BOOK ONE: DECEPTIONS
Chapters One to Twenty Six
Vignettes 1 - 140

BOOK TWO: YESTERDAY ECHOES
Chapters 27 to
Vignettes 141 -

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Vignette #73: Kaboom

Then the earth shook. Ian found himself face down in the rose bush. In a moment, he felt Reese helping him stand.

“What the hell was that?” Reese said.

“I have no…oh my God!” Ian looked at the sky. It was a mushroom of fire and smoke. “The house!”

Ian darted down the old path between the fields with Reese nipping at his heals. As they reached the clearing it looked as though the world was on fire. The wind nipped at their backs as they dodged bushes and thickets bursting into flame. They reached the opening between two old oaks and could see the lean to where the Osbourne’s car was parked.

They heard a groan and a crack. Reese pushed Ian out of the way, as one of the support beams of the lean to split and fell on top of the car. As they picked themselves off the ground, it too went up in flames.

“What the hell happened?” Was all Reese could say as Ian yanked him and they raced around the bend to the house.

The roof was gone and the walls in flame. The back porch they had stood on earlier had caved in and had become a pit of fire. The men had to put their arms up to their noses to keep from breathing in the flames.

Reese grabbed Ian’s coat and pulled him up toward the clearing that led to the Spring House path. The heat was less intense, but headed their way. From their positions they could see the maelstrom. The house, the lane, everything toward the main road was burning or crashing in on itself.

“Over there.” Reese pointed. They could see a body laying face down in the ditch. Despite Reese trying to hold him back, Ian raced to it. As they fought the flames and neared, the graying hair made it clear it was Jude.

Ian touched him and looked up at Reese. “I think he’s alive.”

The rest of the house caved in on itself. Reese and Ian shielded Jude’s body with theirs. “Grab his feet.” They managed to lift the man and pull him toward the field.

He face was bloody and his left arm broken, but he was breathing. “Jude!” Ian got down close enough so he could feel the man breathing. “Jude, can you hear me?”

Reese was on his cell phone shouting over the roar, struggling to tell the people on the other end where he was. “Just look out the fucking window and follow the flames. It’s like a bomb went off for Cris’ sakes!” Reese looked at Ian. “The Osbournes, do you see the Osbournes?”

Ian looked around. The Spring House went up in a whoosh. He looked to the barn. It stood tall, but the wind was pulling the fire toward it quickly. Ian shook his head. “Help me move him to the other side of the barn. There’s an old mud hole. If we have to, we can jump in it for safety.”

Ian reached under Jude’s armpits again and Reese went for his feet. The older man stirred and kicked. “I’m alright.” He moaned. “Get the boy! Get the boy!”

“Jude?” Ian helped him sit up. “Jude what the hell happened?”

Jude struggled to talk. “We caught the bastard!” He doubled over “My baby! My babygirl!”

“Jude.” Reese grabbed the man’s shoulders and sat him up. “Jude are they in the house?”

Jude shook his head no. “She was one the porch. He dropped the boy and he runned off.”

“The boy?” Ian screamed. “Ronnie? Ronnie ran off?”

Ian stood and looked in all directions. Reese held Jude up. “Jude, where’s the boy? Everything’s on fire, we have to find him.”

Jude nodded his head. “He was touchin’ him. Goddamn, we walked right in and he was…” Ian vomited.

Reese persisted. “Jude tell us about Ronnie, he got away?”

He nodded his head. “Toward the barn.” He wheezed. “My baby…” He sobbed.

“Janie.” Reece made Jude look at him. “Where’s Janie?”

Jude shook his head and sobbed. “Porch. Sumbitch had a gun. Shot the tank.”

Ian looked toward the barn, the fire racing in that direction. “Where the hell’s the fire truck?” He squatted down to Jude. “Jude, the boy went toward the barn?” He nodded sobbing.

“Reese, I’ve got to go get him. That thing’s going to go up any minute. You drag Jude over to the other side.” He stood to race off.

Reese grabbed him. “Ian, he’s probably run off scared to the woods or something. Just help me get Jude to safety.”

“No, there’s only one place a kid who is terrified can hide and feel safe around here. I know where that is, and I bet Ronnie does, too. I’ll check. If he’s not there, I’ll join you. I’ll be in and out in a second. I swear.” Ian didn’t bother to wait for an okay.

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