Fate

I’m going to be straight and clear. Today at three in the morning I was woken up by my mom yelling there's a fire next door there's a fire next door. I although tired seemed to shoot up due to her panic and hearing the word fire. Even though I was still thoroughly confused hearing what I thought at the time was fireworks. I calmly look at the window. Somewhat with caution, excitement, and curiosity. On hand I pull out my phone and start taking pictures from my second floor bedroom window. I remain fairly calm until a piece of siding from my house swipes across the outside of my window hanging in front of me. Then I start looking for my backpack, a sweatshirt and then continue to grab anything expensive or of practical need and putting it into my pockets and backpack. Then I under my dad’s instruction go get my brother from the other room and place him in the living room. I then return to my dad looking out my bedroom window. He then swears and says the fire’s spreading onto our lawn. My mom proceeds to alarmingly say that she should move the cars because the fire will spread to the cars before the house. She then goes outside while I grab my brother’s shoes and a few other objects of value. My dad having been talking to 911 rushes us out of the building. As we leave my dad turns around and bangs on the downstairs doors before rushing out with us. A few police cars arrive but no fire trucks or ambulances. A police officer approaches us giving us instructions to wait with the many other of our neighbors on the other side of the street. As the first fire truck approaches my three year old brother, not knowing what’s going on says fire truck with a smile. An officer yells is everyone out of this building, pointing to mine. My mom yells that the people downstairs aren’t out yet. Shortly after we see our downstairs neighbor run out. My mom greets her and says that she’s going to go wait in the car with my brother. An officer approaches us after two more fire trucks pull up unloading their gear. The officer walks up to me first. He says what building am I from. I point to the top floor of my duplex. He says okay but what address exactly. I respond 113. He says okay, what’s your name and middle initial, and what’s your date of birth. I give the information shaking from the cold, almost forgetting my birthday. Then he proceeds unto my neighbors. I take a few more pictures and stand watching as the firemen put out the spreading fire and move onto the main fire. I take a few more pictures and then talk with the neighbors. The people who are renting the garage who mysteriously moved in at midnight not even two months ago claim a power line fell. The other older couple that has lived their for many years grieve that are swing set and side of our house is falling apart where there two cars and belongings in the garage are burned to a crisp. By now our power has been out for awhile and the fire engine raises a large stadium light. The police are asking people who do not live in either mine or our neighbors houses to please go back to their residencies. The same policeman who asked where we all lived was asking if any of us knew what caused the fire. By now its already about 4:15 and I decide to go sit in the car with my dad and brother after my mom went out to talk to the neighbors. I tell my dad that the police think a fallen power line started the fire when he said that that was wrong. When he saw the fire when he first woke up, the power lines where still up and that the fire was clearly coming from inside the garage where two of the four cars are. I then return to the police telling what my dad says. The policeman says for me to bring him to my dad. I did and he says for me to wait here with my dad while he goes and gets something from his car. We do and I get in the car when my dad gets out. The officer hands him a form to fill out and write what he saw. The policeman also asked where all the power lines up or could one of them fallen. My dad proceeds to write and say that the power line above the garage was clearly up until the fire really got going and the power lines started to fall. At about 4:50 the firemen had down a run-through of my house and they let us return. Although the fire was out the fireman where trying to get the cars to stop smoking. Our house was dark and smelled like smoke. I along with my mom and brother watched as the WE Energies guy tried to fix our power. I took couple more pictures and then we all just sat down in our dark, yet due to the stadium light somewhat bright living room until we had to get ready for school, work, ect…
I ended up eating some chips and salsa since the power still remained off. When I left for school there where arsonist investigators and several police still was looking over the remains of the structure. I can’t help but think what would have happened if it hadn’t rained a few hours earlier making the grass wet that we might not have been so lucky. The only damage to us was a melted swing set, a charred yard, and a fallen apart side of our house. Our neighbors not including the garage itself lost the side of their house area. Two charred cars and two completely destroyed cars, as well as whatever was in the garage. This probably was the closest to death I had ever come.Thank God nobody was hurt.