Renata: The Beginning

“Creative Writing and Journalism Graduates…Alex Adams, Miranda Castrati, Chase Freeman, Lanai Jackson, Julia Myers, and Kevin Williams.” said the administrator as the graduates stepped up to get their diplomas and hug their teachers.

Julia was exuberantly happy and relieved to be done with college at the University of Rochester to become a journalist. She smiled and posed as she looked for her parents in the crowd with flashing cameras from every corner her eyes could catch. Slowly walking down the steps back to her seat, for she thought she might fall, all of her friends clapped and yelled for her and she tightly hugged all her merry friends.

When the graduation ceremony was over, she met her mother and father at the stage in the auditorium. They took many pictures and celebrated amongst themselves before the party. Once the camera was full, they all rounded up their families and rushed into their cars, and hurried through the traffic to the main park that was rented out for a graduation party for everyone by Julia’s parents.

Once there, a small music festival played all types of music- mostly rock. There was much laughter, fun, food, and drinks to go around. Many more pictures were taken as well because they were smart enough to bring an extra camera.

The party began at 3:00 pm on March 8th, 2000 and lasted until 11:45. Around 10:00 was when Julia’s parents and other members of her family kissed her goodbye, with her father saying, “Goodbye Jewels.” and congratulated her as they left. Her parents had rented a hotel room at the Hilton Inn in room 3209 next to a young couple who were heavy smokers.

As Julia’s parents were sleeping peacefully in their beautiful room, Mark (Julia’s father) smelled smoke. He told his wife Ida and she mumbled to him that they had probably lit another cigarette next door. But Mark thought otherwise and decided to check.

He sleepily stepped out of bed and walked to the door. At the bottom, orange light and a puffy gray substance began seeping in from under the door. Worried and confusedly, he opened it.

Mark had made a mistake as to gasp in air. In the hall, people were shouting making their way to the exit in a hurry and one person hit him. There were orange flames crawling up to the ceiling and smoke everywhere and soon in his lungs, making him choke.

Ida got out of the bed in a hurry. She came up to her husband’s side and was horrified. They were on the thirty-second floor and she thought even if they tried, they might not have been able to make it. She started to cough and Mark held his Ida close as they rushed down the hall, dodging the flames.

They ran down the hall and the floor beneath their feet they could feel getting weaker. Mark saw a fire extinguisher and broke the case with his elbow. He got it out hurriedly and tried to put out the flames.

Ida reached for him, “It’s too late Mark! Let’s just get out of here!” she pleaded to him.

“Go Ida! Go!” he yelled back, but some of the roof came crashing down and hit his head and her arm as she screamed.

She reached for him as she fell, but he was gone. Tears wouldn’t stop pouring down from her eyes. She got up and ran for the emergency exit stairs.

Ida tried with all of her might to try to see, but the smoke clouded her vision and she couldn’t breathe. As she was starting to walk down the first flight of stairs, she luckily dodged the part of the roof crashing down behind her. More of her tears blurred more of her vision but then suddenly, further worn-out roof dropped before her and broke the stairs. She was trapped. Ida coughed more, sat on the remaining steps, and cried as she said, “Julia! My dear Julia! Find happiness! I love you!”

The flames spread additionally as the whole hotel caught fire. There was nothing that could be done. It was over. But at least Julia still had a chance as she was safe at her home her parents paid half the rent for her and Ida’s best friend Christina as her neighbor to watch over her.

Julia Myers was a simple 22-year-old girl who lived in Rochester, New York. She had just graduated from college when she found out that her parents had passed away in a horrible fire. She and her mother’s and father’s friends attended the funeral. It was on that day when something extraordinary would happen to her to change another world…