Another fire at the Goth household.

It was a lazy day at the Goth household. Rafael, Cassandra and Martin were having a competition in the pool to see who could float on their back the longest. So far Cassandra was winning, even though she was deep in thought. She had decided to call Don, and ask him if they wanted to try again. After all, he was the father of her kids! She had a suspicion Rafael might have feelings for her, but they couldn't be that strong could they? She was wrong of course, Rafael loved her so much that he thought scientists were wrong, the world didn't rotate around the sun, it rotated around Cassandra, gravity didn't hold him to the earth, Cassandra did.

Bella, Joseph and Robert were sitting at the dining table waiting for their lunch to finish cooking. They were talking about the tennis match they had had yesterday, and who moraley won it.

Little did they know their dinner was a little overcooked!

 

Bella smelled the fire, and then saw it. The three of them ran in, and stood watching as the oven burnt, and they were helpless to stop it!

 



Cassandra heard their screams and rushed to their aid. She gave Rafael Olive.
"Take her as far away from the fire as possible, stay with her!" She begged, and ran to the kitchen. Martin leapt out of the pool to the phone to call the fire department.
"Cassandra, don't go in there!" Rafael shouted, but Cassandra was gone. He followed her instructions and ran outside the gate holding Olive tenderly.

As soon as Cassandra entered the kitchen, she succumbed to the flames. Robert looked around desperately for help, but it was too late, his mother was beyond saving.

Robert grabbed the phone and called the fire department. The woman at the endof the line told him a firetruck would be there within an hour, as there was another housefire in a neighbouring village. Robert didn't want to go into the kitchen, he knew he ought to help his family, but his courage failed him, and he went to wait with Rafael and Olive.

Rafael held Olive feeling distraught. He could hear the faint shouts from Cassandra and her children, but he didn't know if they were calling him, or were calling in fear. He obeyed Cassandra and held Olive tightly, he wasn't leaving her for a moment.

The next victim of the fire was Joseph. He looked around desperately for help as he burned, but no one was there.

Bella leaped around screaming as she caught fire. She yelled for help, but there was no sign of the fire truck.

Even though the fire was burning out, Robert still was burnt. After he was swallowed by the savage flames, the cries from the kitchen went quiet.

Night fell around the house. Rafael and Martin stood in silence. Rafael closed his eyes and prayed that Cassandra was still alive in there, but something in his heart told him she wasn't. The fire truck finally arrived, and a team of firemen ran inside. They put out the last small smoking piles of wrekage, and told Rafaele and Martin the news. Cassandra, Bella, Robert and Joseph had all died. There was barely anything left of the bodies, when asked if Rafael wanted the ashes he said no. He was crushed.

When Rafael had put Olive in her crib, Martin and him sat in the sitting room. Martin lay on the sofa, tears wouldn't come, he just stared straight ahead, knowing the grief would hit him fully soon. Rafael was in hell. He had made his decision.
"I'm going to move from here. This place will remind me too much of Cassandra. If it ok with you, I would like Olive, and you to live with me."
Martin felt confused. "Why do you care about Olive and me?"
"Because the last thing your mother said to me was to take care of her child, and to never leave her. I'm not going to betray the woman I love."
"Love? You loved my mum?"
"Like you would never believe."

Martin was overcome by grief. He didn't dislike Rafael, but he didn't want to live with him alone. He wanted his mother back, and his brothers and sister. But he could tell that this was going to be the best thing for himself and Olive.

Rafael pulled him gently up from the sofa into his arms. He hugged him and said "Cassandra won't ever be truly dead. She and your siblings are alive in us. And they are going to be alive in Olive too, I promise you that. We are going to tell Olive everyday what a wonderful family she had. I promise you that."

And that promise was kept.