If you attended the Inspire Christian Writers Conference at Mount Hermon earlier this year, you will recall that Jennifer Hughes wrote the winning entry in the “New Beginnings” contest. This is her winning entry (reformatted for the web).
Jennifer’s debut fiction Firestorm novel series will be released shortly. You can keep up-to-date with Jennifer on her website: jenmhughes.com.
The fire gained momentum as howling winds and sheets of swirling, red-hot embers barreled up the canyon. A roaring freight train off the rails. Douglas fir and pine treetops exploded, shooting fireworks into the smoky haze. As the fire leapt from tree crown to tree crown, the blaze became its own entity. A Dante’s Inferno of destruction with the sole intent to consume everything in its path.
The deafening roar reached Noah Smith before he felt the first searing lick of heat. He snatched the portable radio from his chest harness, then punched the transmit button.
“Attention! This is Chief Smith. Emergency Traffic on Division F. Deploy your shelters immediately. Repeat, deploy your shelters immediately!”
Noah peered through the thickening billows, reassured to find he was the last team member to leave the area. Straining with every muscle fiber, he dug his gloves into the rocky soil to gain enough grip to scale the last few feet of sheer cliff.
As he hoisted himself over the edge, his mind raced. He scanned the area for an open space to deploy his shelter. Perspiration poured down his face as he sought any pathway of escaping certain incineration. He spotted a slight depression on the forest floor. Desperate, he yanked his fire shelter out of his pack and wrestled inside. Once in, he laid as flat as he could, and waited.
The wall of screaming firestorm overtook him. Moisture was sucked out of his body as the desiccating wall of flame swept over him. Choking and gagging, panic seized him. I can’t breathe!
He pressed into the ground and tugged his bandanna higher, the heat intense, was almost intolerable. Frantic, he clung to the edges of the thin shell separating him from death. As the fire incinerated everything around him, the wind created its own alarming accomplice. Crackling whips and shrieking howls threatened to rip off the shelter. His muscles tensed with the desire to run and flee.
God, please help me. I’m going to burn. I have to run!
No. Stay put …
I’m going to die!
No. It will pass …
Drawing on his years of firefighting training, Noah shut his eyes against the agonizing heat, taking shallow, deliberate breaths. He forced himself through sheer determination to wait it out and gritted his teeth as the penetrating heat of the flames became unbearable. Then, as sudden as the firestorm came, it went. Ravenously seeking more fuel to gorge its insatiable hunger.
While he waited for the winds and blazing embers to calm, Noah thought of his crew sheltering in place. So many young firefighters, a handful newly married. Many families with young children or expecting. Engineer Dan and his wife were due any day. His yearling firefighter, Greg, showed lots of potential. Lately, Greg had been coming to work with stars in his eyes from a budding romance with Jess, a new firefighter. He recalled those feelings when he and Ashley first met. They had been able to keep the spark lit for most of their marriage, but lately things had changed.
Thoughts of his wife Ashley and their two daughters, Emma and Katie, momentarily distracted him. Katie’s birthday was tomorrow. His jaw tensed. I’m going to miss another birthday. He let out a ragged breath, realizing it was out of his control. Noah shifted his focus to the immediate task to get his crew down the mountain alive.
***
Ashley slapped at the blaring 6:00 AM alarm. Another restless night of tossing and turning. One more day of her first conscious thought being, how soon can I go back to bed? She sank into the pillow and reviewed the busy day ahead. Today was Saturday and Katie’s tenth birthday. Over a month ago, she had a moment of sheer insanity, and had agreed to a pizza party followed by a sleepover for ten of Katie’s girlfriends. She’d been powerless against Katie’s big brown puppy dog eyes when she’d pleaded to have one friend for each year. After all, she would only turn a full decade once.
“One friend for each year Mom Please. Pretty please?”
Emma had seized on her moment of weakness and somehow convinced her to let two of her friends spend the night as well.
“Mom, can Zoe and Carissa spend the night too? What will I do if it’s just Katie’s friends here? Please?”
“The more the merrier,” she’d told them. Ashley just couldn’t resist the hope and sincerity in their eyes. The girls both knew they were her kryptonite.
