²
~Bella's POV
I grabbed Noah by the arm and turned toward Mia's room. "Mia! Get up, we have to go!" I shouted, but she didn't move.
I rushed to her, shaking her awake. "Mia, come on! We need to leave!"
She blinked, confused, as the smoke filled the room. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice soft and scared.
"There's no time. Just come!" I pulled Mia up, but she was still too dazed. The fire was getting closer, and I had to act fast. I pushed Mia toward the stairs, trying to move as quickly as possible. But then the house shook, and I heard a loud crack from below.
"Mom!" I shouted, but there was no answer. The flames were everywhere, and I could feel the heat getting stronger.
I turned back to Mia, shaking her. "Come on, Mia! We have to go!"
Noah grabbed her, helping me pull her down the stairs. The smoke was thick, and it was hard to breathe. The air burned my lungs as we hurried down the hallway.
"Mom!" I screamed, but I couldn't see her. The flames were everywhere, and I could barely see through the smoke.
We were almost at the door when another loud crack sounded. The ceiling above us started to crumble, and I saw pieces of wood falling.
"No! Mom!" I yelled again, my heart sinking.
I pushed Noah and Mia ahead of me, urging them to go. "Get out! Go!" I shouted.
Noah didn't hesitate. He pulled Mia outside and away from the fire, but I couldn't stop. I had to go back.
"Mom!" I screamed again, but as I turned back, I saw her. She was trapped in the hallway, her face covered in smoke, coughing as she tried to get to us.
"Mom, no!" I ran back toward her, but the flames blocked my way. She was too far ahead, and I couldn't get to her in time.
"Bella! Get out!" Mom shouted, her voice full of pain and panic. "Go! Take Noah and Mia and go!"
"No, I can't leave you!" I cried, but she pushed me toward the door.
"Go!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I'll be right behind you. Just go!"
I looked back one last time, but the fire was too strong. It had surrounded her, and the house was collapsing. I couldn't reach her.
Reluctantly, I turned and ran outside, my heart heavy with fear and guilt. I saw Noah and Mia on the lawn, both crying.
"Mom! Where's Mom?" Mia asked, looking around frantically.
"I don't know," I whispered, choking back tears. I wanted to say everything would be okay, but I couldn't. Mom wasn't there.
The fire was getting worse, and the smoke was thick. We needed to get away from the house. But my legs felt weak, my heart broken, as I looked back at the flames that had stolen everything.
Suddenly, Noah cried out. "Look!"
I turned to see him running toward the edge of the lawn, and I rushed after him.
"Stay back! It's dangerous!" I shouted, but Noah didn't stop. He was pulling something from the ground, something dark and limp in his hands.
I gasped when I saw it was Mia, her body bruised and battered, her face pale. She wasn't moving.
"No! Mia! No!" I dropped to my knees, pulling her into my arms. She was cold, her body not responding. Tears filled my eyes as I shook her, trying to wake her up.
"Mia! Please!" I begged, but there was no answer. My heart felt like it was breaking in my chest.
Noah fell to his knees beside me, his face pale with fear. "What do we do, Bella? What do we do?"
By the time the firefighters arrived, it was over. The house was gone, reduced to a smoldering pile of ash. And so was Mom. My heart shattered as I watched the remains of everything we had.
The ambulance arrived just after the fire trucks, and the paramedics quickly rushed toward us. They took Mia from my arms and started working on her immediately. I barely understood what was happening, my mind spinning. They put her in the back of the ambulance, and Noah and I followed close behind.
We arrived at the hospital, and the doctors and nurses rushed Mia into the emergency room. Everything happened so fast. One moment, we were holding onto hope, and the next, she was being wheeled away, disappearing behind heavy double doors.
They told us to wait in the lobby, but waiting felt like torture. The bright white walls, the stiff chairs, the quiet hum of the vending machines, none of it mattered. All we could do was sit there, our hearts pounding, our minds racing with fear. The minutes stretched on endlessly, feeling more like hours. Every time the emergency room doors swung open, we held our breath, hoping for news.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a doctor walked toward us. His face was serious, and my stomach clenched. Something was wrong.
"Is she going to be okay?" I asked, barely recognizing my own shaky voice.
The doctor let out a slow breath. "We've done surgery to stabilize her," he said. "She's alive, but…" He hesitated, his eyes full of sympathy. "She's in a coma."
I felt the air leave my lungs. A coma. The word hit me like a punch to the chest.
"For how long?" I whispered, desperate for answers.
"We don't know," the doctor admitted. "It could be days, weeks, or even months. We just have to wait and see."
I looked around, hoping someone would tell me this wasn't real, that Mia would wake up any second. But no one did. The reality sank in. Mia was alive, but she wasn't with us, not really. And all we could do was wait.
Tears filled my eyes, and Noah's face crumpled as he tried to hold it together. "Can we see her?" he asked quietly.
The doctor nodded. "You can visit her, but only one of you at a time."
I glanced at Noah, and without saying anything, I stood up and walked toward the room where Mia was. My legs felt like jelly, but I pushed forward. When I entered the room, I saw her lying there, hooked up to machines. She looked so small and fragile.
"Mia…" I whispered, sitting by her bed. "Please wake up. I need you. We need you."
And for the first time in my life, I truly felt lost.