The Lemon Meringue Boy

Part 20

I woke up late. The sun was almost at its highest point, which I knew because around noon is the only time the sun is visible from the basement. There's a little hole in the wood by the first floor window that lets in the rays. Someday I want to mark the floor and make some sort of instrument to tell the time. 

I looked around the basement and stretched my arms out, basking in the musty aroma. The thin golden streak of light was speckled with specks of dust and lit the space with its warm glow. I yawned and smacked my lips. Morning mouth. I rolled out of my bedding and dragged my feet upstairs. 

As the elevator brought me towards the first floor, I began to get the feeling that something important had happened. I had that feeling, like when you have a dream and know you did, but you can't remember what it was about. 

I stepped out of the elevator and dragged myself into the kitchen. Nobody was there. It was odd for sure, but my mind wasn't ready to care yet. I grabbed a granola bar from the counter and started fumbling with the wrapper. I heard Mabel's voice suddenly, making me jump.

"Bro-bro? You gotta see this." It was coming from the T.V. room. When I peered through the doorway I saw that everyone was there, their eyes locked on the screen. I stepped through the door frame and saw that they were watching the news. It didn't seem out of the ordinary. Just another little forest fire. It happened all the time. Probably some ignorant camper who forgot to put out their campfire. I peeled open the granola bar and took a bite. What came next almost made me spit it up. I heard Chandra Jimenez say,

 "Sending forces behind the town jewel 'the Mystery Shack' to extinguish this blaze before the beloved landmark is harmed." Behind the shack...fire...BILL!!! The events of the previous night crashed over me like a tsunami. I had to find him before the fire department did! I tried to look as calm as possible.

"Hey guys? I'm gonna go see this for myself. You stay here and make sure it doesn't...progress or whatever. Don't look out the back okay bye!" I bolted out the back door, letting the screen slam shut behind me. 

What I saw when I emerged made me stop in my tracks. This wasn't just a fire. The tips of the blaze were a swirl of rainbow colors and the leaves it fueled itself with didn't blacken. They charred yellow. 

I was hesitant to enter the flames, but I needed to get to Bill before the emergency services did. I slid between the trees, narrowly avoiding falling yellow branches that curled and writhed on the ground before dwindling to ash. The heat of the flames scorched my skin and clothes, the embers leaving tiny holes in the cloth. 

My feet crunched on the forest floor as I ran, twigs slapping my face. I could see the top of the tree Bill was tied to over a burning log. I couldn't get past. I stood as close to the charred wood as I could and cupped my hands to my mouth. 

"BILL!" I could make out a triangular shape through the clouds of purple smoke. It shifted and I heard his muffled voice over the crackles and snaps of the flames.

"Mff. Goway." He was asleep. Strangely enough, when he spoke the flames seemed to move a bit slower. I yelled louder.

"BIIIIILLLLL!!!!!" suddenly, a four foot arrow flew from the underbrush. It hurtled straight toward my throat. I was going to die. It all happened so fast. I screamed one last time. A shrill, bloodcurdling scream that woke Bill, who scrambled to his feet in less than a second.

 As soon as he woke up, the arrow froze. I stood panting, looking at the tip of the arrow, now a mere half inch from my trachea. I gulped, my Adam's apple brushing the metal of the weapon when it bobbed. I looked around the forest and saw that the flames were frozen, like a paused movie. My eyes flicked to Bill, who was rubbing sleep from his eye. He looked up and squinted at me.

"Pine Tree?!" as soon as the words were spoken, the fire disappeared. The arrow dispersed into thin air and every leaf and twig destroyed by the blaze replenished itself and reattached to the trees. In the blink of an eye, everything was fixed. Bill didn't seem to notice anything had happened. "I just had the greatest dream..."