[HLV] Escort the Villagers to Safety

Manami looked around at the buildings aflame. Everything was burning down around her. Homes, businesses...everything the villagers had once called dear were now going up in flames of destruction. She snapped out of her trance when she heard a cry amongst the many cries of the fleeing villagers. She rushed over there to see a young girl, she couldn’t have been older than 4, trapped underneath a burning beam that had toppled over. “Help me!” the young girl begged through her scared and pained tears.

Manami wrapped her hands up in her kimono, moving to try to push the beam off her. When it didn’t budge she backed up and looked at the girl, who looked at her with wide pleading blue eyes. Manami gulped and looked around frantically until she found another beam that could be used and a rock. Grabbing the rock, she placed it near the burning beam and stuck her beam on top. Using that as a lever, she pushed down on the other end of the beam. She could hear the burning beam creak and groan but it made no leeway. Shit...Manami thought. Come on, come on, please work, she pleaded mentally, her eyes occasionally looking down at the young girl under the beam.

She continued to push down on the beam, the larger beam continuing to groan it’s resilience. Finally the beam she was pushing on broke, causing her to fall forward on her face. Groaning, Manami scrambled to the young girl who started to cry again. “Sshh, sshh, don’t cry. I’m going to get you out, I promise.” Manami said as she wiped the tears from her face. “What’s your name?” Manami asked.

“Ta..Tanako,” the young child whimpered out. Manami smiled at her.

“Tanako, that’s a beautiful name. Can you be strong for me and think happy thoughts while I get you out of here?” Manami asked the child.

Tanako nodded, tears still streaming from her face. Manami watched Tanako close her eyes. When they were closed, she stood and looked around for a bigger beam. She found one and tried her method again. Okay, I swear to all kami that if you don’t work I’m kicking your ass, she threatened the makeshift tool.

She pushed down, she could hear the larger beam creak and groan and see it threaten to move. She gave another heave and pushed more until she saw the larger beam lift. She kept on going until it was high enough for her to move Tanako out. Placing something heavy on her end of the beam, she slowly drug Tanako out. She could see that the back of her kimono had been burned through and the resulting burn marks on her back. She scooped Tanako into her arms.

“You were great Tanako. Let’s get you to the medic,” Manami smiled down at the girl as she raced away from there to where the medics had been stationed.

Tanako looked at her with pleading eyes. “You have to find mama!” she pleaded all the way to the medics. When Manami sat her down, she refused to let go of the sleeve of her kimono. “Find mama! She’s all I got!” she begged. Manami looked at the girl, kneeling down so that she was at eye level with her.

“What does your mother look like?” she asked the child.

“Just like me..” the girl whimpered. Manami nodded.

“I’m gonna do all I can to find your mother okay? I need you to be strong for the medics and the other children, okay?” Manami asked and smiled when Tanako nodded, tears threatening to fall again. With a smile, Manami gave her a kiss on the forehead before running back into the fray.