The Life and Death of Jimmy Phoenix
Like most urban legends, this story has many variations. Some embellish it, and others not. The names might change, but the basic story remains the same.
This is how I heard it, from a friend of a friend of mine.
There once was a young man named Jimmy Phoenix.
He wasn't always called that.
He was born Jacques Élysée, to parents Raymonde and Eleni. They lived in Belladonna Cove.
He had a younger sister, Kora.
Jacques was a good son, but a rebellious teenager. His parents often stayed up late, worrying about him, and waiting for him to arrive home.
One night, as he returned home from some party, he heard a strange sound as he walked down the street towards his house.
As he approached, the sound was joined by an unsusual light.
Then heat.
He arrived home just in time to see it fully engulfed in flames.
He saw his sister crying out to him from a window upstairs. Without thinking, he ran into the house, kicking doors open as he went, all the way to his sister's room.
He knew they could escape if they climbed out the window, so he lifted her up and helped her to climb out.
Just as he did this, the ceiling came crashing down and the fire was all around him. The last thing he heard was his sister screaming his name.
Then nothing.
If any time passed, he wasn't aware of it. It was as if he existed outside of time; outside of thought.
Then he opened his eyes again.
The fire raged on, but he stood up, and walked through it to the window, untouched. He climbed out onto the balcony where he'd last seen his sister.
She was nowhere to be found. Above him, he saw a trail of light reaching up into the sky, slowly fading.
The fire department arrived and the blaze was eventually put out. His parents had both died in the fire, but he had somehow survived. His sister was never found. No trace of her body remained in the home. It was as if she'd never existed.
After that, he went away. He left the city for some distant university, changed his name, and never spoke about his past again. Every once in a while, someone would ask him about his family, but he always changed the subject.
Sometimes, when he dreams, he thinks he can see his sister's face. She looks pale, and distant, and cold.
He is alive.