Phoebe strained fully against her bonds, trying as hard as she could
to get free. Nothing seemed to help at all, and time was running out. At
her side, Helga was trembling, fighting against the fear that threatened to
overwhelm her. Nothing was working. What else could they do?
The smoke filled the room around them until they could not see two inches before their faces. The first of them to start coughing was Gerald, and soon all of them were coughing and gagging. Through the darkness Phoebe cried between gasps, "Cover your nose and mouth with your clothing or your hands if you can't get any close enough!" They complied. They were breathing a bit easier, but it was not the smoke that truly terrified them.
It was the blazing flames that inched nearer and nearer.
~*~*~*~
Outside the Heyerdahl house Arnie stopped, staring back inside. Lila rushed past him, running quickly down the street. "C'mon! Hurry or the cops'll get you! That would be ever so terrible!" And she was gone. Arnie contemplated following her-- leaving his cousin and his friends down there to burn in flames with his beloved.
The choices rang through his head. The ideas there surprised himself. Of course he would run! He'd come this far, why would he turn back now? Just as he started to run down the street something stopped him. A sweet little voice he'd heard not even a moment ago. A voice the world would never know if he left her there. The voice that spoke words of wisdom beyond the girl's age.
"I just want to keep your heart!
May this confession be the start"
"I know you gave me courage
To face what I must face
With all these complications
In another time and place!"
The girl's smile reappeared in his mind. She had a look of love in her eyes he'd not seen before except for the way his beloved looked at his cousin. Why was this so complicated? Why couldn't he just leave them there without a second thought or regret as he had done with their other friends? Why was he compelled to return there and free them? He had to make a decision. Time was running out.
~*~*~*~
Helga began to slump against the pipe that held her prisoner to the wall. She couldn't even raise her hands to shield her face. The darkness grew nearer, it told her she would go unconscious soon. She felt the smaller form next to her whimper pitifully. Helga fought against the darkness. Phoebe needed her now.
A sound rained down through the smoke filled basement. The creaking of the steps let them know someone was running down to them. "Help us! Help us, please!" Helga cried in a tired, broken voice. Suddenly, she felt the chains on her wrist go slack. The jingle of chains told her Phoebe was free as well.
"Go. There's a small clearing in the flames where you can make it through if you hurry. The fire is spreading."
"I'm not leaving without Arnold or Gerald." Phoebe hissed.
"They'll be right behind you." Helga grasped around until she found Phoebe's hand and pulled her through the darkness to the light that poured in above the stairs. Phoebe did not struggle against Helga as they ascended the stairs.
Five minutes later the boys were there as well, embracing the girls lovingly to themselves. There were many tears and kisses throughout the ordeal before Helga finally asked, "Who was that?" The four turned inquisitive eyes to the door to the basement.
Arnie stood there with a faint smile on his face. "I had to do the right thing for once." Arnold grasped Helga's hand while Arnie nodded in contentment at the sight. "Don't loose her, Arnold. She's a prize all right." They watched as Arnie turned and descended slowly down the stairs into the burning basement.
He did not reemerge.
~*~*~*~
Two weeks passed and Lila was in jail for an accomplice to murder. Helga and Arnold openly admitted their relationship, although there was much teasing from Herald and his group. Everyone still mourned for the loss of Nadine and Rhonda, but life was getting back to normal.
The night of the performance came and everyone was nervous. Phoebe was the final act of the show to close it. As the lights dimmed and the spotlight shown on her smiling face, Phoebe imagined Gerald's loving face before hers, leaning forwards to kiss her. The ending of the song came before she realized she had become singing. "If someone like you loved me... Loved me... Loved me..." The room sounded with the thunder of the applause. Curtsying, she smiled faintly and walked quickly off the stage where Gerald waited for her.
"You did well, Phoebe."
"Thank you."
"Y'know what, Phoebe?"
"Hmm?"
"You don't have to find someone like me. You have me."
"And I intend on keeping you this time."
"But of course, mademoiselle. Lets go find lover boy and his gal and get some pizza okay?"
"Sounds great."
"Good." He kissed her and she smiled to herself.
"Forgetting something?"
"Huh?" She laughed softly.
"I love you, Gerald."
