CHAPTER ONE - WHEN SHE WAS 8

I woke up to the smell of smoke. Blinking, I looked around my room, disorientated at first. But then I saw it.

There was smoke, seeping under my bedroom door. The grey clouds of it seemed to be getting thicker as they swirled around the roof.

At first I was confused. Why was there smoke? What was going on? Were the rest of my family sitting around a bonfire downstairs? Because mummy and daddy both told us that we were not to ever have one inside.

On the other side of my door I heard crackling. Then glass breaking.

"Annabeth!" came daddy's voice from the other side of the door. There was banging on it, like he was hitting it or something. "Annabeth, stand back from the door!"

I stayed on my bed, watching the door. The next second there was a huge bang on the door. It began to splinter, the wood cracking apart slightly. A second later there was another huge bang. This time it fell down, leaving my daddy standing in the doorway.

There was smoke all around him, so thick I could barely make out his face. It was just his shadow standing there. The hallway behind him was glowing yellow and orange. He quickly rushed over to me.

"Annabeth, honey, we have to go," he told me urgently, picking me up in his arms.

"Daddy, what's happening? Why do you look so scared if we are only roasting smores?" I asked, frowning at daddy as he rushed us out of my bedroom.

I looked over his shoulder then. Oh, it wasn't a bon fire.

"Honey, we aren't cooking smores. Our house is on fire," Daddy confirmed what I was seeing.

He carried me quickly down the hall, away from the flames that had already eaten their way up the stairs and beginning to creep along the hall, towards us. Dad made it to the last bedroom, the twins', before putting me down then turning back to shut the door. I realized he was coughing from inhaling all the smoke.

"Annie-Bear," Mummy called. She was gesturing for me to go to her. The twins, Mathew and Bobby, were clinging to her on both sides, crying silently. They were being very well-behaved considering they were only four and our house was on fire.

I ran to mummy and wrapped my arms around her.

"It's okay," she soothed, stroking my curly blonde hair to try calm the twins and I down. "Everything's going to be okay, sweeties'. It'll all be okay."

From the corner of my eye I saw mum and dad share a look. Daddy then went over to the window and began to pull it up. At first it slid up easy, but then stopped, stuck. Dad tried to push it up further except it wouldn't budge. He frantically searched the room, trying to find something he could use to wedge it up further. But this was the boy's room; there were only plush toys and mini trains for their train set scattered around in here. In the end he gave up and continued to try and use his strength to open it further.

"Athena," he turned to look at mum. His face was full of dread; all pale. "This is as far as the window goes."

I looked at the window again. The gap was too small. The twins and I might fit through, but not mummy or daddy. They were too big.

"No, mummy. Daddy, you can get it up further. Please, Daddy," I pleaded.

He came over to us, walking through the smoke that had floated into the room already. He picked me up again and hugged me, holding me tight. I hugged him back, too, trying to show him that I believed in him.

"Annie-Bear," gently he pulled back so he could look at me. I could see the love, determination and hope in his eyes. But there was also fear. "I'm sorry. But I need you to do this for me. For me and mummy, okay? We need you t go first, out the window. Please, Annabeth, please, honey."

Daddy was pleading, desperate for me to co-operate. I looked over at mum. She was too. There was also those same emotions dad had in her eyes as well.

I turned back to dad, nodding my head. "Okay, daddy. I'll do it."

A grin of relief spread across his face. He pulled me into another hug.

"Thank you, honey," he whispered before putting me back on the ground.

"Annie-Bear, don't forget me," mummy called me over. I rushed over to her and gave her a huge hug, even with the two boys still holding onto her. "I love you, Annabeth. I love you, never forget that. Promise me you won't forget." She said, still holding me.

"I promise, mummy," I replied, pulling back. I gave her a smile and she returned it with a weak one of her own. Reaching out I then ruffled both the boy's hair, making them turn their little heads to watch me. Bobby gave me a small smile even though the tears still rolled down his cheeks.

I made my way back to dad who was standing over at the window. Stopping at the window I looked down. It was a long way. If this was the second floor, then I would be dropping 2 floors into the bushes below.

"Daddy, it's a long way down," I said quietly.

"I know, honey, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he told me. His eyes were slightly watery but that might just be from the smoke filling the room. After all, he can't be crying because dad never cries. Ever.

"It's alright, Daddy. I can do this."

He grinned knowingly at me. "I now you can, Annie-Bear."

Climbing up, with the help of daddy, I positioned myself so that my feet were hanging over the edge. The window was only open enough so that the bottom came up to my neck. The butterflies in my stomach woke up, making me hesitate. Taking a deep breath, I turned my self around so I was looking back into the room. Dad's hands were hovering around, just in case I slipped.

My eyes few up, catching sight of mum and the boys. The three of them were coughing all over the place. The room was filling with the grey smoke and getting hazier by the second. I had to do this, for Matt and Bobby and Mummy and Dad.

Before I let go, my eyes locked with Dad's. His brown eyes showed just how proud he really was of me, doing this.

That sealed it. Lowering myself until I was hanging from my hands, I squeezed my eyes shut before letting go of the window sill.

It felt like I was flying. A few seconds of being airborne, with the wind rushing all around me, and my curls going crazy above my head.

Then suddenly I crashed into the scratchy, twiggy bush. My eyes flew open. I was safe. I was alive. I was out!

"Annabeth! Annabeth, are you okay?" dad's voice rang out.

That made me focus on what was really happening. The whole of downstairs was ablaze. The windows of the rooms on the top floor, facing me, were lit with a flickering orange light.

"Yeah, dad! I'm fine! But hurry!" I called back, still taking the burning house in.

"Annabeth, are you ready?" looking up I saw dad steadying Mathew. He was ready to drop out, just like I had. "Matt's coming down!"

"I'm ready!" I positioned myself, ready to catch my little brother when he dropped.

As I watched, Dad said something to him, holding him a second longer, then he let Matt go. Down, down, down, he fell. Below him, I tensed, preparing myself for the weight or him. He fell into my arms but knocked us both backward and into the bush.

BOOM!