rescued from the boat a month ago!" I finished saying. Amy was laughing, "Oh boy Jess! You really need to learn to swim gi-" She was cut of as Aiden yelled, "FIRE!" The candle near the curtains, had got onto it and was now growing larger by the minute!

Everyone got up in unison, and started, for the door with the parents grabbing their children, but before anyone could even reach the door the fire spread onto the wooden table near it, and everyone by now was screaming.

My head was racing as I tried to evaluate what on earth we should do!

"Amy, Michelle! Get water now!" they both followed my instructions and went to fetch some water, "Aiden help me with the curtains!" Me and Aiden rushed over to the curtains, and quickly started hitting it with a nearby blanket. However, it was barely making the difference as the fire grew larger.

By now, Amy and Michelle had gotten the water. I rushed past the people in my way, and quickly took the bucket in Michelle's hand and poured it on the wooden table, but it wasn't enough, I told Amy to do the same and she did, the fire was finally stopping!

However as we were focusing on the door nearly the entire house was catching fire. I looked around and by now most of the children were crying, and the adults were are trying put out the fire and get away from it at the same time.

"EVERYONE! OUT! WE NEED TO GET OUT NOW! GET THE KIDS OUT FIRST!" I screamed over the chaos. Everyone seemed to get the message and the pushed the kids near the door first.

I grabbed, Emma and Cindy the closest to me, and pushed them out, and behind me was Aiden who grabbed Shelly, and Antony, by the hand and pushed them out as well, I quickly turned to them and told them, "Look! Everything will be okay understand? For now you all need to get out of here do you understand? Go out of the apartment and get out of the building don't go too far once your out though, and wait there!" Emma was the oldest, she was 9, "Emma I'm putting you in-charge okay! Now GO!"

They did as I instructed to surprisingly, I turned back to see the adults trying to put out the fire which wasn't really helping though.

"Alright one, by one, Everyone out!" The kitchen was on fire.

I could barely see anything in all the smoke now, everything was blurry, and I was having trouble breathing. There was so much ash everywhere I looked, I thought I may not make it.

That's when I felt a hand grab me, it was Amy, she looked at me and told me, "Jess hurry!"

I looked around snapping back to reality, and yelled, "OH MY GOD! EVERYONE OUT! HURRY!" Just then I look up and see a wooden pillar which was now burning coming down... On me!

I quickly rushed right out of the way, and so did Amy but we both split in opposite ways. She went for the door, as I went for the opposite side. The wooden beam fell right in front of the door! I was trapped! I looked around, to see if anyone else was still there.

No one.

There was no one else.

It was just me.

Amy was screaming, but I barely could hear her over the fire alarm that had gone off a few seconds ago. I frantically looked around for something, Anything. But all I saw was debris.

Water.

I needed water.

But there was no water.

Just then everything slowly started to blur. My senses stopped working. I could barely see anything anymore.

That's when I fell.

I fell, and everything went black...

The next few minutes were nothing but a blur.

One minute I was lying on the ground with fire burning all around me, the next I was able to see two men, in red... and green? No white, coming and picking me up.

Then everything after I can't remember.

"Jessica..." I hear Michelle gently tapping my face, and saying my name. It might have been the first or it may have been the fiftieth.

I opened my eyes, I looked around the room... I was in a hospital, all the walls were white. There was a small sink nearby, and an table with fruits on top.

As soon as I opened my eyes Michelle burst out, "Jess! Your awake! Thank goodness!"

I slowly said, "What... happened?"

Michelle, quickly got a glass of water as she said, "Everyone's safe now, You were the last one in there Jess! We were all so worried!" She put the glass of water to my lips, "Drink" she said, I drank a few sips. "Everyone's outside praying probably. Oh goodness! Everyone will be so happy to know your alright!" There was a pause as she put the glass back, "Heavens knows how scared Amy was! Speaking of which I better go tell them! You'll be alright alone for a moment won't you?"

I gave a weak smile, "Sure" I managed.

Michelle walked out of the room, and I was able to hear a bunch of relived voices, but wasn't able to make out exactly what was being said. However a moment later, Amy and Aiden walked through with Michelle in their wake, Amy rushed over to my side, and cried. "Jess! I thought you wouldn't make it! What were you thinking ! I'm so glad your okay!" I wiped the tears off her face and told her, "I'm okay Amy, it's alright. Everything will be okay."

Aiden grasped my hand, "You scared the hell out of us Jess! How are you feeling? Need anything?"

I patted his hand and managed to smile, "I'm good Aiden."

Later after I was discharged, we all went over to a restaurant nearby. We all were relieved that everyone was okay, and we actually ended up having a really good time there!

I learned from this experience, that you always need to be prepared for ANYTHING, because just when you least expect it something might happen, and for this you need to be prepared! Also, here's a tip, don't have candles near things that can catch on fire easily!