THE THICK boroughs of black smoke clung to the ceiling, it's white color overwhelmed with the darkness that soon engulfed most of the room. The paneling that was so expertly handcrafted and forged was now charred with orange flames, the heat licking at the edge of every aspect this place had to offer.
The coughing seemed almost instant, rough and warm against the back of my throat as sweat began to bead against my skin. It soaked through the shirt I was wearing, wicking into the fabric and staining it like the soot that was already so strong. It was biting, it was incessant.
"Addy!" I tried to manage, taking in a gulp of smoke in the process, water pressing into my eyes as I blinked as much as I could. I had read about this, seen the instructional videos. You were supposed to stay low to the ground- keeping your elbow over your mouth to filter out some of the toxic air. The same was to be said about sneezing during flu season. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
Speaking didn't really help in my case, my knees sore as I hit the carpeted ground. The very living room that was covered in children's toys from the latest Pixar film now smelled of burnt plastic and a campfire gone wrong. Everything used to be so pristine, so clean and sorted. Now it all crumpled under the mercy of flames.
The sweeping edge of a fluorescent light cutting across embers caught my attention. It highlighted the smoke, making it look less menacing and more like a high school girl lighting up below a cracked window. It was sinister though. Painful.
"Fire Department, call out!" A husky voice pressed against my ears. "Call Out!"
"Help," I spoke quietly at first, the pain ripping through my throat, a wolf had its saliva coated jowls at my jugular. "Help! Over here!"
The air pooled in my lungs, it's cooling effect clawing at my throat as the sweat that had soaked so easily through my clothes caught the downside of the breeze. It seemed to dry almost instantly, making me feel stiff. Making the deep fog that coated the high seas look thin and withered.
"Bec's you okay?" The boy to my right spoke. I hadn't noticed the hand that was resting lazily on my jacketed shoulder. He had his back pressed against the warning bar, his free hand strung over a bent knee. He wasn't dressed for the weather, a tight black t-shirt hugging his frame. "You were talking in your sleep."
"Was I?" I knew the answer already. The nightmares had a cruel effect. It was like my brain couldn't quite forget the worst moment of my life. I usually didn't make it to the rescue before the flames ate away at the structure of the house. The family house that I spent the first 18 years of my life in.
A brown paper bag rested between the two of us, my back close to the deck of the Poseidon. It was such a brave and daring name for something that was fished out of the bottom of the ocean. The gaping hole in the side had been patched up, but the same wasn't to be said for the top tier of the little fishing boat. The mayor had given us an ulterior motive. We could keep running our little towing company out of the abandoned shelling factory on the water in exchange for restoring a national treasure that would put us on the map.
There was a thick haze that shrouded the bulk of the boat. It's rough cover breaking away enough for me to see in front of my face- but that was about it. I would usually expect a lot of calls cutting through the air. Jesse clenched his jaw and startled to unwrap the bag. It would loud compared to the silence of the sea, though Jesse didn't seem to care. He had a goofy stare on his face, knowing enough not to question me after I woke up with such a start.
"So did you guys get a chance to bond last night?" Jesse said plainly, trying to change the subject. It moved my heart into my throat as I lifted my head quickly, afraid to break my neck. The obvious shift in conversation enough to help me forget the memories that plagued my every waking moment.
"Game night?" I asked, knitting my eyebrows together. "It was fine. Aubrey went beast mode and destroyed the monopoly board?"
"You provoked her, I'm sure."
"She looked like the hulk." I adjusted my position on the deck, folding my legs underneath me. "I swallowed that little metal top hat."
Jesse laughed loudly, it was a hearty one that echoed. I could recognize it from across the room. The two of us splitting sandwiches since kindergarten. We had always gotten each other, no problem too big for us to handle together. Aubrey had entered Jesse's life almost a year ago. The two of us having a strained, but strong relationship. Jesse was convinced that we needed to work past non-existent tension.
"I just want you two to get along before the wedding." He admitted, peeling plastic wrap away from the peanut butter and jelly he had half-heartedly made this morning. He tore through the wonder bread, it's white exterior cracking under his touch as he passed off half to me.
