Echoes of The Past

On that typical evening, the warmth of my home wrapped around me in a familiar embrace. The soft glow of the sun glinted against the Eburnean walls, creating a cosy ambience. As I settled into my favourite armchair with my morning coffee, the sky soon harshly illuminated a sense of unease—the once welcoming space turned into a stifling trap.

The comforting fever morphed into sickness; disarray permeated my surroundings as events unravelled. The air grew thick, clawing at my throat, faint grey smoke inundating the living room, circling mockingly. A dreadful thought crossed my mind. My kids’ curious exclamations reached me from the dining room, their voices bright—something I’d once taken for granted. Panic arose as my body tingled with dread; I implored them to leave, my voice urgent. But they remained transfixed within the ash enveloping them.

Through the charred smoke that unfurled like tendrils, there they both sat, silhouetted against the lights that no longer shone, and despite the physical space between us being scant, the ticking clock was an adversary that refused to be swayed in my favour. I found myself sprinting, stumbling, kicking objects out of the way as the fire would soon erupt into a dance of crescendos, heart pounding in my eardrums. Meeting their gaze, I could see the worry in their eyes, a silent plea for understanding etched across them as tears streamed down their faces. Realisation soon hits them…

There they were, both so close.

I watched as our fingers slipped away from one another when the gas stove ignited, unleashing a furious detonation as it erupted into a violent outburst of red and orange, its ferocity consuming everything in its path with a relentless fury of unguilt. It burned everything, – everyone in sight. I watched as my children’s once vibrant presence now turned into discerning figures that seemed to waver in and out of focus, their forms amidst the flickering shadows. I watched as my entire world slowly dissipated into nothingness; everything around me moved in slow motion.

Lines blurred into one as the surroundings closed in on me, the world dwindled into a pitch, dark black. My heart raced along the flames that now marked its territory.

It was as if the depths of hell were laughing at the hypocrisy of my own being. My children, both far too young and innocent, swallowed by the billowing smoke as the inferno encapsulated them from within, shrill screams deafening. I stood there paralysed. I wanted it all to be a nightmare, I wanted my children wrapped tightly in my arms; I wanted it all to come to a stop. Then it did. They were gone.

In the quiet hours before dawn, the world sleeps, and darkness envelopes all around, suffocating me into a shroud that constricts with every daunting recollection of that day. I find myself lost within the trance of my beloved ones, their ethereal whispers calling out to me as figures reach; I extend my hand towards them just as they slip away all too quickly, leaving me grasping at fleeting memories.

With no laughter echoing through the halls and the clinking of dishes being washed, the weight of solitude settles upon me like a lingering unknown. Walking down the stairs to the living room, I picture the familiar faces etched across old photographs, innocent smiles frozen in time without a single trace of thought that such an incident would occur. Memories whisk through the labyrinth of my mind as their anguished cries reverberate within, igniting a pain in my chest that tightens with each reminiscence.

A thunderous sound suddenly shatters the deafening silence, ripping through time like a striking bolt.

The world begins to spin in a dizzying whirl, causing me to stumble forward when the impact is sudden and brutal. A collision travels through my skull as I meet the cold floor of my house, the sharp, searing pain throbbing in its wake.

My vision duplicates as darkness creeps around the edges, I grasp at whatever is nearby to stabilise myself, my fingers clawing at the cabinet in front of me, panic rising with each frantic movement, just when I slip. The cool wood I lie on offers no solace; I can almost hear the mocking laughter of gravity until every limb touches the ground.

My ears screech with a high-pitched ring as it numbs down into a recognisable sound. The soft giggles and pattern of footsteps resound like a melodic rhythm in my mind, soothing me as I wake up to another day. Could it be?

My children’s laughter dances in the air, eyes radiating with innocence, never tarnishing. I blink in disbelief, hoping to dispel the surreal illusion but their presence feels too vivid, voices echoing with such clarity it must have all been just a nightmare.

I manoeuver my way around the house with outstretched arms, eyes trying to level with theirs but never meeting as my presence seems to dissolve the liveliness. The smiles fade into a dull line, faces darkening with menace as confusion unravels throughout the atmosphere. They step away, eyes filled with a growing fury stirring from within.

‘Why didn’t you save us?’

The words hit me like a physical blow – bullets on skin.

All I ever wanted was to hear their voices again, the sweet chorus of their laughs and giggles, I would’ve done anything for it. But this.

The weight of accusation heaves over me as I drop to my knees when the wave of realisation crashes over, drowning me in a void of guilt. None of this is real. It simply just can’t be. The truth shatters my heart as my legs give out beneath me, sending me to the ground; my heart pounding in uneven patterns in my ears. A desperate urge to turn back time grips my very being as I shake with hatred at myself, the flashbacks of their shrieks to the engulfing flames serving as a cruel reminder of my mistake – the cause of their abrupt death.

In a final attempt to resurrect my children, I grasp for them as they all suddenly fade into ghosts of my past, their final looks of disbelief sticking to my mind.

‘I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m-’

‘I don’t know what to do-’

The words cut through my heart as a revolting jolt snaps me back to life, leaving me breathless as my mind throbs with confusion – I awaken from the trance. I find myself unfreezing from an awkward position sprawled across the stairs, forced to confront the stark reality. The shadows of my past loom over me as I grapple with the devastating truth of my children, gone from this world forever, all because of me. With trembling hands, I brush away the cold sweat and tears pouring down in streams - a heavy heart carrying remorse as I face the unbearable weight of what I have done. Nothing would bring back my world, and I knew that I would never undo the horrors of what my own being had created on that very day.