14

Jess slowly sat up. Around her fire raged. The smoke thick and choking made her eyes stream.

“Are you OK?” Josh asked.

“I’m fine.” Jess coughed, rubbing a hand over her streaming eyes. The heat was incredible. She pushed to her feet. “Ceryn?” Above the roar of the flames she heard something. “Ceryn,” she yelled again. That was definitely a reply. “Josh, she’s this way.”

Josh followed her through the brush. “Ceryn.”

“Over there.” Jess ran the last hundred meters and dropped to her knees, shedding the pack. “Hey, Ceryn?”

The little girl looked up. She cradled her leg, tears streaming down her face. Blood ran freely from her knee. But other than dirt and the cut, she seemed otherwise unhurt.

Jess stroked her hair. “Hi, bach. Do you hurt anywhere else other than your knee?”

Ceryn shook her head. “I lost my new shoe.”

“I found your shoe. It’s in my bag. Can I see your knee?” She ripped open the pack and pulled out a dressing and bandage as Ceryn sobbed. The cut was long and jagged. “OK, I’m going to put this on for now until we can get some place safe.”

Josh looked at her. “Be quick. We need to get out of here.”

A tree fell in flames behind them, blocking their path. Ceryn screamed.

Jess hugged her tightly. “We’ll be fine. Josh is a fireman. He knows what to do.”

Josh looked around. Fire enclosed the whole area creeping towards them.

“We’re going to die,” Ceryn said.

“No, we’re not going to die.” He pulled them to the center of the clearing and pulled his pack off his shoulder. He pulled out two silver packets. “I want you to hide inside this special shelter with Jess.”

Ceryn shook her head. “With you. You’re the fireman.”

“Take her,” Jess said. “Just show me what to do.”

Josh rapidly assembled the pods. “Get in, zip it up, and keep very still. It’ll get really hot, especially when the fire sweeps overhead, but keep inside, keep tight and you won’t burn.” He kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Get in.”

Jess crawled into the small pod, and the last thing she saw was Josh’s face as he zipped it closed. She curled up small, praying hard as she heard Josh and Ceryn talking inside the other pod. He had a talent for calming people. Despite the child’s obvious fear, she was no longer crying.

The roar of the flames grew closer. The heat increased exponentially. From the other pod Ceryn screamed.

Then light and heat enveloped her.

****

Josh hugged Ceryn tightly. “Shh, honey, we’ll be OK.”

“Is it over?”

“Yes, but we need to sit tight for a few more minutes.” He hit the radio. “Sam, you there?”

“Josh, where are you?”

“The fire surrounded us and we got cut off. We’re in the fire pods about three miles north of the train station.” He gave Sam the map co-ordinates. “Can you get a chopper in here?”

“Should be able to if you can work your way to the ridge about half-a-mile north of where you are.”

“OK. We found Ceryn. She has a cut leg, but other than that she’s fine. Out.” He looked at Ceryn. “I need you to sit tight here for a couple of minutes while I go and find Jess. You’ll be quite safe here, I promise.”

Ceryn nodded slowly. “OK,” she whispered.

Josh slid out of the pod and stood. Utter devastation surrounded him. Nothing was left except burnt trees and the fire-charred pods.

Please, let her be OK.

He stumbled across to the other pod. “Jess…”

He opened the pod and his heart stopped at the sight of the woman he loved curled up and not moving. Sweat beaded her brow, her hair hung in damp ringlets across her cheek.

He reached out and shook her gently, his fingers checking for a pulse. “Jess?”

Her eyes flickered and she stirred. “Josh?”

Relief flooding him, he pulled her to her feet and hugged her tightly. He kissed her.

Jess kissed him back. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“Nope, never. Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “No. You and Ceryn?”

“We’re fine. Sam’s sending a chopper to the ridge to pick us up. Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

Josh nodded. “Ceryn, let’s go, honey.” He scooped her into his arms and began walking.

They reached the top of the ridge. The chopper swung over the top of the forest towards them.

In the chopper, Jess leaned against his shoulder and he slid his arm around her.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” she asked.

“About?”

“Preaching on Sunday.”

“I’ll do it. This community has given me a lot, it’s the least I can do to help out in a way that I can.”

“And are you staying or leaving?”

“That depends on the answer you give me.”

Jess looked at him. “Well, that depends on the question, look you. And I’ll tell you for—”

He put his fingers on her lips. “Then let me ask it, ‘look you.’ Or I’ll give you ‘for why.’”