When Houses Burn

by Laurèn Lee

  54

  Present

  Again, I had blood on my hands. Although, this time it was physically and not simply figuratively. And, the blood was my husband’s. He’d fallen unconscious the moment I dug the knife into his chest. I didn’t think I’d nicked an artery, but then again, I’d had my eyes closed the entire time. I had no idea what kind of internal damage I’d caused.

  He wasn’t dead, at least not yet. His breathing was shallow and laborious, but he was still alive.

  “Well done,” Lucas said.

  I had stopped crying. I felt too numb to cry. Maybe it was my body’s defense system shutting me off to the harsh reality of what I’d just done.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked as Lucas stroked my hair.

  “I’m helping you become free.”

  “I didn’t want this. I didn’t want any of this.”

  “It’s for the best, really it is,” he offered.

  A pool of blood surrounded James, and his breaths became fewer and far between. He was dying right in front of my eyes, and there was nothing I could do to save him.

  Lucas stepped away, and I didn’t care to look around to see what he was doing. Instead, I sat beside James and held his hand. If he would die, I didn’t want him to die alone. I squeezed his hand tightly, hoping he’d feel my grasp. His eyes flickered, and he moaned softly.

  “Delilah?”

  “I’m here, James. I’m here.”

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

  “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I’m the one who’s sorry,” I whispered, not wanting Lucas to hear me.

  “Am I dying?” he asked, his eyes barely open.

  “I think so,” I replied.

  “Do you think I’ll see her?”

  “Helena?” I asked.

  “No, our baby. Do you think I’ll see Lola?”

  My heart broke, and the numbness within my chest evaporated. I put my head down upon James’ chest and sobbed.

  “I think you will. See her, I mean.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Give her a kiss for me, okay? Tell her Mommy loves her very much.”

  “I will. I’ll kiss her for both of us.”

  My heart shredded as though someone had ripped it from my chest and placed it inside a blender at the highest speed.

  “I love you, Delilah —”

  As I was about to say I loved him, too, I felt James’ chest lay flat and not rise anymore. He was gone. I continued to weep over my husband’s dead body until I felt Lucas pick me up and cradle me like a child. I clung to him like a lifeline. He was all I had left.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what?”

  “We need to leave.”

  “Right now?”

  “Yes, right now.”

  This was it; the end of my life as I’d known it. My husband was dead. It was over. Now, we needed to leave, to escape and never come back.

  Lucas handed me the gasoline can, “Would you like to do the honors?”

  My eyes grew to the size of tennis balls, “Are we going to do this?”

  “Yes, we are. Here, take it,” he said, and I obeyed.

  “Where —”

  “Everywhere.”

  I did as he told me and poured the gasoline around the kitchen at first and then went from room to room, spreading the liquid around the floors, furniture, and curtains. Maybe the end of this life only meant there’d be room to begin another. Maybe, Lucas would be my new beginning? Maybe, I would rise from the ashes and begin again, all new and shiny. There would be only one way to find out.

  I tossed the empty can aside and shouted to Lucas from upstairs, “I’m done.”

  “Perfect, now come downstairs.”

  I took one last look around mine and James’ bedroom and stepped out of the room, never to see it again.

  I met Lucas back in the kitchen, trying not to look at James’ body, still in the corner. I already said goodbye. I couldn’t open the freshly cut wound again.

  Lucas pulled out his book of matches and looked at me with delight. He was getting everything he ever wanted from me. I was giving him death, chaos, and power. He ripped two matches from the book and using his steady hands, he ripped them against the striking surface creating a flame which reflected in Lucas’ pine-colored eyes.

  With a glowing smile, he tossed the matches as far as he could throw them and they landed perfectly in a puddle of the gasoline. Instantly, my kitchen went up in flames, and the toxic fumes filled my lungs. We had to get out of here, and we had to get out fast. It would only be a matter of minutes before the entire house caught fire, or worse, exploded.

  Lucas grabbed my hand, and I followed his pull as I could no longer see the interior of my home. Smoke had filled the air, and I was virtually blind. I coughed and choked, my eyes watered. I wasn’t sure how Lucas was able to navigate within the darkness, but he continued to pull me to what I believed would be the front door. I heard the knob jiggle and turn until the door opened and I felt the fresh air against my face. Lucas let me out and closed the front door behind us, preventing any new smoke from billowing out of the house.

  We hobbled to the end of my driveway, and I turned around to see my house, engulfed in flames. All my possessions, all my memories, all my life burned right before me. James would burn, too. This was his funeral. He always said he wanted to be cremated. He’d be getting his final, dying wish.

  In the distance, I heard fire trucks and sirens screeching throughout the night. They were coming closer, and they’d be here any minute to put out the flames. We had to get out of here.

  Without a word, Lucas pulled me into his car and started the engine. We drove away, and I watched my house burn in the rear-view mirror until it disappeared and we drove into the darkness, heading as far away from the destruction as possible.

