Chapter Two- The Nerve-wracking News

It is one of the unfortunate facts in this world that if one little miserable event happens, another bigger miserable event follows, and another, and another, each one more miserable than the last. I once loved a man, but after a series of miserable events, he married another woman, who, unfortunately, happened to be my brother's only love, only to die one terrible morning while his three children were playing in the beach. I'm sad to say that a similar thing had happened to Isadora and Duncan Quagmire.

However, luckily enough, (take note that ''luckily enough" is one of the phrases rarely used in describing the miserable lives of the Quagmires), Isadora and Duncan took a shortcut to their home thanks to one of their friends, and after climbing the fence that seperated their backyard from the backyard of their friend, they walked into the library of their home.

"Is that—"Duncan started.

"Smoke?" Isadora finished, smelling it in the air.

After one terrifying moment of silence the two Quagmires saw smoke coming from the hallway and into the opened door of the library.

"Oh no," Duncan shook his head. "Our house is on fire! Let's get Mother and Dad and Quigley!"'

"You check this floor and I'll go upstairs," said Isadora, and the two made a run for it.

"Mother!" Isadora called, running into her parents' bedroom, which was covered almost entirely by smoke. Isadora coughed. "Dad! Quigley!"

"Isadora!" her mother called from far away, "Duncan!"

"Mother!" Isadora cried, "Dad!"

"Dad!" Duncan cried as he entered the kitchen, which was covered almost entirely by smoke. Duncan coughed.

"Mother! Quigley!"

"Duncan!" cried her father from far away, "Isadora!"

"Mother! Dad! Quigley!"

"Isadora, Duncan! Get out of here! We'll meet you!" The Quagmire parents cried, again and again, their voices getting fainter each time until they stopped.

Fire department sirens rang from far away, getting louder as they got nearer.

"Is anybody there?" cried a third voice, deep and low.

Another woman's voice yelled out, "anybody? Felicia! Arnold!"

The woman caught Isadora, who had been trying to climb out of the window into a tree branch, and safely brought her out.

The man saw Duncan in the kitchen and led him to the backyard and to his sister.

Another man watched over the children. "Stay there while we get your parents!"

He ran to the burning mansion, along with several men and women including the two who had saved Duncan and Isadora, and helped them extinguish the house.

Isadora clutched Duncan's coat and whispered nervously, "Will they get Mother,Dad and Quigley?"

"If they don't," Duncan replied fiercely, "I will."

They glanced at their house, which was slowly burning to a crisp. Isadora burst into tears.

"This the most terrible thing I've ever seen!" Isadora cried.

"It will be okay, Isadora," Duncan said. "But we have to keep a chin up,'' he added, using an expression a man I once loved used that meant, "be optimistic and positive while watching your home burn to a crisp."

"I was wondering, though," Duncan said, ''how did the man know--?"

"Kids!" another firefighter came, "have your parents told you anything about us?"

"About...you?" Isadora asked. "What do you mean? Our parents did not know anybody from a fire department, not that we know of."

"Well, we're not an ordinary fire department, we—"

"R!" Another firefighter ran towards the children and the firefighter talking to them. "R! I think they've found F and A!"

"Mother and Dad?" Duncan asked, too excited to wonder why his parents were being called by their initials.

"Not the Quagmire F and A,'' said the firefighter said, ''R, they've found F and A! I received a call from L in Mount Fraught and-"

"Well, we have another F and another A to worry about, let's focus on them first!" and R and the other volunteer rushed to the burning house.

And for the rest of the hour, Duncan and Isadora witnessed the most horrible event (yet) in their thirteen years of life. I could not describe how long they have waited, how much they had hoped, and how many tears they have shed, only to be given a sad, sad news.

By this time, the house had almost been extinguished, except for a thick mass of flameless smoke, and a fireman walked to the Quagmires.

"Children," he started, "I have-"

"No," Duncan said, "no."

"We're very sorry but-"

"You're lying!" Duncan spat, and turned away. He ran, though he didn't have the tiniest idea on where to go, and after bursting into tears Isadora followed suit.

It was no use chasing them.

Duncan ended up in Briny Beach, where his family had spent their last weekend together, and leaned against a huge rock. Isadora sat beside him, and the two miserable children cried themselves to sleep. And this, I'm sorry to say, is only the beginning of their series of miserable moments.