Chapter 4: The Fire

I don't have time to think more about it because Aunt Kelly is hugging the life out of me.

"Thank God you're okay!" she says in my ear.

"I'm fine," I reply, wondering how long she'll keep me in a vice grip.

She pulls back, keeping her hands firmly planted on my shoulders. "I made soup. You hungry?"

"Yeah, sounds good," I say automatically, so deep in thought I probably would have agreed to anything.

Was it really him? Or was it just my imagination?

"Hey, cutie," my uncle says, winking as I walk past him to the kitchen.

Gross.

"Hey, Uncle John," I say with little enthusiasm. I can't stand him. He's made Aunt Kelly's life a living hell for years. Mostly because he barely works, only taking jobs here and there when he feels like it, then spending every penny of it gambling or buying beer. The other day I smelled pot when I took out the trash and I knew it was him puffing away behind the fence. He's such a loser. It's hard to see what my aunt saw in him. According to her, he was very different in high school. Back then he had goals and wanted to be a veterinarian, even went to school for a couple of years before dropping out.

Apparently, after they lost their one and only child at birth, ten years ago, everything went downhill. He wanted a son so badly and that's what he got, but in addition to losing the baby, it nearly cost Aunt Kelly her life. I think he even blames her for the baby's death. Asshole. Now he just survives, spending money Aunt Kelly makes working for the assistant principal at the middle school. Which isn't much.

I've thought about getting a job to help but Aunt Kelly won't allow it. She says the money Mom and Dad, and now Zack, left me is more than enough for my support. I've tried several times to give her some of my "inheritance," but she won't take any of it. Deep down I know she feels responsible for her choices, but it baffles me why she doesn't just divorce him. She's beautiful and kind and smart as hell. She could seriously have any guy she wanted. My guess is that there's too much history between them and she now feels responsible for him.

Out of nowhere, a flash of white light, instantly followed by an ear piercing crack of thunder, makes both of us jump.

"Holy shit!" Aunt Kelly shouts, her hand going to her mouth.

"I think it hit the house!" Uncle John screams, running up the stairs two at a time. "Kelly, call 911!"

She races for her phone on the coffee table and begins frantically dialing but she's pushing too many buttons. "Fucking passcode, c'mon!" Relief washes over her face when she finally punches in the correct numbers but she's breathing like she just sprinted a mile. "Hello? I-I think lightening just hit our house!" she screams, then her face contorts with fury.

"I'm not going to calm down while you ask me stupid questions! My house could be on fire!!" She pauses, taking a deep breath. "5311 Early Court Drive. Hurry!"

We both look up as black smoke begins to rush down the stairs in heavy, billowing waves.

"John!" Aunt Kelly screams, dropping the phone. She races to the stairs as another rush of thick smoke drifts down, stopping her from going further. "John!" her voice cracks. "John, can you hear me?"

Silence.

I run to her side to help but her hand goes up to stop me.

"No! I have to find him! Wait here." The determination in her eyes is palpable.

"Aunt Kelly, no!" I pull her arm back. "You won't make it past the first few steps!" I shout as distant sirens echo outside.

"I-I have to try, Katie!" She coughs and yanks her arm from my grip but I manage to grab her other one as she turns.

"No!" I cough. "You can't, it's too-"

I'm interrupted when three firefighters burst through the front door.

Thank God.

"You need to evacuate immediately!" one of them shouts as flashing red and white lights circle outside, reflecting off the heavy smoke filling up the living room.

Aunt Kelly drops to her knees, her hands over her face. "My husband! He's upstairs but he's not answering me!"

One of the firefighters scoops her up. "We'll find him, ma'am, but you have to get out, now!" He turns, holding her like she weighs nothing, and sprints toward the door. The other wraps me up in his arms, practically flying me outside, then sets me down next to Aunt Kelly on the curb.

His eyes are familiar. "Stay here!" he says firmly.

Wait...

Holy.

Shit.

The same brownish-red stare. I'm sure he wanted me to see him. I continue staring as he rushes away, disappearing in the house.

I start to tremble. I'm not sure if it's shock from the fire that has Uncle John trapped or the fact that I was just recused by him.

The Watchman.

Aunt Kelly sobs in my arms. The roof is almost completely gone and I start to wonder if Uncle John is already dead. I don't like him but I don't want him to die. It would destroy Aunt Kelly to go through another loss, no matter how bad their marriage is.

Everywhere I look is complete chaos. Neighbors are gathered in their front yards, trying to get a better view. Firefighters are darting in and out of the house while others aim huge water hoses at the roof. But strangely enough, it all seems to be going in slow motion, even as a neighbor from across the street rushes over with a blanket, draping it over us.

Finally, one of the firefighters shoots out of the front door, carrying Uncle John's lifeless body.

Aunt Kelly takes off. "Oh my God, John!" she screams, running to his side.

Another firefighter gets to her before I do, holding her back from her husband, and we watch in disbelief while two of them perform CPR.

"I'm not getting a pulse!" one of them shouts. The paddles used to shock someone's heart are slammed to his chest.

