The flames were so close, they practically licked her skin, stretching to get a taste.

Rose was nine when her house caught fire.

She could barely breath through the thick smoke that overtook her room. Her little lungs tried their best, but the fire spread quickly and violently.

In her young mind, she thought, _I am going to die_.

She was much to young to die. Her mom would be sad. Her little sister wouldn’t really remember her. She wouldn’t get to hug either of them ever again.

Just as she was losing hope, her body scrambled as far away from the fire as she could get, something happened. Like an angel was sent down straight from heaven, a woman appears through the flames.

Literally.

If it didn’t make her eyes water, her eyes would have widened.

Her mom told her about Strangers. How they were dangerous people with dangerous powers. It’s why her older sister went missing. Because a Stranger took her.

But this woman was unharmed. The fire curled around her like it respected her. Like it listened to her.

“Hi, little one. I’m going to get you out of here.”

That was exactly what she did. The Fire Woman saved her. She walked her straight through the scorching flames and set her down in her backyard.

In the darkness, the Fire Woman glowed. Her skin a golden color. Her hair moved as if it were kindlings. Her eyes, fiery orange.

She didn’t say a word more to her and vanished. Not literally this time. The mysterious Stranger just strolled away.

When the firefighters found her, they asked her what happened.

No one believed her. Strangers didn’t do nice things. Not out of the kindness of their hearts. They were destructive and violent. Manipulators and psychopaths. They didn’t save little girls from fires.

But this one did.

Rose didn’t know much, but she knew one thing.

Not all Strangers were bad.

You don’t know what they will be when you come across a Stranger, if they’re good or bad. But for Rose, there’s another option. They can be heroes.