"Oh. I love you, Gerald." She laughed and hit him playfully.
"You're so weird."
"I love you, Phoebe."
"That's better!"
The smoke filled the room around them until they could not see two inches before their faces. The first of them to start coughing was Gerald, and soon all of them were coughing and gagging. Through the darkness Phoebe cried between gasps, "Cover your nose and mouth with your clothing or your hands if you can't get any close enough!" They complied. They were breathing a bit easier, but it was not the smoke that truly terrified them.
It was the blazing flames that inched nearer and nearer.
~*~*~*~
Outside the Heyerdahl house Arnie stopped, staring back inside. Lila rushed past him, running quickly down the street. "C'mon! Hurry or the cops'll get you! That would be ever so terrible!" And she was gone. Arnie contemplated following her-- leaving his cousin and his friends down there to burn in flames with his beloved.
The choices rang through his head. The ideas there surprised himself. Of course he would run! He'd come this far, why would he turn back now? Just as he started to run down the street something stopped him. A sweet little voice he'd heard not even a moment ago. A voice the world would never know if he left her there. The voice that spoke words of wisdom beyond the girl's age.
"I just want to keep your heart!
May this confession be the start"
"I know you gave me courage
To face what I must face
With all these complications
In another time and place!"
The girl's smile reappeared in his mind. She had a look of love in her eyes he'd not seen before except for the way his beloved looked at his cousin. Why was this so complicated? Why couldn't he just leave them there without a second thought or regret as he had done with their other friends? Why was he compelled to return there and free them? He had to make a decision. Time was running out.
~*~*~*~
Helga began to slump against the pipe that held her prisoner to the wall. She couldn't even raise her hands to shield her face. The darkness grew nearer, it told her she would go unconscious soon. She felt the smaller form next to her whimper pitifully. Helga fought against the darkness. Phoebe needed her now.
A sound rained down through the smoke filled basement. The creaking of the steps let them know someone was running down to them. "Help us! Help us, please!" Helga cried in a tired, broken voice. Suddenly, she felt the chains on her wrist go slack. The jingle of chains told her Phoebe was free as well.
"Go. There's a small clearing in the flames where you can make it through if you hurry. The fire is spreading."
"I'm not leaving without Arnold or Gerald." Phoebe hissed.
"They'll be right behind you." Helga grasped around until she found Phoebe's hand and pulled her through the darkness to the light that poured in above the stairs. Phoebe did not struggle against Helga as they ascended the stairs.
Five minutes later the boys were there as well, embracing the girls lovingly to themselves. There were many tears and kisses throughout the ordeal before Helga finally asked, "Who was that?" The four turned inquisitive eyes to the door to the basement.
Arnie stood there with a faint smile on his face. "I had to do the right thing for once." Arnold grasped Helga's hand while Arnie nodded in contentment at the sight. "Don't loose her, Arnold. She's a prize all right." They watched as Arnie turned and descended slowly down the stairs into the burning basement.
He did not reemerge.
~*~*~*~
Two weeks passed and Lila was in jail for an accomplice to murder. Helga and Arnold openly admitted their relationship, although there was much teasing from Herald and his group. Everyone still mourned for the loss of Nadine and Rhonda, but life was getting back to normal.
The night of the performance came and everyone was nervous. Phoebe was the final act of the show to close it. As the lights dimmed and the spotlight shown on her smiling face, Phoebe imagined Gerald's loving face before hers, leaning forwards to kiss her. The ending of the song came before she realized she had become singing. "If someone like you loved me... Loved me... Loved me..." The room sounded with the thunder of the applause. Curtsying, she smiled faintly and walked quickly off the stage where Gerald waited for her.
"You did well, Phoebe."
"Thank you."
"Y'know what, Phoebe?"
"Hmm?"
"You don't have to find someone like me. You have me."
"And I intend on keeping you this time."
"But of course, mademoiselle. Lets go find lover boy and his gal and get some pizza okay?"
"Sounds great."
"Good." He kissed her and she smiled to herself.
"Forgetting something?"
"Huh?" She laughed softly.
"I love you, Gerald."
"Oh. I love you, Gerald." She laughed and hit him playfully.
"You're so weird."
"I love you, Phoebe."
"That's better!"