Jonah: Firefighter

By Enrique Collazo

Copyright 2011 Enrique Collazo
Smashwords Edition

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There were lights flashing everywhere. People were screaming and running in terror. The night was cloudless, but the sky was blocked by the smoke that rose into the air.
This was not Jonah’s first call. He had been to many fires before, but this one had to be the worst. The Extra Fancy Downtown Hotel, as it was called, had gone up in flames faster than a backyard barbeque in the middle of a drought on the hottest day in July.
His fellow firefighters were running about, getting all the hoses setup to battle the fire. Jonah looked up the building, seeing the fires shoot out from the windows and thick, black smoke continuing to rise into the air.
His eyes went all the way to the top of the hotel. Through the smoke, Jonah saw a blonde-haired lady standing at the edge of the roof, waving her arms in terror. Jonah looked around, but no one else saw her. Everyone was too busy trying to put the fire out. If that woman was going to survive, it would have to be Jonah that was going to have to rescue her.
He didn’t wait a second. He ran into the burning building, making his way to the stairs. All good firemen knew that you never take the elevator in a burning building. The power can go out and leave you trapped. That is why you always used the stairs.
For the first three floors, Jonah had to fight the flames. He did not have a hose or a fire extinguisher, but he did have his fire protection suit. The suit helped to keep the heat and the flames from burning him. A fire is too dangerous for anyone to try and fight. Only firemen that have been trained and have the right equipment should even try to stop a fire.
As he moved into the top floors, smoke began to be a problem. Of course, his training had shown him to always where his air mask. That way he wouldn’t breathe in the smoke and it also helped him to see. Smoke from a fire is very dangerous and can stop you from breathing. He also knew that smoke rises, so Jonah hoped that the lady at the top had dropped to the floor of the roof, where there is less smoke.
Jonah reached the door that opened to the roof. He tried the knob, but it was locked. Jonah gripped the last tool that all firemen should carry, his axe. He used the axe to break down the door. He made a hole large enough for him to get through and he started looking for the lady.
He found her at the far end of the roof and picked her up in his arms. The fire had reached the floor below the roof. He could see the flames coming out of the hole he had made on the door and around the edge of the rooftop. There was only one thing he could do, jump. Jonah looked over the edge and saw the other firemen setting up a net for them to jump into.
Jonah was scared. He could feel the heat from the fire and he knew that the lady was in a lot of danger now. He knew what he had to do, but he just couldn’t get his legs to do it.
“Jonah, it’s time for your bath,” his mother said.
Jonah turned to the door and saw her there. “Ah, mom, I’m not ready,” he told her.
“Well, the water’s ready for you,” she said. “Now put ‘Little Lady’ down and get yourself into the tub.”
“Okay,” he said, really disappointed. He looked at the puppy in his arms and said, “Sorry, Little Lady, I guess you’ll have to wait until I finish my bath for me to save you.”
Little Lady licked his nose as if she understood. Jonah would rescue her. He was a fire fighter and that’s what fire fighters were for.

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