The first thing he noticed as he woke up was the smoke. He had been dreaming of being back home, when suddenly had found an inability to breath. It made his eyes open and automatically start to water as he coughed for air. He sat up in a dazed state and hurriedly flipped his lamp on. His heart inevitably raced when he saw his room had been taken over by a cloud of smoke coming from the outside of his bedroom door.

He flew out of his bed and stumbled to his door, cautiously touching his door knob to make sure it wouldn't burn his skin. When he saw it was only warm, he turned it and took a moment to let his eyes fixate at the horror before him. The fire was blazing; the inferno swallowing the entire mansion. A strange orange glow was emitted from the glass windows that covered every side of the house. The furniture roasted underneath an immense heat. Pictures were falling off the walls as they were now charred black. Carpets and tapestries were almost completely gone. Smoke made it impossible to see and only grew thicker by the minute.

Quickly, the flame had crept its way up the stairs onto the next floor where he stood paralyzed by fear. He tentatively took a step back until he realized the predicament he was in. He looked from side to side and tried to find an escape route but the hallways were already consumed with flames. The only option, he grasped, was back into his room and going out the window.

He ran back into his room and shut the door behind him trying to buy time. His mind raced trying to think of ideas. He could never jump; he would never survive the fall. Then he remembered the fire escape ladder his parents always kept in their closet. His parents!

Another worry flooded his mind. Where were his parents? Had they already escaped? Were they trapped in their room? He knew he had to look for them; his escape plan would have to come later.

He went to open his door but as soon as he touched his doorknob he retracted his hand away. It burnt his fingers just by touching it. When he looked down he saw flames creeping from underneath the door. Now he was trapped and he didn't know where his parents were. However if he had any chance of living he had to leave now.

As he glanced out his window his heart sank. He was three stories up and there was no chance he could survive the fall. It's better than burning to death…He told himself and went to kick open his window. He ripped the screen off and broke the glass in one kick. The heat had made it weak already. He gasped for fresh air and got ready to stand on the ledge.

A noise caught his attention. It was a quiet at first, but then distinctly he detected it as a siren. The fire station had finally arrived, whether it was too late or not was a mystery but he held off on jumping out his window till they knew he was up there.

Just like he predicted, a fire truck had pulled in front of the mansion and he heard shouts of the firemen ordering commands on what to do next. He took a deep breath again to give his lungs clean air and went to shout to signal he was alive and waiting to be rescued.

"Hey!" He cried. "I'm up here! Hey! Help me!" he shouted until he had to cough from the smoke. He listened and waited until he saw five firemen run into the backyard.

"There's a kid up there!" one of them shouted to the other. "Get the net!" he ordered and the rest of them ran off to the fire truck. Meanwhile, the one stayed to assess the situation. "Is there anyone else inside the house?" he called up.

"My parents…" he responded dismally.

The others had returned with what looked like a big trampoline, but he knew from shows it was to catch people in. The four were stationed at the corners and waited for him to jump.

It was now or never, and he took a deep breath and leaped off the edge. It lasted only a matter of seconds and he felt himself collide with the tapestry with a thud. At once, the team was on him checking for injuries and trouble breathing.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" He kept repeating. "Get…my parents…" He coughed. They helped him up and led him to the front yard where three trucks and other teams of men were getting out houses and shouting at one another. An ambulance was also waiting for him, and one of the firemen led him over to sit down.

"Get him the oxygen mask." He ordered to one of paramedics.

He felt himself being lifted in the ambulance and a mask strapped to his mouth. Cool air flowed into his lungs forcing the smoke out. It made him feel amazing and tired all at once. He turned his head to see the progress the firemen had made on his house. To his revulsion, he watched the roof collapse in on his house and he started screaming.

Deep within the house the mother and father were trapped in their room trying desperately to escape. The man went to smash out the window, but as he stepped forward the curtain fell and with it bringing a new ring of fire.

They had gone upstairs thinking their child was stuck in his room, but when they realized he was gone, it was too late. The flame was too great to try and make it downstairs. Instead, then, they ran into their bedroom. The woman closed the door thinking it was by the time; however smoke still seeped through the cracks.

She cried helplessly as they realized they were trapped and soon their time would be up. There was no way they could open the door, stepping out would be instant death. Instead, the pair stood together waiting for their small circle of safety to be taken over by flame.

He took her hands gently and they shared a kiss. The end was coming soon, the firefighters wouldn't get there in time to save them, but what calmed them was the fact that their son was out of the house.

"He's safe." He whispered, his breathing greatly troubled from the thick smoke entering his lungs. With one last breath he added, "I love you." His vision was clouding around him, and he struggled to hang onto his wife's hand.

She didn't say anything, but she held on to her husband until their circle was no more and the roof fell on top of them in a rush of ember and heat.