"Clear!" the other says as Uncle John's body tenses up and goes lifeless again.

"Nothing! One more time!" the one holding the paddles calls out. "1...2...3. Clear!"

This time, one of them looks up and says, "We have a pulse! Get him in the ambulance now!"

"I'm going with you!" Aunt Kelly insists, then turns to me with tears in her eyes. "Katie, I'm sorry, I have to go. I have to be with him."

"Go! I'm okay!" I reply, giving her a quick hug. "I'll be fine."

She pulls away, shooting me a half smile before climbing into the ambulance. I watch her take Uncle John's hand as she leans down to kiss his forehead. He doesn't move. The double doors slam shut and the sirens begin to blare as the ambulance speeds away.

I'm still wondering if all of this actually just happened when I get a tap on my shoulder.

"Let's get you checked out." A firefighter guides me to the remaining ambulance as two men effortlessly hoist me up, placing me on an ice-cold gurney.

"I'm fine, really," I protest, looking into the green eyes of a man who's not the Watchman. Where is he? Did he vanish like before?

"We're going to check your breathing," the firefighter insists. "Protocol. Just relax."

Strangely enough, I'm no longer trembling and feel numb all over as something gets wrapped around my left arm. One of them is asking questions but his features are starting to blur and I can't speak. I can hear his words, but it's like my body is on lockdown and I'm trapped, waiting for it to release me.

"She's in shock," he says, looking up to the other guy.

"Hurry, let's get her on an I.V.," the first guy says as he gently lays me down on the gurney.

"Elevate her legs," the other one orders, handing him a pillow.

"Kate, can you hear me?" the first guy asks but I can't answer him. "Hang on." He looks around as if realizing something then looks up at the house. "Is her last name "Bassett?"

"Holy shit," the other one whispers, placing a blanket over me. "She's Zack's sister."

"Dear God." The first guy shakes his head. "Can anything else go wrong for this family?"

"Let's get her to the hospital. She may need a breathing treatment, too."

"Agreed," he replies then looks down at me. "Kate, we're going to take good care of you. Just hang on."

A few blurry hours later I'm released from the hospital and advised to get some rest. The guys in the ambulance must have said something to the hospital staff because no one made me sign papers or pay for anything. I'm not sure if my brother's death had anything to do with it but I'm grateful for the charity all the same.

I still feel shaky and just want to go to bed but I can't. What bed would I go to anyway? I need to find Aunt Kelly. I actually hope Uncle John is okay because it feels like my life, hell, my reality is spinning out of control.

The storm.

The lightning.

The fire.

The cemetery.

The Watchman...

I mean, what the hell is going on? Am I cursed?

I walk up to the lady behind the receptionist's desk. She's busy typing something on a computer and doesn't even look up.

"Excuse me. Can you tell me the room number for John Jacoby?"

She looks up at me like I've just asked the most ridiculous thing she's ever heard. "Sorry, I don't have that information. This is the Emergency Room." Her sarcasm practically floats in the air.

"Oh, um, okay, where can I get-"

"Connie," the nurse who treated me appears to my right, "give her his room number!" she demands. "For Christ's sake, her house was on fire!"

The look on Connie's face is pure resentment but I don't care, I need to find Aunt Kelly. She looks back to me and tilts her head. "Room 402," she points to my right, "is just down the hall."

I don't hesitate or even thank her as I quickly make my way toward his room. As soon as I get close, I stop just outside the door and listen. One of the doctors is telling Aunt Kelly that Uncle John will have to stay a couple more days for observation. Apparently, he's being treated for severe smoke inhalation and second degree burns on his right arm and leg. Relief washes over Aunt Kelly's face when the doctor finally tells her that Uncle John will be okay. It's almost as if his words have suddenly given her permission to pull away from her bedside vigil. I know her well, and it's obvious she feels somehow guilty. Maybe even believing that she should have been the one who ran upstairs to check on the house-and now she's punishing herself for it. I hate seeing her this way. I hate that she always tries to take all the blame.

She doesn't notice me until the doctor leaves the room, but when she does, her face instantly lights up. Then she leans down and whispers, "I'll be back soon, honey," and kisses sleeping Uncle John's cheek.

The second she turns back to me, I rush into her arms, tears coursing down my cheeks. Her hand cups the back of my head and I can barely hear her words. "Thank God you're here," she says into my hair. "Thank God. I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to y-"

"I'm okay," I say, interrupting her. "I'm okay."

She starts to cry and hugs me a little tighter. "I-I'm not sure what to do." She sniffs. "I mean, I think we still have a few things we can salvage, but from what they told me..." She pauses and hiccups. "The house is a total loss."

"It'll be okay," I assure her. "We'll figure it out. Now, will you please let me help you?"

Aunt Kelly pulls back and looks me in the eyes. "What do you mean, honey?"

"We need a place to stay, don't we?" I say, smiling through the tears streaming down my cheeks.

Her face contorts into a half happy, half concerned expression as she pulls me into her usual tight hug again. "Yes. Yes, we do, sweet girl."