She grimaced, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. What in the world was I thinking? Twelve twittering tweens plus Emma and Katie? She flung her left arm out toward Noah and found the other side of the bed, unslept in. Arching her brows, she scooped up her cell phone from the bedside table and swiped for messages. None. Her feet hit the floor.
Noah said he would be home around midnight. He promised he would be released from the fire by 8:00 PM, report off, and drive straight home. Her heart sank. Katie would be so disappointed. This was the third birthday in a row he’d missed. Lately, she had been making comments how her dad was never around anymore.
Ashley thought, we all miss him. But he has an important job to do. It can’t be helped. Regardless of her affirmations, a flash of concern swept through her. Where was he? More importantly, why hadn’t he called or texted? She chewed her lip and swiped her phone again to double-check. No calls or texts.
Beside her, Trina, their tabby, arched into an exaggerated stretch and delicately yawned before she sprung from the bed. She meowed at Ashley, and swished her tail against her legs. With a heavy sigh, Ashley trundled into the bathroom. Persistent dark circles reflected back in the mirror. Turning her body sideways for a profile view, she focused on her thickened middle and love handles. Well, you are one hot mama! Her lips curved down into a frown. I can’t imagine why he didn’t just run on home like he used to. She plucked her fluffy bathrobe from the back of the door and shoved her arms into the sleeves.
As she cinched the belt snugly around her waist, she resolved, starting Monday, to skip the workday frappuccino with extra whip and go for a brisk walk instead on her break. Ashley sucked in her tummy, splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. With a yawn, she snapped off the bathroom night and headed into the hallway. Next item on the agenda: coffee. Hot, black, and lots of it. Ashley shuffled into the kitchen and flipped on the coffee machine. She was immediately greeted with joyous barking. As soon as she opened the latch of their two-year-old golden retrievers’ crate, brother and sister, Nikki and Callie, bounded out.
“Good morning to you too!” She patted their heads while making her way to the back door. The dogs fell over each other, leaping out to the backyard and barking wildly at some invisible predator. She shook her head and grinned. Trina called her attention back to the kitchen, meowing mournfully while she pawed at her empty food dish.
Ashley smiled as she refilled her water and spooned out wet food. “So sorry to keep you waiting.” Trina’s tail brushed her ankles as she stepped over her on her way to grab a mug out of the cabinet and filled her mug to the brim. With a grateful sigh, she wrapped her hands around the fragrant steaming brew and sat down at the counter barstool. She savored the first sip as she reached for her phone and glanced at the news feed on her phone. On the First Official Day of Fire Season, Will Global Warming Make It a Year-long Event?
Sputtering, she set down her mug and scrubbed her face with open palms. Wonderful. Bring it on! Anger shot through her body as she flung her phone across the room. She heard the sound of breaking glass and clasped a hand over her mouth. Ashley hopped off the bar stool and strode across the room. She picked up their wedding picture with youthful happy faces, looking up at her through the cracked glass. A lump rose in her throat. Her eyes prickled with unshed tears.
She had been so lonely before meeting Noah. There had been other relationships, a few serious but never long lasting. For years Ashley had prayed to meet her future husband, the man of her dreams. The man God had destined for her from the beginning of time.
Congratulations! Good job with your excellent beginning! It definitely draws the reader in.
Thank you. I appreciate your kind words
Congrats, Jennifer! So excited to see your novel recognized in this way. Well done!
Thank you Rachel. It has been so encouraging as a debut novelist
Jennifer, Congratulations! Your story reflects the true-life struggle of most married women. Excited to see how this story of marital love unfolds.
Thank you Janet. You nailed the essence of the dilemma. The first novel in the series will be out this summer!
Congratulations, Jennifer! You hooked me with the description of Noah waiting out the firestorm in his shelter. I hadn’t realized that they sometimes have to do that. How terrifying! God bless your debut this summer. ~Robyn
Sorry for the late response. My husband is a retired Battalion Chief with CalFire and has deployed his shelter many times on fires. I interviewed him and asked him to describe the experience and tried to portray the setting and associated emotions. Thank you for your support.~ Jennifer