The cellar was dark, smelling of damp earth and old cardboard, but it was safe from the flames.
Klaus led her to the small, ground-level egress window at the back of the foundation.
'Here… it's here.'
His mother kicked the glass out, hoisted him through the opening, and quickly climbed out after him.
They spilled out onto the cool, damp grass of the backyard.
The night air hit Klaus's lungs like ice water. He collapsed onto his back, coughing violently, hacking up the black soot he had inhaled.
Behind them, the house was a towering inferno, flames licking high into the night sky, illuminating the neighborhood in a hellish orange glow.
Sirens wailed in the far distance, drawing closer.
His mother scrambled across the grass on her hands and knees. She threw her arms around Klaus, pulling his small body tight against her chest and she buried her face in his hair, sobbing uncontrollably.
