Looking for Answers

6

 Ian was riding his bike like a bat after a swarm of insects. He slammed on the brakes, his face pale, and his jaw slack.

Mugs' place was crawling with cops, with EMS vehicles, and fire trucks. It looked as if a bomb had gone off in the old man's yard. The whole place was nothing but char and ashes.

Ian ran up to a fireman and asked what had happened.

"Dunno," the man said. "Don't know why they called us out, really. Strangest thing. When we got here, the fire was already out. The ashes are cold. This place could have gone up in smoke fifty years ago."

Ian stood very still. A puzzled expression was plastered across his face.

"I'm really sorry," said an officer. "I was a friend of the old man's, too."

Ian looked up. It was Rierdan O'Malley. He was a familiar face in the neighborhood, often stopping and making welfare checks on the older residents. Ian had chatted with him often.

The little boy pulled something from his shirt pocket.

"You shouldn't be playing with matches, kid," the officer said.

Ian flipped the cover up on the matchbook. Every single match was in place.

"What is that," he asked.

"Keepsake," said Ian. "Mugs gave it to me. Made me swear never to light one match. It's a promise I intend to always keep," and he slid the object back into its nest of safety inside his shirt pocket.

"You're a man of your word, aren't you, Ian," said the officer.

"Yes, sir. Where's the shed?" Ian asked.

"Beg pardon?"

Ian pointed to the huge rectangle of brown hardpan where the quonset hut once stood.

"You're right, kid," Officer O'Malley said. "It's like it just vanished. Abducted by aliens or something. What the hell? Mugs say anything to you about this, Ian?"

Ian looked O'Malley squarely in the eyes.

"Top secret," Ian said. "And even if I told you, you'd never believe me."

O'Malley watched the boy hop on his bike and speed away.

"Definitely suffering from shock," he muttered.

"O'Malley," said the lieutenant. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for answers like everyone else, sir," O'Malley said, wandering off to question more of the neighbors.