  55

  Evening Herald

  Hedley House Burns, Body Found

  The county’s fire department responded to a call late Saturday night of a house fire on the east side of town. Officials say the official cause of the fire appears to be arson. Amidst the irreparable damage of the home, police also discovered a body within the ashes.

  The city’s coroner was unable to find a cause of death as only the bones were recovered from the fire. According to dental records, the body found appears to be James Hedley, the co-owner of the house.

  Hedley had recently been a potential suspect in the murder of Helena Woodruff and her unborn child, but he was cleared of all charges. Police have been unsuccessful in locating Hedley’s wife, Dr. Delilah Hedley, a prominent psychiatrist in the area.

  Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Dr. Delilah Hedley, who is wanted for questioning, or the fire which may have caused James’ death are strongly urged to come forward.

  Epilogue

  Nine Months Later

  They said it was impossible. They said it couldn’t happen, but here I was, in the hospital holding my newborn son. He was perfect in every sense of the word. Ten fingers and ten toes, however, I would have loved him no matter how many appendages he had.

  Lucas spent the entire labor in the delivery room with me, holding my hand and helping me breathe as our baby boy made his first great adventure into the world. We named him Oliver, after my father. I’d never been so happy in my entire life.

  “How do you feel, Lucy?’ the doctor asked.

  “Tired,” I smiled. “But it’s worth it.”

  “And you, Mason?”

  “I’m so happy our baby boy is happy and healthy!” Lucas said exuberantly.

  Lucas took his turn holding sweet Oliver in his arms. I studied him very carefully, and I saw the pure joy etched across his smile. I’d never seen him so elated, well, maybe I had. He looked equally as thrilled almost a year ago when we spilled a can of gasoline and set our old lives ablaze.

  Things were different now, though. We actually had risen from the ashes. We disappeared right af
ter the fire and never went back. We changed our names, our identities, our jobs, everything.

  Now, we were Mr. and Mrs. Ash; that was his choice, not mine. We’d moved across the country and it took some time adjusting to a West Coast lifestyle. I couldn’t stay away from the psychiatric field, but I also couldn’t practice. I took a job as a secretary for a large practice near the beach. After work, I’d often take a long walk on the beach and stare out at the sunset, rubbing my growing belly.

  Lucas had an easier time creating a new identity, with the help of Detective Boucher. He started his own marketing firm, but became a silent partner to stay out of the limelight. He didn’t want anyone to recognize him, and neither did I.

  He was already so kind and so sweet with Oliver, I wondered if he’d changed from the man I met so long ago. Could people change? I wanted to believe so. I needed to believe it. Because now, it wasn’t just Lucas and me, we had Oliver to think about, too. I wanted him to have anything he’d ever want and need. I wanted him to have everything I never had. I wanted him to be a happy and healthy little boy.

  The doctors left us alone to be with our new little family. Who’d have ever thought one day I’d have this? Not me, that’s for certain. I smiled and watched Lucas tickle Oliver’s toes, his face lighting up as the baby’s did, too.

  “He’s perfect, isn’t he, Daddy?”

  He looked up at me and grinned, “Absolutely, perfect.”

  “What do you think he’s going to be when he grows up?” I asked amused.

  “Maybe a fireman?”

  “A fireman?”

  “Well, yeah. Someone’s gotta put out our fires.”

  I shuttered at the thought. I hoped Oliver would grow up innocent and naive. I never wanted him to know his parents’ dark and twisty past.

  “Hopefully, he won’t need to, though. Maybe we are done with the fires in our lives?”

  “Maybe we are, and maybe we’re not,” he murmured.

  At that moment, I tried to tell myself I’d done the right thing, everything would be okay. It was our chance at a fresh start. I had to have faith. Because if I had made the wrong choice, there was no one else left to save me and I’d already proven I wasn’t capable of rescuing myself.

  Lucas pulled out a lighter as he held Oliver and lit it, waving the flame in front of Oliver despite my gasp. The baby became mesmerized and couldn’t stop staring.

  “See? Look, Lucy, he’s just like his daddy.”

  I prayed he wouldn’t be.

  Charlotte’s Pact

  By: Laurèn Lee

  Charlotte’s Pact

  Chapter 1- Present

  The radio pumped and Charlotte tapped her freshly painted toes upon the dashboard to the addicting beat of Kings of Leon.

  She gazed over to Liam and couldn’t help but smile as he attempted to sing the lyrics. Despite his confidence, Charlotte could tell by reading his lips, he wasn’t even close to lip-syncing the right words.

  Moving her eyes down to her hand, she noticed the illustrious cushion diamond on her finger glittered even in the darkness of the moving car. The freshness of their engagement continued to electrify the air. Charlotte felt pure joy and looked forward to a bright future.

  Charlotte wondered what it would be like to walk down the aisle and see Liam waiting for her at the altar. She imagined buying their first house together, getting a dog and even trying to start a family. She hoped their children would be smart and independent, but kind and loyal.

  The window was down and she felt a rush of crisp air weaving in and out of her shiny, waist-length blonde hair. The sky, decorated with millions of stars ignited the night.

  Charlotte turned to her fiancé and covered his hand with hers, “This will be our first road trip as an engaged couple, you know?”

