Marcia Walker
It was late. I felt uneasy, like something was wrong. I couldn't help glancing at my watch every few seconds. "I should be home by now," I mumbled to myself, shifting on my feet before peering through the thick veil of the dark. John was late again and I knew that something was off about tonight.
It was usually quiet at this hour, but not this silent. I felt like everything was holding its breath. The lush green fingers of the trees didn't brush, the sweet, if infrequent, melodies of the little creatures didn't float on waves of calm. The night was just, dead. The old brick buildings around me were ominous in the feeble light of the moon.
I sighed. "You're not gonna be hurt and everything is fine," I told myself, just so i could relax a bit and stop jumping at each sound. As soon as I had regained some semblance of calm, I looked up to see headlights coming down the road.
Excited relief bubbled up inside of me, "Finally!" I gave a short laugh as John pulled up right before me with a sheepish grin. I gave him a sweet smile, "You're late."
"Gosh Marcy, you could cut a guy some slack," he replied smiling at me as i walked to the passenger door.
"You're an hour late!" I exclaimed, faking indignation. "Do you know how scared I was?"
John just laughed at me. It felt good to have my best friend near me, even though I still couldn't shake that feeling.
"So, how was your date?" I asked finding it was easier to calm myself by talking. "I'm guessing it went well?" I inquired raising an eyebrow expectantly.
He gave a huff, "She was pleasant at first then she started yapping away about one ex after another, and the dates that she'd been on and how none of them understood her and more crap like that."
"Oh," I said, trying to find the right words.
"Yeah and when I was ready to leave to come pick you up she was saying I was just like them, her exes, and to save face i sat and ignored her for fifteen more minutes. God she was boring. When I couldn't take it any more I just got up and told her that if she didn't get off her over-sized ass and get in the car she was going home on her own."
I started laughing, I saw the anger radiating off him but I couldn't help myself, it was just too funny. He turned to me with a look of confusion, "What's so funny?"
i was gasping to catch my breath, "I can just see Amanda's face. Oh God! You just humiliated the 'hottest' girl in school," I said using air quotations, "and you don't find that even a bit funny?"
John smiled, "I'm hoping you're not gonna bring this up the next time you see her," he gave me a hopeful smile.
"Keep dreaming brother, that little brat deserves worse," I stated my mood changing to hatred instantly.
"Marc, come on she isn't that bad."
"To you!" I practically yelled at him as we began driving through the mostly empty town. "Do you know how many times that girl has tried to make me feel like crap? She basically humiliated me everyday just so she could feel good about herself!"
"Marc calm down. You don't need to be so angry with her she's just desperate for affection," John stated in that calm voice of reason that had always had a way of seeping into me no matter how angry I was.
"Well she sure has a good way of looking for it," I said with a huff.
John laughed, "Now your just being childish, she never even managed to humiliate you. She tries damn hard but doesn't even get a chance, you always shut her up and walk away." A smug smile curved my lips before I turned to watch the fading lights through the window.
It was at that moment I heard the sirens of a fire engine. I sat up instantly, the sickening feeling of dread increasing. I watched as the red and white vehicle whizzed by and took the turn we were going to make to enter Heaven's Creek.
My heart was racing as we made our turn. Then I saw it, the black plume raising into the air, hiding the glittering stars.
"Wow, I'm guessing that's a big fire," John said his eyes widening.
By now my hands were balled into tight fists as I tried to remain calm, I leaned forward to see the fire get larger as we got closer.
"It's on our lane," I said, hopeless dread slowly taking over making my voice raspy. As we rounded the corner and the foliage of the trees, my heart stopped. My house was the one on fire.
I heard John gasp but paid little attention, as I tried to find my family in the small crowd. When I couldn't see them panic set in. I was out of the car before it even came to a stop, running towards my blazing house.
I was stopped by a fireman, "Miss you can't go any further."
"Where are the people who live here? Where is my family?" I asked trying hard not to let myself think the worse.
The sympathy I saw in his eyes broke my strained calm. I started screaming and thrashing, trying hard to break free of his grip to get to the house. I didn't even care that people were watching, I needed to get to them.
I suddenly felt a strong arm snake around my waist and drag me back, away from the fireman and against a hard chest. I still didn't care, I was still screaming and struggling, still yelling that I needed to get to them, still begging in my heart for my family to be alive.
"Marc," came John's voice in my ear. "Marcy," another pause as I fought harder. "Marcia. Their gone." The finality in his voice was too much, his words drove all the fight out of me.
I felt my body weaken as exhaustion overcame me. My knees weakened and I reached the grass now damp with dew. I knelt there with tears streaming down my face, as my mind finally grasped it. they were dead.
A demented wail escaped my already sore throat. a wail filled with all the hopelessness I now felt. as I screamed and cried I looked at my home, now surrounded by laughing tongues of orange draped by the darkness behind with spouted rain which barely hindered the flames. There would be no more laughter there, no more joy, just sorrow.
As I felt John's hand on my shoulder, my trembling started. My body was wracked with anguish. As I collapsed into blissful darkness, one thought played through my mind.
They're gone and I'm alone.
