17

Aaron immediately turned and ran toward the ambulance area. There, Amelie lay on a stretcher with an oxygen mask covering her face. Her beautiful face was now dirty with black soot, and there were purple bruises on her cheeks. Her clothes were torn in several places, showing signs of resistance. "Amelie..." Aaron knelt beside the stretcher, his trembling hands touching Amelie's forehead. "Amelie, wake up... it's me." Amelie coughed, her eyes slowly opening, looking dull and full of suffering. As soon as she saw Aaron's face, tears flowed down her soot-covered cheeks. She weakly pulled off her oxygen mask. "Rossie... Aaron... they... they took Rossie..." Amelie's voice was hoarse, broken by suffocating sobs. The world seemed to collapse around Aaron. He stared at Amelie in disbelief. "What?" "Those men... they burned the kitchen... they took Rossie from my arms..." Amelie sobbed, clutching Aaron's shirt with what strength she had left. "Save her, Aaron... please... save my daughter..."