  Liam smiled, chiming in above the music, “You’re right! Do you think Tori and Adam will be excited to see us?”

  In an instant, Liam’s question was cut off as a rotund vehicle swerved out of nowhere, heading straight towards them. The semi-truck charged them with increasing speed as Charlotte shrieked and the tires screeched, both sounds piercing the air.

  Liam spun the wheel trying to avoid the imminent danger ahead to no avail. The tires continued to squeal until their Land Rover flipped and tumbled down the steep, grassy hill alongside the highway.

  During the SUV’s plunge, Charlotte and Liam were violently ejected from the vehicle. They were bloodied and covered in shattered glass as they lay sprawled out in the grass like rag dolls tossed aside by a careless child.

  Silence had finally filled the night and a figure, dressed in all black, peered over the cliff and smiled menacingly at the wreckage.

  Cranberry Lane

  By: Laurèn Lee

  Cranberry Lane

  Chapter 1- Wayne

  I crouched onto the abandoned rooftop with my military-grade sniper rifle locked, loaded and ready for action.

  I rested my chin against the scope and saw my target in the crosshairs as he paced in his office across the street. Will Jacobsen, the CEO of Energy Tech Incorporated, had pissed off nearly his entire board of investors when he embezzled almost all of their financial contributions.

  I couldn’t imagine the balls on this guy. How could you be so powerful and yet so god damned stupid? What would he even need the extra money for? Word on the street is the guy is worth millions if not billions, but he needs a little extra dough? Doesn’t make a lick of sense, but at the end of the day, I’m just here to follow orders.

  Jacobsen paced his office, comprised of all windows, with his phone in hand and I could nearly see the wrinkles invading the skin under his eyes. The guy had taken off more than he could chew, but now he was about to choke.

  I took a deep breath and put my finger on the trigger. Smooth as ice. The calm before the storm. Focused. Determined. Lethal.

  Another more deep breath and I focused in one last time.

  * * *

  Ready, aim, fire. Jacobsen dropped before he’d even known what hit him.

  * * *

  Today was like any other day. I am a hitman and this is what I do.

  Running in Circles

  By: Laurèn Lee

  Running in Circles

  Chapter 1

  “Sheriff?”

  “Yeah, Ricky?”

  “You’re gonna wanna take this call,” Ricky Jensen, the wiry new sheriff’s lieutenant, warned as he lifted up the glasses which had sagged on the bridge of his nose. Ricky started a few weeks ago and had already proven to be a good, hard-working officer.

  Earl Davis grumbled and took the phone. “Sheriff Davis here. How can I help you?”

  A woman on the other end screamed and sobbed loud enough for Earl to pull the phone away from his ear and cringe.

  “Ma’am? Are you okay?”

  “She’s dead!” she cried hysterically.

  “Ma’am? Who’s dead? You need to try and breathe, okay? I can’t help you if I can’t understand what you’re sayin’.”

  “My sister, Jackie! She’s been murdered!” the woman moaned.

  “What’s your name?” Earl asked quickly as he reached for his favorite pen and a pad of paper.

  “Janice. My name is Janice. I can’t believe this is happening. Oh, Lord!” Janice continued to wail as though she herself had been stabbed in the chest.

  “What’s the address, Janice? We’re on our way.”

  “357 Pullman Way. Please hurry!”

  Earl hung up the phone and grabbed his tan sheriff’s jacket, fully equipped with a shiny embroidered star across his breast. He ran his hands through his sandy blond hair, which had been speckled with gray for a few years now. Soon, it’d be all gray. His well-maintained beard matched the color on his head, also more than halfway gray.

  The sheriff stood well over six feet tall and still had the body mass of a former weightlifter even though he rarely exercised beyond what the job demanded.

  “Ricky, you’re riding with m
e. I’ll have the rest of the boys follow us to the addy. You ready?”

  “Yes, sir!” Ricky also grabbed his jacket and followed the sheriff to his patrol car parked out front of the station.

  Earl tried as best he could to ignore the pain in his hip as he hobbled to his vehicle.

  “Sir? You okay?” Ricky asked as he buckled himself into the passenger seat.

  “Yeah. I’m all right. Growing pains. When you’re my age, you’ll understand,” Earl lamented.

  Even though Earl hadn’t quite reached the ripe age of fifty yet, the stress from the job certainly took its toll over the years. Law enforcement sure had its way of breaking down one’s mind, body and spirit after time.

  Earl picked up his radio and called for backup, then directed his dedicated team of forensic scientists to head to the scene as soon as possible. If there was indeed a murder on their hands, they’d want to preserve the evidence before any tampering could take place. Although the station didn’t have a large staff, the Stone City government funded a forensics program to try and bring new jobs to the area. Earl had been lucky to be involved in the hiring process of the team, and while they were young, they flaunted excellent credentials.

  “We’re about ten minutes out. See you there,” Earl confirmed.

  Droplets of sweat trickled down Earl’s temple. His sheriff’s hat combined with the abnormal fall heat warmed him up to an uncomfortable level.