The Way the Wind Blows (Third Entry)

Blazing Memories

ID: Whitfield, Noah

Status: Alive, Heartbroken

Location: Chicago, IL

Date and Time: September 8th, 2:15 pm

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm so sorry." 

I didn't know what to feel at that moment. The only thing I could do was stare at the only place that felt remotely safe to me. All of the things that felt like we worked so hard were gone in flames. 

"We'll do what we can, okay?" 

Did they feel no shame in what they did? Home was supposed to be a place of safety and love, somewhere you could look forward to after a long day of work. Someplace you take pride in, a trophy of your hard work. 

After three years, all of it was gone. Three years of pain, loss, and sacrifice, all to lose the one thing that felt rewarding to me other than the people standing next to me. I'm sure they felt the same way I did. 

No, I know they did. Sayori dropped to her knees and began to bawl her eyes out. Monika, also full of tears, crouched next to her and embraced her. It wouldn't do much, but at least had the support.

Jacob turned to me, expressionless. "Well, what are we going to do?" 

In the back of my mind, I knew it was my responsibility to pick everyone up and provide encouragement, but how was I supposed to do that? I felt like I was punched in the gut and couldn't breathe.

The police officer stepped up to me. I had forgotten he was standing there. "I know this is a lot to take in at once. I can't imagine what you're going through right now." 

I took a deep breath. "Y-Yeah, it's a lot. You don't know how hard we worked for it." 

He scanned the rest of us, who looked at him with a variety of different emotions. Fear, anger, distress, sadness, and more that didn't come to mind. 

Kahn, as stated on his uniform, gave me a nod. He reached into his back pocket and opened his wallet. "I know someone that might be able to help you. His office is on Sheridan Road north of uptown Chicago. Tell him that Kahn sent you." 

I took the card and inspected it. Strangely, there was no name on the card, just the address and phone number. I looked back to Kahn. "Uh, who should I ask for?" 

The officer smiled. "Don't worry about it. We've got everything taken care of. Go see him before his office closes." 

"When does it close?" Jacob asked. 

"I think it closes at four," Kahn answered, glancing at his watch. His radio buzzed, and someone spoke, but I couldn't make out what it said. "I have to go. I wish you guys nothing but good fortune. Please be safe, alright?" 

Kahn started to run off to meet a group of other officers about fifty yards away, leaving us to fend for ourselves. The group turned to each other, and nobody had anything to say for a while. 

I decided to speak first, feeling obligated to get the train rolling. "Listen, guys. I'm going to be honest. I don't have much to say. My emotions are in a ball right now, and I'm not sure how to feel. Here's what I will say, though." 

Sighing, I met everyone's gaze. "We can't let this break our spirits. I know how hard we worked just to have our home ripped from under us. Let's use this for motivation to come back stronger than before. We may have lost this battle, but the war is far from over. We still have time to regain our traction and keep moving. Alright?"