Burning Into Love. by Jena Moody, 8th grade

Two very different people were walking home on what they thought was an ordinary day. But this day was the farthest from ordinary; this day would change their lives forever. Nicole was walking home from her intense soccer practice. And Michael was walking home from a long day at the ice cream parlor. Due to construction they had to take a different path than they normally did which caused them to have a little run in. Both cautiously stepped through the filthy alley, they looked up and saw each other.
“Hi, I’m Michael,” Michael politely introduced himself. “And you are?”
“Nicole,” she replied.
“Nice to meet you Nicole!” Michael smiled.
Suddenly huge flashes of orange whizzed pass their locked eyes. They saw smoke rising from the building next door. Together they ran out of the alley, they got out just as the corner of the alley caught fire. They entered the Target about a half-mile away from the burning alley. They entered the Target laughing and joking around. Nicole clutched her Nike soccer ball and Michael held his employee hat. They strolled through Target just looking at everything from snacks to video games to even snuggies! They just happily walked together glad to be away from the fire. They made their way over to the jewelry section. They saw many lovely earrings and bracelets. Michael kept asking her what she liked for he wanted to buy her a lovely gift for Valentines Day. He was in luck because Valentines Day was only a few weeks away! Now they were at the necklace and locket section in the jewelry isle.
“Oh I love this locket!” Nicole beamed. “I have one just like it! See?”
She reached for her Grandmother’s locket that hung around her tanned neck. But the locket wasn’t there.
“I think my locket is in the burning alley!” Nicole shrieked. “It’s my Grandmother’s, I need it! It was around my neck in the alley but I don’t have it anymore!”
“Then we have no choice but to go back and get it,” Michael announced trying to calm her down.
They sprinted out of the Target and ran through the warm Florida air for a half-mile until they were at the flaming alley. Michael turned his head towards Nicole’s and locked eyes with her.
“I will go and get your locket,” he told her. “You wait here.”
“No wait!” Nicole called, “you’re risking your life for something that’s mine!”
But it was too late; Michael had already disappeared into the alley. Nicole sat down on some nearby bricks and cried. She was afraid! What if Michael got hurt? What if he didn’t find the precious locket? What if he died? She moaned outside the alley. Suddenly she heard sirens. She whipped her head around to see a big red fire truck speeding towards the alley. The firemen jumped out of the truck and grabbed the hose. Nicole ran over to them.
“My friend went into that alley six minutes ago to find my grandmother’s locket and he didn’t come out!”
The firemen rushed inside the burning alley. Nicole was shaking with fear outside the terrifying flames. Two minutes later, three firemen walked out with Michael in their arms. He lay there dead.
“Oh no! He’s dead!” Nicole screamed her eyes filled with tears and fear.
“He’s not, he’s not!” A fireman tried to calm her. “He’s just unconscious, the smoke filled his lungs. We are taking him to the hospital.”
An ambulance pulled up behind Nicole and the firemen lowered Michael onto the stretcher. Tears rolled down Nicole’s rosy red cheeks. She walked over to the hospital and asked to visit Michael Anderson. The nurse informed her that he wasn’t ready for visitors yet but she can wait and go see him as soon as the doctors gave the ok. Nicole nodded and walked over to a chair in the waiting room. She sat there for what seemed like hours but was really only twenty minutes. Finally a nurse came out and announced that Nicole may go see Michael now. Nicole walked anxiously to room 217 where Michael lay in the bed, he smiled when she entered the room and made eye contact with him. She launches a huge smile back at him. She was so relieved that he would be okay. He broke the eye contact that he had and looked down at his left hand. Nicole’s eyes followed. His hand was clutched together as if he were holding something. Michael uncurled his burnt fingers to show a glowing object. He was holding her Grandmother’s locket! Nicole jumped with joy!
“Let my love be with you wherever you are,” Michael whispered. Just then Nicole leaned down and kissed Michael. As they were kissing, Michael slipped the locket into Nicole’s soft hand. A nurse walked in the room and said that Michael could go home.
“Since nothing was wrong and your lungs were just clogged up with smoke, you can go home. Your body stopped working and made you unconscious because you couldn’t breathe. But since nothing was truly wrong you can go home, I bet your parents are worried about you.” The nurse informed Michael.
Michael lifted himself out of the hospital bed. Nicole and Michael walked out of the hospital together. Nicole decided to walk Michael home. On the way home, Michael got down on one knee.
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked. She was afraid that there was still a little bit of smoke in his lungs.
“Oh yeah, I’m totally cool!” Michael replied. “But, will you be my girlfriend?”
“Yes!” Nicole eagerly replied. They continued to walk home together.
Nicole and Michael were high-school sweethearts. They had been dating for five years. One day they were taking a walk on the beach. Michael got down on one knee.
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
Just then Michael pulled out a box and opened it exposing a beautiful diamond ring.
“Nicole, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” Nicole joyfully answered.
Nicole and Michael Anderson had three kids. They lived a very happy life with their kids. And it all started in an old filthy alley.