Fire

Her auburn hair traced the pale, gray sky as she stared blankly back at the smoldering rubble in front of her. Just an hour ago, the walls had been filled with a child's pure laughter, chiming as the family gathered in the living room. Tears dripped down her barren face, intertwining with the streams of acid rain that collided with the embers that still burned. As the fire died down, disappearing into the night, so did her heart.
A hand pulled her toward the ambulance and without opposition she followed it. She couldn't take her eyes off the house, still imagining the smell of freshly roasted turkey and her husband's green eyes staring back. Her knees gave away as she approached the bench, suddenly becoming aware of the heavy scars that the rubble had etched into her skin.
Pain shot through her veins and she gave a cry.
For a moment she thought she heard a familiar voice beside her, screaming "Lisa are you alright?"
Her brain incapable of thinking, she nodded her head; an automatic response. More hands gripped her shoulders and she found herself staring into a light. It danced from side to side, reminding her of the chandelier that had hung from the ceiling. Closing her eyes to avoid the lights, she slowly gave into the pain that had hung loosely like a blanket over her body. A small cry brought her back to her senses for just a moment. Her maternal instincts surfaced and then faded with the overpowering sense of exhaustion. She could feel the light flitter of her heart begin to slow down...