"We do get along," I stated, sinking my teeth into the sandwich "I promise you, there is nothing to worry about. The two of us are fine. Great actually."
From the beginning, I had a feeling that Aubrey wasn't too fond of me, but it had never really taken a backseat until Jesse got down on one knee and produced a ring that was twice as much as our current salary. From then on, Aubrey didn't really have a feeling that Jesse and I had some behind the scenes relationship going on. He was 100% committed to his girl- and for the longest time, I was committed to my family.
Now I was committed to the sea- as terrible as it sounds. It was the furthest away from any type of flames that I could get. The island, it didn't' have much of a beach, nothing but a few jaded rocks and a sweeping lighthouse- but it was home for me now. I often fell asleep at the offices, taking little solace in getting any rest when I was buried deep in the wood structure we called home now.
My father had left this business behind, Jesse's own family more than reluctant to sign the contracts and move to some vacation spot with more sun and less unpredictable lightning storms. I found comfort in those too- the rain a form of water dulling one of electricity.
"I just don't want any trouble." He sounded out carefully, mouth full of bread. He was trying to make it sound as little as possible. "I know how you get."
"Oh yeah?" I lifted an eyebrow dutifully "And how is that Mr. Swanson? Defensive?"
"Along those lines, yes," He threw his arms up in exasperation. "Remember our high school graduation? You thought Mr. Weil was discriminating against your size and you kicked him in the kneecap."
A certain heat rose to my cheeks. There was more to the story than that, he was constantly condescending, making awful comments about the girls in our class. No one would do anything because it never escalated, and the school district was small enough to have only one History teacher. They couldn't afford to lose the old geezer. "I had nothing to lose."
"Yeah, well I do," Jesse chuckled, shaking his head. "I want both of my favorite girls to be okay with each other, okay? No thrown cake or bashed in body parts."
"You have my word," I reiterated, wiping my palm on the grease-stained jeans that I had been wearing out for the past couple of months. I tried washing them- but they would get dirtied again the next day at work. By the time the sun set, they were tattered just like my sense of accomplishment and nerves.
I held my hand out to him, the boy eyeing it like I had thrown a kitten off the starboard. "What, do you want me to spit in it, or something?"
"No, God no" He laughed loudly, placing his palm on mine as she squeezed my hand. It was a warm and kind embrace. I didn't need this reassurance, I already knew I wouldn't mess this up. Not for him. The only person who had ever stuck with me through it all. He loved Aubrey, and in time, I would grow to find a way to.
The deep golden light slowly flickered off with a distant buzzing, keys heavy handed in my grasp as I finally got a chance to shut the large metal door to the shop. It creaked and groaned, just like it did every night. I tried my hardest to keep it quiet- knowing that those daring enough to live in the bottom of their boats wouldn't take too kindly to the noise.
The spaced out overhead lights were enough to illuminate the finally fogless night- a cool breeze from the crashing waves burning my throat as I threw my bag over my shoulder. The paperwork weighted it down, but it was someone more calming than staying here in an empty warehouse resting on the water.
Part of me craved a good bottle of ale, the other knowing that I had to get across town in the next fifteen minutes to pick Addison up from her sitter. Stacie was calm headed and often would bend the rules of her at home daycare just to work with me. I owed her a lot more than I could afford to give her.
My footfalls echoed against the uneven deck, splintered wood reminding me of how clean it used to be when I was younger. The storms had weathered it down, damaging the structure but not the point where the many fishermen and vendors didn't use it religiously.
There were a few restaurants, ones that got more local traffic than anything. The inhabitants were a mix of jet-ski rentals and old fishermen who would lounge in front of their vessels. No matter how much that was out at sea, they still missed it- craved it to the point of enjoying a few beers just camped out under the twinkle lights they had strung.
"Heading out for the night, Beca?" The gruff voice of John filled my ears. Up until a few years ago, he was a prominent man- owning more land for his own good. He was never knocked down from his pedestal, instead, he traded it all into retirement with a white and blue cooler and lawn chairs. He was always out here, admiring the stars when the night sky allowed it.
