firefighter · cowboy · disciplined · loyal · stoic · nashville · family legacy · leadership · rugged · honorable
Rain hammered the firehouse lot, a relentless grey torrent that drowned the world. I, Ryan Hart, Lieutenant of 113, slammed the heavy rescue tool into its compartment, water sheeting from my helmet. The air didn't just crackle; it fractured with a violent, unnatural sharpness. Lightning tore the sky apart, striking the ground just feet away. The flash was blinding. I spun, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs, just in time to see the searing light envelop my younger sister. Her body crumpled like paper. Smoke lifted from her jacket. I slid through the mud, my knees hitting the sodden earth, my hands scrabbling as I reached for her. No pulse. The stench of ozone choked me. I gripped her limp hand, a desperate anchor, as Taylor and Roxie rushed in. The storm roared on, but all I could se…