TMUW 33: Loss

I sat at the gutter, staring blankly at our burned house. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep since that night when I heard about the fire. My head was pounding, but I couldn't bring myself to leave. I had to take care of everything because there was no one else to help me.

I wiped away the tears that had rolled down my cheeks. My phone buzzed, and I picked it up without much energy. I stared at it until it stopped vibrating, unable to muster the strength to check the message.

I felt drained as I sat down on the curb in front of the house, unable to hold back the tears that had welled up inside me for days.

I couldn't even begin to process my feelings because I was so consumed by all the things I needed to do to seek justice for what had happened.

I had a strong suspicion that this was no accident. It couldn't be just a fire. I knew it was related to the gunshot I heard when Lucas called me.

I felt nothing but guilt because I didn't call him during those hours. I'm guilty because