To Hell and Back // Alex Keller.

Red, blue, and white.

Lonely clouds formed all over the bright sky, not letting the bright rays of the sun fall onto the dry ground. The horizon was painted in bright orange, as the sun got wrapped in the tight embrace of the dark clouds. It felt as if the weather knew quite well about the plans for the day of thousands of people, and decided to wear its crummiest dress for the important day. Birds were flying low, as nature got quiet before the storm. Kid's laughter echoed from one empty house to another, reminding the residents of a small town not to let the weather spoil their day. Somewhere far away, closer to the border, the storm was picking up its pace and letting the rain take away the heatwave. A loud cry of thunder reached the faraway town, as the lightning kissed the ground, and let its light visit every house it could reach.

A burning smell travelled from the kitchen to the living room and up the stairs to the second floor of the dark house. Keller kept his eyes on the frying pan, trying not to feed another pancake to the garbage can. After all, the first damn thing is always lumpy. A whisper of curse words followed the burned pancake on its way to the garbage bag. An unknown melody stayed with the officer, as he whistled to himself in the walls of the hot room. The heatwave was almost over, as the storm somewhere far away was scaring it away. Stiff air stayed in the warm kitchen, while the lonely drops of sweat formed on the wrinkled forehead of the man. Alex looked at the watch, noticing how the time was getting closer to noon, and running away from the breakfast hour. His gaze fell onto the wooden door when the noise outside was impossible to ignore. Kelly found herself surrounded by the crinkle of the plastic bags, that were sitting in the tight grip of her hands. Just like a lullaby, it echoed through the room, catching the attention of the officer.

"You missed the American breakfast on the 4th of July, Kelly." Keller turned off the stove, letting the pancakes rest in the warmth of the frying pan. One slow step after another, the distance between the two was shortening. Eventually, the full bags landed in the hands of the man, as Miller kept the outside world somewhere behind the heavy wooden door.

"Maybe I am still in time for brunch?" A redhead followed the man deeper into a house, noticing the smell of the breakfast that took over all two floors of the house. Curiosity was playing games with the woman inside of her mind. It was the first 4th of July for Kelly in the US, and the whole day was still covered by the fog of mystery to her.

"Did you rob a 4th of July aisle at Target?" Alex couldn't help but notice the tall fireworks sticking out the bag, once he left them to rest on the cold kitchen floor. Groceries, fireworks, and anything in red, white, and blue were hiding behind the thin plastic of the grocery bags. Keller shook his head, as he caught the gaze of the hazel eyes on his face. Consumerism was at its peak in the country, and the proof of it was sitting right in front of the officer.

"Of course. Took everything I could, and the bags too." A mask of seriousness sat on Kelly's face, as she kept the eye contact between them. It didn't take a long time for a woman to burst into laughter, and let the mask disappear into the thin air. She started taking the goods out of the bags, taking the space on the countertop of the small kitchen.

"You didn't have to get all this, Kel." Keller's hands rested on his hips, as the grin of disapproval was painted all over the officer's face. His lips were hidden in the shade of a mustache, as the look of the bright blue eyes sat on the woman in front of him. The man was used to keeping the situation under his control from the beginning to the end, and with each passing moment, the control was slowly getting away from Alex. He leaned against the smooth, and cold surface of the fridge, letting his eyes watch Miller.

"I couldn't let you do it all on your own, Keller." Kelly couldn't help but feel the eyes of the officer on her, as one bag after another was getting empty. The local grocery shop was most definitely short of the celebratory items after her visit.