"Yes sir," I responded with a smile, holding up my hand in refusal when he lifted an amber colored bottle to me. On any given day I would say yes, but I didn't have much of it in me tonight. I had pushed my time in the shop. "No thanks, I still have to pick Addy up-"
I was cut off by an ungodly scraping sound, one that was unnatural as it cut through the night air. I squinted, turning slightly towards the end of the dock. There was an inky figure slowly pulling a bag behind her. Her frame was tall, lanky at most. I couldn't see much- the ferry that brought her in still shining its bright lights. I had never known for the ship to drop off people this late- but no one was ever intentionally trying to make it to Haven.
"Hmm," I mumbled absently, curious as I tilted my head to try and get a better look.
The mysterious stranger suddenly lost her balance, her noisy heels getting caught in a groove of wood. A long crack made its way through the air as those very shoes snapped under the weight. I drew in a sharp breath, raising my fingers to my lips as I stifled a sound.
"Good Lord," John spoke softly "That girl just ate shit."
I gave him an odd and jarring look before gathering my nerves and trotting the good distance between me and the woman. She was leaning back on her bare feet, staring down at the broken shoes as a deep crimson moved past her lacerated palms. She was wearing a tight-fitting skirt, a similar navy blazer over a half-untucked white shirt. The girl's hair was in a messy bun- deep red locks falling into hard cobalt eyes. They reminded me of the ocean. They were angry though, like the clouds that formed right above it.
"Are you alright?" I asked, trying to stifle a chuckle as I outstretched my hand.
"Do I look like I'm alright?" She snapped, blowing the air out of her gaze. She sniffed, trying to shake the stinging from her hands. Her voice was silky and damaged at the same time. It was alluring, in a way. She looked way too professional- even in her tattered state.
"Well no, Ma'am." I sounded out easily "That's why I'm offering to help you up if you'd let me."
She let out a groan and swatted my hand away, using her suitcase to help her up instead. She let out a small huff as she attempted to straighten out her clothes. She turned a blind eye and started walking towards the end of the dock. I scratched the back of my neck apprehensively, shrugging my shoulders as I started to walk after her.
We walked in silence for a few seconds before she let out another huff that pushed through the cold air. She stopped quickly, her shoulder finding a way to my chest as I inhaled quickly, bouncing back. "Are you following me?" She griped as she whipped around.
I took a step back, holding my hands up in defense. "Uh, no. The dock only goes one way and I don't plan on taking a long walk off a short pier."
She lowered her shoulders a bit, not as defensive. In a way, she was scrutinizing me, trying to find something out that I'm sure I couldn't place my finger on. I looked like a mess- my white t-shirt coated in dirt and oil. A dark red flannel was hanging lazily from my sides. One sleeve was falling down as I pushed it up towards my elbow slightly.
"Oh," She spoke a bit softly, letting out a shaky breath before walking back towards the entrance. A large iron sign that read Willow Point its letters having been crafted from the very boat that Jesse and I were fixing up. "Do you know Aubrey Posen?"
The question took me off guard. I wasn't even sure if this girl would allow me to follow her around like a lost puppy- even though I knew exactly where I was going. She was intimidating, enough to make goosebumps raise on my skin as I scratched lightly at my collar.
"I do, actually." I sounded out. "She runs something borrowed right in the center of town."
The girl let out a light grumble as the two of us walked onto the gravel, she had her broken shoes in her hands, grimacing as the pebbles dug into her feet. I didn't say anything though, not about that. "You're not going to take a cab, are you?"
"I was planning on it." She turned to face me again, the color of the moon shading her face in an almost angelic way. "Why?"
"Well, the girl who runs the only cab in town is hammered at this point in the night, so… if you would let me, I can drive you."
"You're a stranger."
"You're not walking." I stood my ground. "It's about five miles to get back into town, and it's about to start raining… again."
She glanced towards the only truck in the parking lot. It was mine- the paint a rusty red- but it had a working engine and an air conditioner. The thought of riding around town during the summer with leather seats adhered to my back made me cringe.
"What kind of a town is this?" She sighed, pressing her fingers to her hairline.
"It's Haven," I laughed slightly "Entirely shitty, but the people aren't so bad."