ROD

Ok, so in last month’s contest of Reader’s on Deadline at The Deadline Dames, I won! I know I mentioned this all ready, but what I didn’t do was post my 250 word piece. Here it is and I hope you enjoy it!
Each breath rushed from my mouth as I was gasping the next one in. My sneaker clad feet slapped against the pavement in rhythm with the boy who was running next to me. In the distance the flames licked higher and higher, devouring the apartments. The harder we ran, the further the building seemed. I could feel pieces of my heart and soul unraveling and being ripped from my chest with each death. A howl ripped from my human throat. We could get there faster if we changed, but then the humans would see us.
Just when it seemed we were drawing closer, I felt the core part of me unraveling. My pack was dying, going up in flames. I cried out as another of my family died, “Mom!”
I jerked upright at the bang of my bedroom door opening. Sweat dripped from my brow, mingling with the tears trailing from my eyes. My dry lips were still parted from crying out. I automatically threw my hand up against the light that my cousin Brandon was flipping on. We could see just fine in the dark, but he knew the light helped chase away the dream.
I wondered what he saw when I dropped my hand and the light shown fully on my face. He stood there with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand, his other still on the light switch. I could see his fear from that night shining in his eyes, we had shared the dream.