Red Flames

Fire! Screaming. People dying. It was happening again, appearing just like it was yesterday. Firemen running around, trying to put out the blazing fire. They couldn’t do it; it was too late. Her mother, father…even her 8-month-old brother, was all going to die. They were all going to leave her. No…
“No!” a scream broke the silence that hovered above a twenty-three year old girl. She opened her eyes, only to find it all a…nightmare; a nightmare that had been haunting her for six years. She couldn’t get away from it; no matter how hard she tried. It was going to stick with her until the day she died. She stole a quick glance at the alarm clock to the right of her. It was only 3:00 AM. She heard steps outside in the hallway, and then heard the turn of a doorknob as the door to her room creaked open.
He was sitting at his desk, yet again pulling an all-nighter for the latest case. This was probably the hardest case he had ever dealt with. But then again, this was only his second year working. He pulled out the files for the other incidents that had occurred in the last month. Seven in total. Each case always had to do with fire, but there was no specific pattern with the victims. It seemed like whoever was lighting the fire randomly picked a location to set fire. He gulped down the last of his already-cold coffee and got up to get some more. he snuck past the first door to his right, trying his best not to make a lot of noise on the old, wooden floor towards the kitchen. Once there, he put on a new pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table, waiting. It was then that he heard it; an earsplitting scream. Oh great…not again. He thought as he raced to the bedroom door he had just passed.
She looked up as the door swung open. He raced into the room and stopped abruptly at her bed. “Ya okay?” he asked voice full of concern.
“Yea…” she replied. “It was just…another nightmare.” she whispered.
“Nightmare, huh?” he said, loosening up a bit. “What kind of nightmare?”
“There’re different kinds?” she asked.
“Sure there are. There’s the kind when you wake up drenched with sweat, there’s the kind that younger kids have about monsters chasing them or trying to eat them, there’s even one’s that some people have about something that happened to them. Well…actually, those are usually just memories that came back to haunt their hosts.” he ended on a quick note. She stared at him.
“How do you know so much about nightmares?” she wondered aloud.
“I used to have them a lot when I was younger. But not anymore…they kinda just went away.” He responded. I looked into his deep, caring eyes.
“How?” she asked. “How did you make them go away?”
“Well…I didn’t really do anything to make them go away…they just kinda stopped on their own.” Neither of us said anything for awhile. The silence pleased her, so very much, but she knew that he did not like it at all. He was a very outgoing person, who could not stand to be alone. For the two years she had known him, she had learned that much from him.
“Jake…” Mika broke the silence. “Thanks for talking to me, I feel much better.”
“Anytime Mika...look, I know we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, but don’t feel weird or anything to come and talk to me if there’s anything bothering you.”
“I…” she started.
“I’m not saying you have to. Just…don’t keep everything bottled up, it’s not healthy for ya.”
“Thanks, Jake.”
“Yea. I’m gonna go get some caffeine…you want any?”
“Nah…I’m fine. Thanks anyway.”
“Ok…you might as well go back to sleep, it’s only 3:15AM.” He stated as he stalked towards the door.
“Hey Jake, have you slept at all?”
“I got a lot of work Mika, there’s no time for sleep. This case is gonna drive me crazy.” He smiled as he exited the room. I got up from my warm bed and stepped into the tiny bathroom. The splash of hot water hit her face and woke her up instantly.
Half an hour later she was dressed and heading into the kitchen. Jake had moved all his materials into the kitchen, and was now sitting at the small table with a look of frustration and a cup of coffee in hand. He looked up and put on a strained smile as she walked in. “Haw ya doing?” he asked without taking his eyes off the papers in front of him. Normally, she would’ve thought that this was rude, but she knew Jake surprising too well to care.
“Okay…” she responded shortly. She poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table next to him. “So…how’s it going?” she asked.
“There are no patterns…” he muttered. “No clues left behind…nothing.”
