The alarm wasn't suppose to go off yet. It was 4 am when I was awoke by my sister yelling in my face to get up. GET UP and she pointed at the door. There were flames licking the bottom of our door and an orange hue coming through as well. My first thought was to open the door and save my Mother and my little brother who was in the back bedroom. My sister quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me back informing me that if I did that we would be done. I ran to my closet and pounded on the wall yelling for my Mother to wake up. My fists hurt so bad I couldn't pound anymore. My sister yelled at me to get out through the window. That window just days before had one of the panes covered with plywood because my sister and I had broken it with one of our dolls. It was a narrow pane that we had to squeeze through. I had several cuts in my hands and feet but we made it out. I was in shock as I watched my house raging with fire. I will never be able to erase that from my mind. We were ushered away by family friends while waiting for my Dad who was in town from Toronto. We were taken to my Grandmother's house who lived somewhat close and waited for word whether the rest of my family made it out. My sister's birthday was the next day. Dad spent a lot of time it seemed up at the hospital where my brother and so I thought my mother was taken. When they arrived back we were ushered away and told that we'd see them soon. So when we were told several days later they did not make it my life and heart was shattered. 

To this day I get anxious when the alarm goes off...I to this day cannot watch movies involving horrific fires without losing my mind. I am an extreme advocate of fire safety.