Christmas was around the corner. The Causeway Point Shopping
Centre was thronging with shoppers. Young and old alike were busy shopping
among the stalls to their hearts' content. The centre square of vibrant green
and reds were lined with merchandise at almost ridiculous prices. In the middle
was a gargantuan Christmas tree adorned with multi-coloured twinkling lights as
if it was hung with jewels of all sorts like sapphires, rubies, emeralds and
diamonds.
Dad and mum, together with my kid brother and I, were out in
full force. We had a long list of presents to purchase and we meandered into
the bazaar, squeezing between shoppers and their big shopping bags.
"Follow me
closely, Dylan, and don't get lost again for goodness' sake!" I turned to
my brother and issued a stern warning.
"Of course, Sis! You can trust in me!" He grinned
with a mischievous wink as deep dimples burrowed into his soft silky skin.
We continued our
shopping and my parents were now laden with many shopping bags filled to the
brim. I turned and looked behind to check if Dylan was still tagging close
behind. He was gone! Not even a trace of him! "That rascal gets me into
trouble again!" I grumbled angrily to myself and decided to sneak away and
hunt for him before my parents found out.
All of a sudden, a
loud blast ricocheted through the air. The giant Christmas tree burst into flames
and all hell broke loose in that instant. Smoke and sparks were whirling in all
directions. Shrieks of panic-stricken crowd reverberated in the air. People
were running amok.
Shock gripped me and my heart pounded like a series of
staccatos. "Dylan, where are you?" I shouted. Behind me, "Dana, come
back!" came ringing from behind. It was my parents calling me. I could not
turn back. Not before I found my brother.
Just then, I heard a
familiar bawling. I scanned the scene desperately to find the source of the
cry. There, a few feet from the burning tree was Dylan, squatting and cleaning
his dew-drop tears from his face.
Out of the blue, a crackling sound sliced through the air.
The merciless flames tore the tree trunk apart and the tree was falling right
in the direction where Dylan was at. My lanky legs broke into a sprint and with
a mighty push, Dylan fell a distance away but 'crash!' half of my body was under
the tree. Luckily, that part of the tree was not ablaze yet.
Dylan ran towards me and summoned all his wee little
strength to push me to safety. It failed miserably. The flames were spreading
fast like a bush fire. The heat was unbearable. "Dylan! You idiot! Run!
Please don't stay here!" I beseeched with tears that fell like sparklingdiamonds.
He ran forward and hugged me with his skinny hands instead.
All of a sudden, a large shadow towered over us. It was dad!
He had seen our distress and came to save us. Together with a security guard,
they managed to lift the tree up and pulled me out. Then, with me in his strong
muscular arms, my dad raced to the exit and with my mum and Dylan close behind.
As we gathered outside in a safe, cordoned-off area, we saw
the golden flames soon engulfed the mall as black column of smoke billowed
upwards like an erupted volcano.
"Dad," I whispered, "I am sorry I have almost lost
Dylan to the fire!"
There was a poignant pause before he replied, "You are
the best sister Dylan could ever have!" and gave me a bear hug. His tears
soaked my shoulder wet. That day, I realized that my family had not only
escaped unscathed from the monstrous fire but had also emerged stronger than
ever.
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