Flaming House

Ari ignored the guard, she continued to run inside.

Meanwhile, Jian saw the whole situation and he couldn't move his feet. Drops of sweat were forming on her temple. He watched the burning house as if he was inside of it.

"Ma'am!" he moved his eyes to the guard then he looked again in the house.

"Damn that woman! What on earth was she thinking?!"

He ran towards the guard.

"Don't be a display, call the emergency hotline!!" He removed his suit and covered it half in his face as he also ran inside.

"Mom!Dad!" Ari shouted, disregarding the falling debris.

The fire was slowly devouring the house. It was raging and controlling the whole area.

"Ari! Get out!" she searched where the voice was coming from and she saw the old man.

She ran towards the stairs.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" But the old man gave her a necklace.

"Go!" she didn't listen instead she went after the stair again but the old man pulled her and pushed her downward.

"I'll go and check your parents." she shook her head then debris of the roof fell but before it could reach her body, the old man covered it.

Ari couldn't move and was dumbfounded. The old man straightened his back as if the wood didn't land on his back. He looked at Ari.

"Ari, save yourself." the old man uttered before he climbed up on the second floor.

A few seconds had passed before Ari came back to her senses. She stepped again but because of the sudden blazing fire blocking her way, she was tripped and she slumped on the wooden stair.

The fire was already surrounding her. She tried to stand up but she felt weak because of the scorching heat. She could not breathe anymore as she slowly closed her eyes.

"Get on your grip!" she felt that someone was shaking her shoulder. She weekly opened her eyes and tried to recognize the person. But her eyes were blurred and just wanted to shut it.

"Mom. Dad." she mumbled before closing her eyes again.

********

Ari was watching the children playing on the grassy ground. She found out that she was in an orphanage and she also learned that Jian just hired a nurse to clean her wounds and assist her.

She wasn't sure if it was a blessing for her to survive on the accident or only torture. How could she go on in her life? How would she live now without her parents?

Tears were flowing from her eyes again. What's the point of her new life? She worked hard and gave everything in order for her to finish her study. Even it was arduous years of her life, she stayed and struggled. She was full of faith and hope because she wanted to give a comfortable life to her parents.

Yet everything was futile now even if she would be hired, she would not be able to let her parents taste the fruit of their hard work anymore. What really broke her heart was her parents were no longer on her side, she would never see their smiles again.

What's the point of her life now? Why should she still walk in this cruel world?

She stood up and walked without a destination in her mind. She didn't pick the stick to support her leg. She dragged her feet even the pain was already spreading in her body. She just wanted to disappear without leaving any trace.

But someone held her arm.

"Where are you going?" it was Jian, she looked at him but she eventually pulled her arm. Then she walked away again.

"Why? Do you plan to kill yourself?"

Jian caught Ari's arm again and he stood in front of her.

"Let me go-"

"Are you assuming that your life already ended?! That living in this damn world is already useless to you?! That you lost everything now?!"

"Yes!" Ari yelled back as tears filled in the corner of her eyes again.

"I don't have any will to live my life anymore." she added, tears are flowing on her cheeks.

"You are not the only one in this world who lost her both parents." she nodded, brushing off the tears.

"I know. But in my twenty-one years, I choose to survive because of my parents. And now that they are gone, I don't think I still have a reason to live."

"Do you take your life that easy?" she scoffed.

"I don't. Through the years, my life was always against the world."

"Then why?" she pressed her lips but she eventually spoke.

"My parents had a lot of sacrifices because of me. They never regretted nor complained about their decision in the past. They always showed that they are grateful to have me. Now tell me, how can I live when I haven't done anything for them yet? I haven't pay for them."Jian only looked at Ari. So she tried to pull her arm but Jian held it tightly.

"Your intention of living was for your parents? Even if your parents are still here, you will never do something for them. You'll never pay back their unconditional love to you."Ari looked intently at Jian. She didn't get what he meant.

"Parents only want their children to live their life." she looked away.

"If you end your life now. Do you think your parents will be glad? Everything they did for you will be useless because you choose to take your own life. Do they deserve it?" tears were dropping in her face again.

She felt ashamed and she wanted to hide. She wanted to hurt herself. How foolish she was? All this time she believed that if she could provide fancy foods and a cozy apartment to her parents, it would make them happy. It would suffice every difficult thing they experienced.

Now that she thought about it, she never thanked them nor apologized for her behavior.

"It's not easy for me to keep going. You are right but I don't have any reason to live now." she spoke with her low and plain voice.

"Your parents." she stared at Jian.

"Don't you want to know what really caused their death. Is it really an accident? Or someone really plots to kill them?" she clutched Jian's suit.

"Someone killed my parents?"

"It was still an assumption by the police." she became desperate. She wanted to know the truth as anger rushed into her.

"If you want to know the truth." Jian dropped his eyes to Ari's leg, "You need to help yourself."

"For now you need to stay here. After this, I suppose you'll never go back to your previous life anymore."