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A crowd of people formed in front of me, and I pulled at the cuffs of my robe. I felt the rope around my waist grow tighter and tighter as I screamed and kicked upward.
''Moria,' I heard someone say.
''Leave me alone!' I spat out.
''Moria, don't feel bad. I am here for you.''
''No one can save me!'' I shouted.
''That's a pity. I could have done a lot to make your life easier.''
''What are you planning to do?''
''Nothing. I just want to talk. Perhaps you will change your mind after that.''
''Oh please! Don't tell me you're an angel, sent here to save me!''
''Who said anything about angels?''
''Because I don't think so.''
''What is your problem?''
''I am succumbing to death because of this fire. In fact, I am about to die!''
''Well, I do not know what I can do about it, so you will have to ask a real angel to save you.''
I saw a man and a woman climbing up the balcony's banister. The woman was carrying a bowl filled with water. They both climbed on the balcony and began to pour the water on the floor beside me.
At first, all I did was look at the liquid in front of me. Then suddenly, I started to feel the water; I was on fire! I lifted my head and looked above me, and saw a huge crowd. My house was burning, and I could see the smoke drifting down from the windows. I heard people shouting and carrying on. It looked like they were happy. What did they need me for, if they were happy? I thought.
That was my chance! I stood up and rushed toward the wall. I climbed up quickly and crawled to the top. I jumped off from the balcony but fell on the ground. I did not fall on the ground, however, I shot up like a sprinter. I rose to my feet and looked at the hanged man, and then the three of us looked up to the sky. The man was a mountain dressed as a human. The woman was an enormous bird. The man and I had black hair; the woman had red hair. Another man was at their side. He was a miniature mountain and looked like a child. I could not see his face. We were all about the same height. My heart was beating fast and so I turned to the woman with great speed.
''You did it!''
''Yes, I brought you back to life. What are you going to do?''
''I am going to leave this town for good!''
''What about your friends?'' she asked.
''I think I can trust them. Like you they have shown me their true colors,'' I replied.
''You are the first to live through the fire. I will wait for your return. By the way, my name is Aidra. You are amazing, you should see that.''
I nodded, and said to the mountain,
''Thank you.''
''You should not thank me, Hermes. Not really. I just saved your life. Now, you should return to your friends and be happy.''
''How do I do that?''
''The only thing I can think is that you should go to me and ask to be taken to the afterlife.''
''Yes, I know.''
''Good, and your friends should do the same; and I will take you back to the afterlife.''
''Then I will go to the afterlife now.''
''You can wait one more minute.''
I looked at the house down below me. Fire had spread to the skirts of the house. The wall and the roof had caught fire. Smoke was gathering around the house. Four men came out of my house and I looked very surprised to see them. Could they have escaped the fire? I wondered. I started to look at them, and mind thought about them. They were my friends, after all. I continued to look at them and started to go down.
The fire was now spreading to the wall and I could see someone trying to escape through a hole in the wall. The hole was too small for a person to enter. I could hear people screaming nearby. The fire was in the house and people were running everywhere. There was nowhere to escape.
''Moria,'' I heard a voice saying.
''What is wrong?'' I asked.
''I am ashamed of what I am seeing,'' she replied, she was the woman I had seen when I was hanging on the tree.
''How can you say that? It is not like you can see me in front of you.''
''My husband can see you and he is very upset that I am still here.''
''You cannot go back there, which means you are dead.''
''That's good. Now, you need to hurry and ask them to be taken to the afterlife. You can also ask me to take you to it if you wish…'' she said.
I looked down and saw my house burn and ran back down. When I got there, I saw Kefra and Lydia. They were some distance behind the fire.
''What are you doing here?'' I asked.
They looked at each other and then at me. One of them answered,
''Our bodies have been burned, but we decided not to end our lives.''
I replied, ''Well, that is a great thing.''
''I am taking you with me. Follow me.''
We all went back to the balcony. The rope was long and was tied to the tree.
''Now, stand still,'' Aidra said.
She walked to the tree, took the tree and pulled it upward. We all heard the rope unlacing and then re-lacing and we were lifted away from the balcony. I looked down and saw a group of people standing on the ground below. I was afraid that my friends had not been taken away. I gulped and felt the feeling of fear. I could also see the flames in the town approaching.
Aidra pulled up the four of us and placed us four on a black horse. It was nowhere near as big as a normal horse, and it was looking at us. We got up and climbed on the horse with Aidra.
''From now on, I am going to ask you to call me 'Helen' instead of Aidra. Or 'Lizzie'' she said, smiling.
''OK, but you will still be Aidra for me.''
She looked at me and said, ''Let's have a conversation.''
"Yes, I want to talk!'' I said, and I looked around.
''Why do I have the feeling that everyone is looking at us?'' I asked.
''Perhaps it is because I have brought you here. People have been very curious in your town and wanted to know what happened.''
''Really? Why is that?''
''Well, they heard on the radio, of a beautiful woman dying, but it was said that she lived forever. People were curious to know who she was.''
''That is good.''
''Yes, Helen. But I also see something else. What is happening below?''
She pointed down and I followed her hand. I saw the group of people I have come to know very well.
''Ohh no, stop!'' I shouted.
But the horse ran way ahead of us. It was now running away from the town. We were now quite far from town. I was worried about my friends.