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“HELLO?” I bellowed through my respirator. “SHOUT IF YOU CAN HEAR ME!”
There was no response. Anyone inside would have already inhaled the smoke and passed out.
I had to make a decision. Protecting my own life was crucial; I couldn’t save anyone if I died in the process. The kids’ rooms were empty. That probably meant the neighbor was mistaken, and nobody was home. That was the ideal scenario.
But I wasn’t certain. Maybe the kids became afraid and ran to their parents, and then the fire spread and trapped them inside. If that were the case, I would never forgive myself.
In the end, it wasn’t much of a decision at all.
I marched forward, every step ratcheting up the heat. I was sweating inside my suit, cooking like a Thanksgiving turkey. A firefighter could only withstand that kind of heat for a minute or two.
Through the door and into another bedroom. The parents’ room. The source of the fire was the bathroom to my right, orange flames running up the walls around the door frame, wallpaper crackling and curling as it spread. The light from the fire cut through the smoke, giving me a view of the room. There was a pile of clothes in the corner, but otherwise the floor was bare. No people.
I turned and trudged out of the room, feeling lightheaded from the heat. Sweat stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. The sound of my breathing through the respirator grew louder with every step, and the smoke was darkening the hallway leading back to the stairs. No, it wasn’t smoke—my vision was tunneling. I was close to passing out.
Suddenly, another form appeared at the top of the stairs. Mateo. I must have looked like I was in bad shape, because he wrapped an arm around me and guided me down the stairs. For once, I wasn’t too stubborn to resist.
The air outside was cool on my skin as I ripped my respirator off, then shed the fire-resistant hood that covered my head and neck. I was drenched, and out of breath, and still hot in spite of everything. I had pushed myself to the limit back there. But it was worth being certain that the house was empty.
Liam, Ellen, and the other crew turned the hoses on the house, beating down the flames. A car pulled up soon after, and the residents of the house ran onto the front lawn. Two parents, a little boy, and a girl. They huddled together on the grass, weeping and wailing, but I knew they were lucky. A house could be rebuilt, but death was permanent.
Our crew was exhausted by the time we returned to the station, bodies worn ragged from all the adrenaline and smoke. But my mind was fresh, reinvigorated by the perspective that could only come from a raging inferno. All the little bullshit in life was meaningless. Bills, politics, drama—none of it mattered when you were reminded that you could leave this world in the blink of an eye.
I found myself thinking of Alyssa. Our disagreements seemed petty, now. Even if she were the one being unreasonable.
When I got home, I thought about texting her. Hell, or going over to see her. I let Smoke outside and then gazed out the window. Alyssa was fifty feet away inside my guest house. So close, yet so far away.
Just like when we were kids.
And just like when we were kids, I lacked the courage to tell her how I felt.
I went back inside, fed Smoke, and then passed out in bed.
23
Liam
Being a firefighter was a career of extremes. Some days, we sat around and played cards our entire shift, never doing any real work. Other days we were on our feet without end, working ourselves to the bone until we were relieved by another unit. Today was one of the latter.
I dragged myself home at the end of our shift, my nerves scoured by the flames. My eyelids were heavy, and I passed out the moment I made it to my couch, unwilling to walk the extra few steps to get to my bed. I hadn’t even checked my phone, although I knew I had a bunch of unread messages.
When I woke up a few hours later, I felt somewhat better, though still weary. A nap would do me good.
I finally checked my phone, and smiled when I saw whose texts I had missed.
Alyssa: Aliens wasn’t a good movie.
Alyssa: …it was a GREAT movie!
Alyssa: I was definitely skeptical at first, but I can see why you love it so much. Bill Paxton was my favorite. Game over, man! Game over!
Alyssa: Not to mention Ripley being a badass female heroine. And not in a dumb stereotypical way.
Alyssa: Sorry, I’ll stop spamming you now. I know you’re trying to work. But consider me a converted Aliens fan.
Me: Just woke up and saw this. I’m beaming with pride! As long as you’re not just telling me what I want to hear since I complimented Taylor Swift.
Alyssa: I’m a thousand percent honest
