to leave, but I wanted to look back and see what I had survived.
Half the motel was crumbling into flaming rubble, looking like an orange bonfire and nothing else. Another quarter of it had smoke and flames climbing out of every window and door. The last quarter was catching fire quickly. The heat was intense, the light from the torched building strong enough to signal an airplane. Smoke blanketed the night sky, blotting out the stars.
Maybe it would have been beautiful, in its own destructive way, if I’d been able to ignore the people.
Everyone who made it out of the motel was standing in the parking lot panicking. Paramedics and EMTs were running back and forth to help as many people as they could. Firefighters dragged water hoses into the parking lot and hurried to put them to use. The motel residents were huddling together and staring at the blaze with horrified awe. Their shouts were panicked and heartbreaking.
“What are we gonna do?!”
“What happened?!”
“Has anyone seen my son?! Where’s my son?!”
There were about seven people who couldn’t speak properly because they were in agony. Charred bodies were lifted onto stretchers and hauled away quickly. Others were being tended to on the ground, begging for something to take away the pain. There were a couple of bodies that weren’t moving at all. The paramedics walked to them with body bags.
I’d been around burning flesh before. I’d seen the damage fire could do. I was grateful not to be any closer.
Something brushed along my right arm. I jumped from the tingling pain. I looked over my shoulder and immediately regretted my reaction.
Dro was standing behind me, staring at the fire she’d created. She was shaking as she moved closer to me. I’d nearly forgotten she was there. Tears filled her eyes. Dro watched the fire again, breathing in shivers.
Red and blue lights flashed, and I knew the cops had arrived. My mind snapped out of shock, and I was able to concentrate again.
“Come on,” I said. My voice still sounded raspy from the smoke I breathed in.
I turned and limped toward the farthest end of the parking lot. I needed to sit down and do something about these fucking burns. I wandered behind a car at the end of the lot and was about to get in when the burning, throbbing pain made itself known again. I had to prop myself against the car to breathe through it.
I looked over the side of the car. The police were out of their vehicles. They were talking to the fire crews and gathering witnesses. I didn’t think anyone had seen us yet but it would just be a matter of time. News vans were probably on their way.
“Dro, I need you to heal me,” I said.
She’d done so a thousand times in the past without me ever asking. Usually she never even hesitated. Now she wasn’t even in arm’s length.
“Dro?”
“I don’t know what happened,” she half whispered. “I don’t... I didn’t mean it!”
She started gasping instead of breathing. I took a step closer to her. Dro cringed and jumped back a foot.
“No! No, don’t come near me!”
I didn’t know if anyone could hear us, and I didn’t bother to check. Dro’s hands began filling with white light, which was quickly turning to flame. She looked at her hands like they were covered in blood.
“Oh no,” she whimpered. “No, no, no!”
I took another careful step forward. “Dro, you need to calm down.”
I sounded calm myself. Miracles can happen. Not that Dro would believe that right now.
“Don’t come any closer, please,” she begged.
Tears were streaking her face and sobs cracked her voice. I hadn’t seen Dro this upset since our parents were murdered. It broke my heart to see her like this, so I kept moving closer.
“Connie, please ,” she wept.
I stopped. When she sounded that wretched, it was impossible for me not to listen. The flames curled up to
Half the motel was crumbling into flaming rubble, looking like an orange bonfire and nothing else. Another quarter of it had smoke and flames climbing out of every window and door. The last quarter was catching fire quickly. The heat was intense, the light from the torched building strong enough to signal an airplane. Smoke blanketed the night sky, blotting out the stars.
Maybe it would have been beautiful, in its own destructive way, if I’d been able to ignore the people.
Everyone who made it out of the motel was standing in the parking lot panicking. Paramedics and EMTs were running back and forth to help as many people as they could. Firefighters dragged water hoses into the parking lot and hurried to put them to use. The motel residents were huddling together and staring at the blaze with horrified awe. Their shouts were panicked and heartbreaking.
“What are we gonna do?!”
“What happened?!”
“Has anyone seen my son?! Where’s my son?!”
There were about seven people who couldn’t speak properly because they were in agony. Charred bodies were lifted onto stretchers and hauled away quickly. Others were being tended to on the ground, begging for something to take away the pain. There were a couple of bodies that weren’t moving at all. The paramedics walked to them with body bags.
I’d been around burning flesh before. I’d seen the damage fire could do. I was grateful not to be any closer.
Something brushed along my right arm. I jumped from the tingling pain. I looked over my shoulder and immediately regretted my reaction.
Dro was standing behind me, staring at the fire she’d created. She was shaking as she moved closer to me. I’d nearly forgotten she was there. Tears filled her eyes. Dro watched the fire again, breathing in shivers.
Red and blue lights flashed, and I knew the cops had arrived. My mind snapped out of shock, and I was able to concentrate again.
“Come on,” I said. My voice still sounded raspy from the smoke I breathed in.
I turned and limped toward the farthest end of the parking lot. I needed to sit down and do something about these fucking burns. I wandered behind a car at the end of the lot and was about to get in when the burning, throbbing pain made itself known again. I had to prop myself against the car to breathe through it.
I looked over the side of the car. The police were out of their vehicles. They were talking to the fire crews and gathering witnesses. I didn’t think anyone had seen us yet but it would just be a matter of time. News vans were probably on their way.
“Dro, I need you to heal me,” I said.
She’d done so a thousand times in the past without me ever asking. Usually she never even hesitated. Now she wasn’t even in arm’s length.
“Dro?”
“I don’t know what happened,” she half whispered. “I don’t... I didn’t mean it!”
She started gasping instead of breathing. I took a step closer to her. Dro cringed and jumped back a foot.
“No! No, don’t come near me!”
I didn’t know if anyone could hear us, and I didn’t bother to check. Dro’s hands began filling with white light, which was quickly turning to flame. She looked at her hands like they were covered in blood.
“Oh no,” she whimpered. “No, no, no!”
I took another careful step forward. “Dro, you need to calm down.”
I sounded calm myself. Miracles can happen. Not that Dro would believe that right now.
“Don’t come any closer, please,” she begged.
Tears were streaking her face and sobs cracked her voice. I hadn’t seen Dro this upset since our parents were murdered. It broke my heart to see her like this, so I kept moving closer.
“Connie, please ,” she wept.
I stopped. When she sounded that wretched, it was impossible for me not to listen. The flames curled up to
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