Tragedy

“Alright…I’ll keep up the exercises…and I’ll think about using a cane.” Luke tries not to allow his situation create despair, and can simply be thankful for someone like Angel. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I don’t know what I did to deserve a woman like you.” He reaches out to pull her down into a hug, then a tender kiss, drawing away just enough so he can see her eyes. “Thank you…I promise not to hide this from you any more.”


Wyatt chuckles. “Alright. It’s agreed. We share.” He opens the door to the café. “But you’re going to pick the table we sit at, so I can choose to pick up the tab.”
Their luncheon is shared with light conversation, avoiding any heavy topics, and filled with humor and banter.
When finished, Wyatt walks Katie back to TJY, then gives her a lift back to Laura’s before returning to finish out his work day.


Nine o’clock
A silent figure darts through the shadows, undetected by eyes or ears. It makes its way around the house, slowly doing its deed to the extend it has been ordered. They are only visible in a single instant when a match is lit before they again disappear through the back yard.

Jason is lost in a deep sleep. The pills he’d taken for his headache had knocked him out, and the afternoon had slipped by unnoticed into the dark evening.
Trooper whines and nudges his hand. Not getting a response, he licks it, still whining.
Jason moans and rolls over. “Go lay down,” he mumbles drowsily.
Trooper doesn’t give up, but goes to the other side of the bed, getting both front paws onto the mattress, taking Jason’s blanket in his teeth and dragging it onto the floor before letting out a bark.
“I said go lay down!” Jason snaps at him.
Trooper ignores the command and barks again, this time several times in a row.
Jason is just about ready to throw a pillow at the dog, when he suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of danger. Sitting up in bed it takes him a moment to realize that the fog he sees isn’t in his mind – there is smoke everywhere, and his eyes already start to water. “Oh no.”
Barely taking time to throw on his jeans, flannel shirt and boots, he goes for his door, Trooper whining at his heels. Feeling the doorknob, he finds it warm, but not so hot that he can’t touch it, and he risks opening it. Horror fills his veins. It’s not just his bedroom that’s at risk, but the entire house. Flames are everywhere, smoke filling every crack and crevice. Jason could barely see down the hall. He backs up into his room to head for his window, but flames have already reached it, providing a dangerous escape route.
Hardly able to believe what’s happening, though now fully awake, Jason heads back to the hall, taking Trooper by the collar for support as he limps.
He covers his mouth with his sleeve, starting to cough from the noxious fumes. Making it to the living room, he hasn’t time to dwell on all the items that are burning as part of the ceiling caves in, missing him by inches. Trooper jumps to the side, knocking Jason off balance and he falls to the floor.
Coughing, he crawls forward, barely able to see through the smoke and the tears it produced. His hand reaches tile. He’s in the kitchen with only feet to go. “Trooper!” he yells. “Come on!”
Trooper is right behind him, going for the door.
Using the dog as leverage to stand, Jason reaches the door and opens it quickly. The porch is engulfed in fire. But he’s made it too far now to stop.
Ignoring the pain in his leg, Jason takes two strides to make it across the flaming porch, landing in the yard hard enough to bring him to his knees as he rolls on impact.
Groaning, he can hear sirens. Someone had already called the fire department. And no wonder…
Jason manages to get to his feet and back away from the intense heat. He can’t believe his eyes. The whole house was in flames.
As the firefighters arrive, they move past Jason to start working on putting the fire out. Neighbors exit their own houses to ensure their own safety, lest the flames spread. Water goes everywhere. There is noise and chaos. And in the middle, Jason stands, in stunned silence.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Huh?” Jason turns to a firefighter.

“I said are you okay?”

“Um, yeah.”

“Is there anyone else in the house?”

Jason shakes his head numbly. “No…it was just me.”

“Do you have family? Do you need to call someone?”

Jason shakes his head again, not thinking things through. “No, not…not yet…I mean…no.”

The flames reflect in his eyes as he watches his childhood being destroyed forever. The firefighters were working hard, but it was obvious that nothing was going to be saved. There was just too much fire.

Everything was gone. Jason can feel his stomach tightening into knots. His mother’s belongings…pictures…music…oh, all of his music was gone…all his memories…everything. Gone.

It’s not long before the house is a smoldering heap of blackened wood, bent metal and melted plastic. The putrid smell wafts through the think night air. And Jason stands alone. He had refused a ride anywhere, too stunned and numb to want anything. He was supposed to give an account to local authorities tomorrow. That’s all he knew…
He’d been told to call someone, friends or family, but he’d refused that as well. Whether it was utter disbelief for what had happened, or the want to be alone in his misery, he didn’t know.

After standing for a long while, Jason finally turns and heads down the sidewalk. He’s just glad that the pair of jeans he had grabbed had his wallet and keys. He would need his ID to get into TJY…someone was always around overnight…and it was only eleven o’clock. He’d get there in about forty-five minutes at this pace, and if his knee held up.
Trooper walks obediently at his heel, seeming to sense the despondency in his master. Jason doesn’t keep too wary of an eye out for any attackers. He was confident that after tonight, they would wait to strike again at least a day.