by They stumbled through the ash and dust, wide-eyed and astonished at the destruction. Under the prayers of the Saoithe, their people mourned. The Taoiseachs stood atop a hill, newly made by the volcano's eruption, and watched the survivors of the tragedy wander aimlessly. Those who didn't survive were buried under the molten earth.
She looked back down and sniffled, one foot bare and scalding in the still burning dirt. Her mother and Father hadn't come back, and none of the grown-ups could find them. Rourke's father was missing too, but no one would tell them what happened to him, or anyone.
She had been woken up in the middle of the night, and everything had been burning. The smoke had hurt her, but she had to breathe. Her chest still hurt. The Saoithe told her it would take a long time to make it better. Mama said the Saoithe know everything.
Her eyes caught something move under the dirt. She climbed up over a broken log just out of sight of the adults and shuffled over to whatever was trying to free itself. Maybe a mouse was hiding there... The young girl started to brush away the dirt, but there was no mouse.
It was a hand, blackened by the fire, but it still moved. She coughed as her body struggled against the shock, and pulled on the hand. "Help! Somebody help!!" as she tugged and struggled, she heard the adults approach. 'How could anyone have survived that?' 'What in the names of the Gods...' 'Is it alive?' She heard them whisper, while the bigger adults helped dig out the poor person. Inch by inch, the person - a woman - was freed. Her skin was burned to a crisp and flaked off in places, her hair was nearly gone and what was left was a wirey mess. Still, she lived.
The little girl crouched by the woman's head. She groaned, her movements stiff and jolting. She kind of looked like... "Mommy...?"
Before she knew what was happening, she was looking up at the sky, and the adults were screaming. Her whole left side hurt and felt burnt, but she couldn't move anymore. it felt like someone was sitting on her.
One of the adults picked her up, screaming about monsters. She couldn't hear the rest, everything sounded and looked... muddy. Why did they keep shaking her? She felt so sleepy.
She looked back down and sniffled, one foot bare and scalding in the still burning dirt. Her mother and Father hadn't come back, and none of the grown-ups could find them. Rourke's father was missing too, but no one would tell them what happened to him, or anyone.
She had been woken up in the middle of the night, and everything had been burning. The smoke had hurt her, but she had to breathe. Her chest still hurt. The Saoithe told her it would take a long time to make it better. Mama said the Saoithe know everything.
Her eyes caught something move under the dirt. She climbed up over a broken log just out of sight of the adults and shuffled over to whatever was trying to free itself. Maybe a mouse was hiding there... The young girl started to brush away the dirt, but there was no mouse.
It was a hand, blackened by the fire, but it still moved. She coughed as her body struggled against the shock, and pulled on the hand. "Help! Somebody help!!" as she tugged and struggled, she heard the adults approach. 'How could anyone have survived that?' 'What in the names of the Gods...' 'Is it alive?' She heard them whisper, while the bigger adults helped dig out the poor person. Inch by inch, the person - a woman - was freed. Her skin was burned to a crisp and flaked off in places, her hair was nearly gone and what was left was a wirey mess. Still, she lived.
The little girl crouched by the woman's head. She groaned, her movements stiff and jolting. She kind of looked like... "Mommy...?"
Before she knew what was happening, she was looking up at the sky, and the adults were screaming. Her whole left side hurt and felt burnt, but she couldn't move anymore. it felt like someone was sitting on her.
One of the adults picked her up, screaming about monsters. She couldn't hear the rest, everything sounded and looked... muddy. Why did they keep shaking her? She felt so sleepy.