“Let me see.” She said as she grabbed the papers out of his hands. He was right, there were no clues. It seemed like whoever was setting the fires were picking homes randomly. She looked back up at his caring eyes, how she loved those eyes. It seemed as though whenever she was bothered by something, she could just look into his eyes and they would take her to a whole new world. If I feel so comfortable around him, how come I turned him down? She asked herself. It was true. Jake was the one and only person she felt comfortable with. The only person she felt she could talk to. But when it came to relationships, she backed away. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was scared of them…
He was sitting there, waiting. Should I go? She wondered as she took a step forward. She knew what was coming, she could tell by his voice last night. It was something important, something that he was not comfortable saying. She walked up to him. “Hey Jake.” She greeted.
“Hey! You’re here…I did not think you would come…” he whispered. “Why don’t you sit down?” he said. She settled down next to him on the wooden bench in the middle of the empty park. “Mika…I don’t know how to say this. I-I…” he stuttered.
“You what, Jake?” she smiled. It took him a while. Most of the time they just sat there in silence.
“I love you, Mika.” He finally let out. It took a while for me to digest the words. It had been a while since I had heard those words. She looked back at him, her eyes locked with his. But then, she broke the connection.
“I am so sorry Jake, but I can’t.” she started crying as she ran away from the park. When she came home that day, he was already in the study…working. Both never brought the topic up again. She knew she loved him, but she just could not bring herself to admit it. She was afraid…she was a coward.
The phone rang and broke the silence in the calm morning air. Jake stood and stalked over to it, answering with a nice and sweet “hello.” As he talked, the tired but calm look on his face changed. It was now anger mixed with terror. “What’s wrong?” she mouthed as he continued to gawk at nothing in particular. He hung up the phone, rushed into his room, and came back out with his coat slung on one arm and a folder in the other.
“I gotta go, but I’ll be back in time for dinner.” He rushed as he walked towards the door. “I promise.” She heard him say, almost so quietly that she didn’t hear as the door closed behind him.
It was almost 7:45PM. She was sitting in the den with a book in hand. The food on the kitchen table was getting cold…Where is he? She wondered as she continued to stare out the window. Jake was supposed to be home hours ago, he said he would. She was beginning to get worried. He never broke a promise, never. This is enough! She decided as she got up from the lounge chair. She went into his room, looking for any clues that would tell her where he went. On his desk was a small sticky-note. 976 Hendricks Ave. it read. She ran out of the house, grabbing her coat and keys on her way. An hour later, she turned onto Hendricks Ave.
The light from the fire greeted her. Oh god…she thought as she pulled over on the side of the road. Mika ran up to the crowd of people around the yellow tape surrounding the burning building. All that was heard was the sound of people impatiently calling out the names of their loved ones. Mika joined the people moments later, screaming at the top of her lungs “Jake!” There was no friendly response, no hand on her shoulder, telling her that he was there. Two people carrying a stretcher came out of the building, gave the person to the medical assistances, and then went back into the dangerous fire to rescue more people. Wait, she thought as she saw the person lying on the third stretcher coming out. Oh my god! It is Jake! Her mind screamed as she pushed towards the front of the crowd. She went under the tape, ignoring the yells and screams of the police officers, and stopped in front of the stretcher. She slowly kneeled down, not letting herself believe that this person could ever be Jake. His weak hand came up as she let him grab her hand in his.
“Mika…” he uttered weakly.
“Don’t say anything, Jake. You are going to be fine.” She assured him, hoping to herself that what she said was true.
“That is a lie, Mika. You know that.” He smiled. How could he be smiling like that? She asked herself.
“No Jake, you are going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen to you…I won’t let anything happen to you.” She was trying so hard to hold back the tears that were beginning to form.
“Don’t cry for me, Mika. I’m not worth it.” He said, yet again putting on a strained smile.
“Jake…no. Don’t say that…” There was no response from him. No… “Jake?” Jake’s used-to-be carefree, loving eyes were now hopeless and weak.
“Mika…” he whispered. “D-do you think you could do me a favor?” he asked almost so softly she could not hear.
“Anything, Jake. Anything.” She replied. He stared at her, binding the connection she thought was lost when she walked out on him.
“Tell me you love me.” Were the last words uttered as his body became limp. His grip on her hand loosened, and all life seem to leave him. She looked down at his peaceful face…his closed eyes.
She looked up into the black night lightened by the luminous light from the fire. Mika felt a tear drop run down her cheek as she looked back down at the man in her arms. “I love you…”