Love & Tumult

Chapter 2

Leo  Bowman

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I've been looking for Ella for quite some time now, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned. I kept asking the nurses and everyone in the hallway around the floor if they had seen a five-year-old girl with brown wavy hair and hazel eyes. However, no one seemed to have seen her.

Where could she possibly be? She was supposed to be in the vicinity. I'm hoping she's okay..... Perhaps she'd found her way back. Emily, on the other hand, would have told me that.

Emily had called to inform me that Emma had recovered consciousness and was being discharged.

I couldn't help but feel relieved when she recovered. On the other hand, the notion of her twin going missing made me sick with worry.

Stop making ridiculous assumptions, Leo.

She is probably fine and maybe stranded.... I'll simply go find her as soon as possible so we can get out of here..... I just don't like hospitals; the medicinal odors and the fact that they're full of sick people make me feel uneasy....well, that's just me....

Perhaps Ella, too....the she's only one who feels the same way about hospitals. Ella is said to be more like me in character, Arrow is said to be more like me and Emily combined, and Emma is said to be more like Emily's character.

The twins had a striking resemblance. The only difference was Ella's hazel eyes, which were similar to mine. People always claimed she looked more like me in terms of appearance, but I know it's because of her eyes, because she is the only one among the three who shares my eyes. Emma, on the other hand, had black hair and brown eyes, same like Arrow, except he had brown hair.

Ella was always the sharper and bubblier of the two twins, often voicing her thoughts, even at such a young age. Emma, on the other hand, was the quiet, timid, and shy one. She's also more prone to following the rules. When she is not influenced by her other twin, she is always obeying.

"Excuse me, sir. You wanted to talk to the security guards at the hospital, right?" I returned my attention to a uniformed security guard who stood with a blonde haired man on his left, whom I had summoned for the purpose of questioning me.

"Please, yes! My daughter is nowhere to be found. She's five years old and the twin sister of Emma Bowman, a patient in room 201." I informed the guards, concerned, that I had requested assistance from a passing nurse.

"Sir, don't worry, I'm sure she'll be around. We'll start to work right now to find her. Simply stay-"
A screechingly loud fire alarm interrupted the guard's speech.

What is going on right now.

"What exactly is it? Fire!"

"Sir, please accept my apologies. I'm afraid there's going to be a fire in the building." The guard expressed his concern to me.

"You need to get out of here as soon as possible. Let's go provide a hand to the others." They muttered this as they walked away.

"However, my daughter—"

"It's time for us to leave." I was distressed as I saw the guards go away.

Oh! Emily and the children.

I remembered, breaking out of my cynical musings.

I dashed back to Emma's room, my thoughts returning to my family. My heart was pounding in my ears. I can't believe how bad things are getting today. It can't possibly get much better.

Despite being on the second level, I was able to go to the room via the chaos in the corridor, where people were running about like crazy attempting to find their way out of the hospital that was on fire.

"Emily, Arrow..." I called.

"What's going on, Leo? What happened to Ella?" Emily, who was carrying a sobbing Emma, hastily inquired after noticing that I had arrived alone and without Ella.

"Honey, the fire alarm went off while we were looking for her."

"Let's get the kids out of here before the home falls apart. We have to leave right now!" I told her this as I carried Arrow out of the room and led them along the busy hallway.

"My daughter, Leo! I cannot go without my daughter."

"She's alone in here somewhere." Emily wept for our missing baby Ella, which broke my heart even more. I despised seeing her weep, and I was concerned for our daughter's safety as well.

"Emily, let's get you and the kids out of here to safety first, and then I'll come back for Ella," I say. I told her this as I rapidly ushered them to the stairwell, passing a swarm of people, because I believe the elevators were already overcrowded.

We kept moving quickly down the stairs, leaning against the rails for support as we were being pushed around by the crowd, until we reached the exit.

Many individuals, including patients, were absent. Some people were already sobbing for their family and friends who were still trapped inside the structure.

After reaching out and putting Arrow next to Emily, I tried to go back inside to look for Ella. However, police and hospital security began barring individuals from returning inside.

I attempted to slip in, but the officers grabbed my arms and began yanking me backwards, away from the door.

"Please, I need to get her out of here." I begged, tears in my eyes, already fearing the answer.

"I'm sorry, but you won't be able to return. The majority of the buildings have burned down and are in ruins." They tried to reason with me, but it was pointless because I was dead set on going back and saving Ella.
I couldn't abandon her. My little girl.

"We're sorry, sir, but there's nothing we can do right now. We tried to save everyone who was still inside, but the fire was moving too quickly." They gave an explanation.

I thrashed around, attempting to break free from their clutches, but they had a very strong and hard grip on me.

Boom! Boom!

The remaining components of the hospital were destroyed by a massive explosion. In disbelief, I dropped down on my knees, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Nooo!" I grieved as I saw the once-beautiful hospital burn to the ground with my Ella inside.
Ella!

"Ella! Ella!" Emily and the kids continued to scream frantically and call out for our daughter. I was unable to save her. My little girl.

In a million years, I would never have predicted that our lives would change in such a dramatic and unexpected way.

We were all quite joyful just last morning, playing around the home and being a full family. And now we're completely devastated. Forever apart from our child. She was only five years old! Why was she forced to die? Why?

How could this day possibly end up being excruciatingly painful? How did you do it?
The greatest horror I'd ever imagined in my entire life was unfolding......and I was powerless to stop it.

Why God?

I'm still in shock that we've just lost her.

Ella, our Ella!