After me ~ Pretty Little Liars Fanfic

thirty one

"W-what?" I splutter, trying to keep my cool but failing miserably.

"It was Spencer's idea put that stink bomb in the garage."

"It wasn't Spencer at all. It was all Alison." I say with a yawn. These early starts are really draining my energy.

"That's not what she told me at the hospital." She says, jogging my memory of one night 3 years back. Spencer was so mad at something Ali had told Jenna- baring in mind Ali had vanished off the face of the Earth at this time. This had to be it. Spencer knew that Ali had blamed it all on her. She seemed to have no remorse for Ali's disappearance, almost as if she wished she'd done it herself.

"I don't know what Ali told you but since when have you ever trusted her." I say sitting across from Jenna on the opposing couch.

"Since she invited me into her little posse and I declined. She said I'd regret it and I have ever since."

"Maybe I should go get Toby after all."

"No don't! You're the only person I can trust."

"Me? You barely know me."

"I've known you for 8 years Mackenzie. I've heard about you on the news and I know enough about you to decide it wasn't true." Jenna says reaching forward for the mug I previously set in front of her. She takes ahold of it almost as if she has perfect vision. "I heard about your ordeal too"

"You did?"

"It's been all over the news. You and your 4 pretty little lying friends all got trapped in that 'dolls house', they're calling."

"Yeah." I say purely because I don't know what else to say.

"You have scars to prove it"

"How do you know that?"

"They've been showing pictures on the news. I don't have to have vision to be able to picture it." She says before sipping her drink.

I look outside to see the sun is rising and the trees lining the edge of my garden have turned that familiar golden brown as if they're just about to drop off. "It's light outside."

"Can you see Shadow anywhere?"

"No but I'll go look. Stay here okay?" She nods as I open the back door. I fumble around in the outskirts of the forest, looking for any sight of life. I could swear that a black hooded figure runs past in the direction away from the Cavenaugh household but by the time my eyes have adjusted to the dim lighting of the forest, the figure is long gone. I feel my heart start to race as I head back through the garden and out to the roadside. There, sat right on the sidewalk is Shadow, or at least who I think is Jenna's guide dog. "Shadow come here boy" I call in a friendly manner. The dog runs over to me as I turn my back to the roadside.

I grab the dog by the collar and start to head inside as a huge explosion noise sounds, awakening the whole street. I feel myself being thrust onto the ground as my face hits the grass with a thump. I shake it off and turn back to see the entire Cavenaugh household up in flames. My eyes widen as I take in the sight before me. I turn to move but I'm frozen on the spot. Eventually I shake back to reality as I run inside dragging the dog alongside me. Shadow runs up to Jenna and jumps on her as I speed upstairs to Spencer's room not knocking before entering.

"Toby get up!" I yell at the top of my voice. Looks like the loud explosion didn't wake them. He sits up, astonished that I'm up at exactly 4:37am. "Your house is on fire." I say taking his arm and yanking him downstairs. I pick up Spencer's phone from the side table and call 911, reporting the catastrophe.

"Mackenzie?" I hear Mike's voice. I'd forgotten he was still here.

"The Cavenaugh house exploded." I tell him as my parents and siblings plus Wren follow him downstairs.

"Where's Jenna?" Toby says, panicking slightly.

"She's right the-" I turn around and point to Jenna once was. She's disappeared. I run outside to see her stood on the sidewalk, seemingly staring at the building before her. "Jenna, come away from it." I state, looking down the road as the DiLaurentis', Fields' and the other occupants of the private road stand in their driveways watching the house crumble. The rest of my family appear behind us and Jenna collapses into Toby's arms as she realises what has happened.

"Why are you not in the house?" Alison's voice shouts up the road.

"Shut up Ali" I yell back at her. I hear Jenna gasp at my words. No one in this town has the confidence to tell Ali to shut up- she runs Rosewood. Well now Rosewood has a new biggest bitch.

"Kenz your nose is bleeding" He tells me as a few of our more 'pretentious' neighbours stare at my bloody nose and prominent scars coating my body.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer." I shout over at Mr and Mrs Farrington across the street. They instantly look at each other and then at the ground in shame. I hear a faint scream coming from the direction of the burning building. I take a step forward. "Toby, where's your dad?"

"Away on business."

"He came home a few days early." Jenna speaks up. "He's in there." I look down the street in search of the red fire truck but no rescue is in sight. The street is blocked with news reporters and tv station vans. They couldn't get through if they wanted to.

I start toward the house so quickly that no one can grab me.

"Mackenzie don't you dare-" is all I hear before I foolishly run into the burning building. I'm already disfigured, it can't get much worse. Plus, what better way to build up the Hasting's reputation then a good old 'saving a neighbour from a burning building'? I look through the smoke filled rooms for any sign of life.

"Mr Cavenaugh" I tell as loud as my smoke filled lungs will allow me to.

"Help" I hear ever so faintly. I run up the crumbling stairs and into the master bedroom. Sure enough, there is Mr Cavenaugh under the sheets, trying to conserve air. I tiptoe over broken glass as my bare feet leave a trail of blood. I grab him tightly and help him to stand up. He looks at me, completely unaware of who I am. He doesn't care. He's just happy to be alive. I support him as we make our way to the stairs. The wood is too charcoaled to step on it. I turn back and look for another exit as I hear the fire truck nearing. He can't stay in here for much longer. I notice a window to the far end of the bedroom. I look out of it to see my family stood on the ground across the road. I try to jiggle it open but it doesn't budge.

"Stand back" I warn him before clenching my fist and slamming it through the glass. I guess those prison self defence classes really did come in handy; the glass in front of me shatters. I look out to see how far the drop is. A ladder stands against the building and Mr Farrington holding the bottom. I guide Mr Cavenaugh over the edge and watch as he shuffles down the ladder. I can't follow incase the whole thing topples over. I hear a slight ticking noise as if the ground is about to disappear from beneath me. I take a deep breath and prepare myself. It's now or never. A broken leg or death.

A will win.

A wants me to jump.