Deadly to Love by Mia Hoddell

with him.
    Kai: Um OK... So what do you want to know? Ask me anything and I’ll try to answer if it is possible.
    I was caught off guard by this question, I had expected him just to tell me what he could, not ask me to pose him questions on what I wanted to know.
    Darcie<3: So what’s your job?
    I was just about to hit enter and send the message when I heard a bowl shatter on the floor and my mum screaming downstairs. Running out of my room I peered over the banister.
    “Are you okay Mum? What happened?” I shouted, concern creeping into my voice but no reply came. I could hear her mumbling around in the living room, something about somebody trying to pick up the phone, but even when I shouted again I still got no reply.
    Hurrying down the stairs I walked through the living room, which Mum had obviously left and went to see what had happened in the kitchen.
    “Mum? What’s going on?”
    She was bent over the phone muttering to herself; only as I touched her shoulder gently did she acknowledge me. She had worried tears in her eyes as she looked at me and raised a shaky hand to point towards the kitchen window.
    I hadn’t noticed as I walked into the kitchen but now I was looking more carefully I saw brief orange flickers dancing in between the trees.
    “Shit,” I whispered, gasping as I covered my mouth in horror when I saw the flames spreading rapidly throughout the dense wood.
    “Mum we have to get out of here. Grab whatever you can and want, while I do the same, but then we have to move. Those flames won’t take long to get here,” I ordered, knowing my mum was in no position to start making decisions.
    “I can’t Serena. I need to get hold of your dad. He’s not picking up his mobile and I’m worried about him.”
    Her words stopped me as I was heading back to my bedroom.
    “His office is miles away mum he’ll be fine but
we
have to move,” I said trying to emphasise my point as much as possible.
    “No Rea he’s not there, he came home early and decided to go for a walk...out there.” She stuttered, tripping over the last words while pointing outside to the flames that were coming increasingly closer.
    “Mum, even if he is, we can’t do anything while stuck in the house. Phone the fire brigade and then grab some stuff and get out OK?” I saw her nod slightly and satisfied that she was going to follow what I told her I headed back upstairs.
    Kai: Rea? You there?
    Kai: Don’t you have like a million questions you want to ask me?
    Kai: Rea???
    I mentally cursed whatever started the fire for ruining my chance to find out what Kai was hiding. Quickly sitting at my desk I rapidly deleted my previous message that now seemed irrelevant and rewrote a new one.
    Darcie<3: The woods around where I live are on fire, I have to go as they’re getting nearer the house. Here’s my mobile if you need me.
    Kai: Shit Rea. Listen to me. You have to get out of there OK? Don’t hang around and whatever you do, do not go anywhere near those woods. I doubt this is a normal fire.
    Darcie<3: What do you mean “not a normal fire?”
    Kai: Just get out of your house OK? I’ll explain when I get there, here’s my mobile number, text me an address when you have got somewhere else to stay and I’ll come find you. I’ll see you in a few hours bye x
    I knew he was signing out to stop me talking to him so I would listen, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly irritated by being ordered around by him. I was nearly eighteen and was quite capable of making decisions in tough situations. That only lasted until I read his final sentence though.
    What does he mean coming here? Why would he do that? Oh god I’m going to have to tell Mum and Dad.
    Forcing those thoughts to the back of my head I hauled myself out of my chair and began grabbing everything I could throw into a few gym bags: laptop, phone, iPod, chargers for each, clothes, keepsakes. The list went on and I continued packing until I heard my mum come into my