Awakening

Chapter 3 Ashes and Heat

Alaysa returned to the meeting room and sat down at the table putting her knapsack on her lap. Mr. Jones and Sherriff Krass were in a low-voiced animated debate and stopped as soon as she sat. Mr. Jones now watched her with hooded eyes, a cobra watching to strike. Sherriff Krass eyed her carefully.

“Is this going to last much longer?” she asked, glancing at the sherriff. “I have a test after lunch.”

“I do have a few more questions,” Mr. Jones said.

“No, I think you’ve asked more than enough for now,” Sherriff Krass said, standing. Mr. Jones’s face turned red and he opened his mouth but the sherriff held up his hand, silencing him. “Alaysa, you can go back to school now. Ask one of the deputies to drive you back.”

Alaysa grabbed her knapsack and as she opened the door, glanced over at the two men. Mr. Jones watched her, his eyes once again hooded. She felt a chill go up her spine. The sherriff spoke to him and he looked away. She closed the door and walked out into the main reception area, happy to get out of that room. No one sat behind any of the desks. She could hear laughter from a back room. The smell of french fries filled the area. Knowing she wouldn’t get anyone to voluntarily drive her back to school, Alaysa headed out the front door and down to the street.

On the sidewalk, she paused. Across the street in the park, she noticed the tents still stood. A group of men wandered among the flimsy structures. Carpenters and other types of workmen had begun arriving almost as soon as the fire had been extinguished in her town. Most had found work. Some still hung about, apparently not enough work to go around. She’d heard some of the insurance companies were slow on approving any work and that some people had been forced to start fixing their own houses because they just didn’t have the money to pay for outside help.

Her house was fine, hardly touched at all by the fire. Her father had muttered something about washing down the house of all the soot. Alaysa didn’t want to clean up their house. It already looked out of place, one of the few still standing on their block, and she’d be up for more humiliation if her house looked too normal too soon.

Turning, she walked up the street. People hurried in and out of Mr. Johnston’s hardware store, their arms full of bags. She saw an older man carrying two boxes of power tools. Another man struggled with a generator. Gasping, he heaved it into the back of a pickup truck. Several women stood on the sidewalk, watching him. They moved in, their faces intent, on the man who looked fearfully at them as if he was about to be swarmed. Was he one of the few over-worked carpenters who had to say no to those people? People who wouldn’t take no for an answer? Alaysa gingerly threaded her way around the group and paused in front of the next storefront.

Moe’s Coffee Shop, one of the last stores in town to not become a franchise, was busy with noon hour customers. The two waitresses and Moe himself hustled about the tables taking orders, delivering food and clearing the tables. When she worked at night, it was never this busy. Moe looked up and saw her standing there. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. She just smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way, waved and continued on down the sidewalk. Moe cared. Moe was like a second father. He always asked how school had been for her that day. Moe and her father had been childhood friends so he had been the logical choice for her god father. Moe always had a funny story to tell and he made the customers laugh. He made her laugh too. And laughing these days was so important when everything else had gone so wrong. That’s why Alaysa had smiled as she turned to head back to school. She actually looked forward to coming in to work her shift tonight.

Tonight. The party. She’d have to hurry home, change and then get out to the rift valley. This was the first party since the fire. She needed the release. Needed to do something wild. Be with her friends. And even if Josh was there, she could handle him. Unless he chose to be a pain, then she’d just have to stay out of his way. No problem. He’d probably hang out with his football friends anyway. And they had enough female fans to keep him busy. She didn’t have to worry about any trouble from him.