---

Running From The Flames
by Melannie F., Ontario, Canada, Age 10

We were walking down the road. My friend and I . She and I were bored and tired from work.. We sat down on the steps of a store.
"Im sooo bored." I said. My friend replied,"Same here."
Then I heard something. Something terrible.

I heard a scream. So terrible that it scared me half to death. Then I
heard more screams. One person said,"RUN!!"
I was ready to run. I said to my friend,''Come on, lets go!''
But my friend said,''But i wonder why? Maybe its not important. Im tired and bored. Im not going. Im sitting here.''
I said ''Fine!'' I started to run. I was going to go home. Tell my family what has happened. I ran faster, but the more I ran, the more screams I heard. Then, another sound. More worse than the screams.

What I heard..was a gun. I don't know who got shot. Maybe it's my friend!! I thoght. But I wasnt gonna turn back to save her. Even though my name would be in the newspapper in bold letters saying,'' JENNIFER SAVES A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL''. It was her fault. No, but she was a good friend. Should I go save her? Now that was the first question...what will be the next? I turned around. It was a terrible sight. I don't want to go there.

I saw fire. It scared me. I was not going back. Now that question was out of my head. Finally.

HOME. Home sweet home. But it wont be sweet for long. It would be home
burned home. I bursted inside the house. Empty. Nobody. I guess my family
already knows. I ran out. I saw so many people running for their lives! But
there was one person that is important that I didn't see running.

I never saw..my friend. Could it..be? Shes the one that got... no that can't be! The fire came closer. ''What are you doing standing on the door? Run for your live!'' yelled an old woman,'' you don't want to die, do you?" Of course I don't want to die! I then ran. I looked back. No sign of my friend. Maybe she is still alive! Maybe I cant see her beacause there are so much people running, maybe she is there but I can't see! But anyways, i kept on running.

There, in front of my eyes, was my family. Whew! "Oh, I thought you wouldn't make it! Oh, thank heavens! Oh....good.....how did you do it? What happend to you?" Sometimes Mothers can be such freaks. "Long story. Come on let's go before we get killed!!" "Ya she's right." said my brother. Me, my mother, My two brothers and my sister ran. I had no idea where we were going. Maybe my mom will know! "Mom," I said,"Where are we going?" "To the airport. We will go on a plane." my mom said in a very worried voice. We ran for hours. "There! There's the airport!" I said. I looked back. Some fire was coming this way, but it was still far away. A few feet away were a bunch of people. I thought we were the only ones going to the airport! Guess I'm wrong. Also, I never knew my family and I were so fast at running! Oh well.

We got inside the airport. My mom started talking fast about ''what plane to go on''. Then I remembered. I almost forgot! My friend!!!! Her name was Mary. Oh, poor Mary!

Soon, we got onto a plane. We were going to Canada.
Saved. After we got on the plane, the plane was ready to go. Then the plane
went up the sky. I looked down at the airport. Oh my gosh!

There, lay the airport...in fire! We are very lucky!
But...Mary!! Maybe she's on this plane! I looked around. There were lots of
people. I couldn't see. Maybe. After few hours, we were there. We were
saved. I'm alive.

Soon, people from different countries came to the country that was on fire. They took them to the hospital.

And Mary? Maybe Mary got healed at the hospital! Maybe. There are so many maybes.

After 4 years, I heard my doorbell ring. I ran downstairs and yelled,''I will get it!" I opened the door. I couldn't believe what I saw.

"MARY!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs."How did you know I lived here?" I
asked. "And how did you survived?"

She told me the whole story. The fire burned her and she just kept
running. Her story was amazing. It was a great miracle.