Chapter Two
Gary's heart pounded violently as he entered the building. A shower of dust in the darkness greeted him strangling the limited supply of air in its stale mist. The structure quaked knowingly like the satisfied rumblings following a hearty meal. Something assaulted him in the darkness hitting him forcefully on the shoulder. It felt like a piece of plaster from the decaying structure. His shoulder began throbbing, but he refused to focus on the pain. Instead, Gary thought for a moment before he began digging his hands deeply into the pockets of his jeans. Please God...Please, let it be there! He silently prayed. He smiled gratefully when a few seconds later his fingers made contact with an object in his front right pants pocket. He pulled out the item- a small blue flashlight. This tiny ray of hope had been a gift from his son many years ago. The memory offered Gary comfort as he clung onto hope and fought his fears.
The flashlight had been a Father's Day present from a then eight year old Garrett. The little boy had diligently saved his money. In previous years, Jennifer had selected the presents that the children were to give to their father, but this particular year, Garrett had been adamant. He insisted on picking out Gary's Father's Day gift and paying for it with his own money. Gary recalled how excited Garrett was giving him this present, how Garrett beamed watching him unwrap the package:
"Wow! It's beautiful. I love it. I'll carry it with me, always. Thank you, Garrett."
"I love you, Daddy." The tiny voice whispered.
I love you, too, son. Come here." Gary reached his arms out for Garrett. The moment ended in a warm embrace as father and son hugged each other tightly.
Jolted back to the present, Gary felt the sting of tears burning in his eyes as he allowed the faint glimmer from the flashlight to slowly and carefully guide him through the darkness. More memories swirled in his mind, but these thoughts were more torturous than comforting. Gary remembered another time when he was enveloped in darkness, when no light could find its way in, as flames and smoke surrounded him. Unexpected circumstances had left him blind and trapped in an abandoned building. Then, he could feel the heat from the flames moving closer towards him as the smoke filled his lungs. His blindness had rendered him even more vulnerable to his predicament. But despite his fear he wasn't willing to surrender to Death's grip. A voice had emerged from that darkness; ironically, it was Cameron, one of the boys in that freight tunnel, who had saved his life.
And Gary remembered another time and place, a building eerily similar to this one where he was trapped and awaited Death. He didn't want to die in that carpet store sub-basement. But he *expected* to die. Maybe he even felt as if he *deserved* to die. He was supposed to save Jeremiah, but he let him die.
A part of him had wanted to die the day Kathryn died. When he cradled his daughter's very still body in his arms after she had been hit by that car, he would have traded his life for hers. In a brief moment, he had even bargained with God- "take me instead of her. She's just a little girl"- but his offer was refused.
How often had Marissa called The Paper a blessing? But that blessing had caused him to save the man who ended up killing his daughter. And now this. Garrett was only twenty-two years old. He had his whole life ahead of him. He deserved to find love, get married, and have a family. Gary knew that The Paper was responsible for putting Garrett in this building. The story had to have been in The Paper. Garrett must have seen it; he must have known that this was going to happen. But somehow Garrett had made a choice that placed him in this jeopardy. But why?
If only he had The Paper right now.
Garrett wasn't dead. Somehow he knew that his son wasn't dead. And in that moment, Gary made his own choice- he wasn't going to leave this building without his son. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to come out of there without his son.
"Garrett! Garrett, son, can you hear me?! Garrett!"
"Meow."
The familiar, yet unexpected sound momentarily halted his steps. Gary shone the flashlight in the direction of the cry. There, a few feet away, sat an orange tabby.
"Cat?!"
"Meow."
"Cat...Cat, take me to Garrett."
Gary's heart pounded violently as he entered the building. A shower of dust in the darkness greeted him strangling the limited supply of air in its stale mist. The structure quaked knowingly like the satisfied rumblings following a hearty meal. Something assaulted him in the darkness hitting him forcefully on the shoulder. It felt like a piece of plaster from the decaying structure. His shoulder began throbbing, but he refused to focus on the pain. Instead, Gary thought for a moment before he began digging his hands deeply into the pockets of his jeans. Please God...Please, let it be there! He silently prayed. He smiled gratefully when a few seconds later his fingers made contact with an object in his front right pants pocket. He pulled out the item- a small blue flashlight. This tiny ray of hope had been a gift from his son many years ago. The memory offered Gary comfort as he clung onto hope and fought his fears.
The flashlight had been a Father's Day present from a then eight year old Garrett. The little boy had diligently saved his money. In previous years, Jennifer had selected the presents that the children were to give to their father, but this particular year, Garrett had been adamant. He insisted on picking out Gary's Father's Day gift and paying for it with his own money. Gary recalled how excited Garrett was giving him this present, how Garrett beamed watching him unwrap the package:
"Wow! It's beautiful. I love it. I'll carry it with me, always. Thank you, Garrett."
"I love you, Daddy." The tiny voice whispered.
I love you, too, son. Come here." Gary reached his arms out for Garrett. The moment ended in a warm embrace as father and son hugged each other tightly.
Jolted back to the present, Gary felt the sting of tears burning in his eyes as he allowed the faint glimmer from the flashlight to slowly and carefully guide him through the darkness. More memories swirled in his mind, but these thoughts were more torturous than comforting. Gary remembered another time when he was enveloped in darkness, when no light could find its way in, as flames and smoke surrounded him. Unexpected circumstances had left him blind and trapped in an abandoned building. Then, he could feel the heat from the flames moving closer towards him as the smoke filled his lungs. His blindness had rendered him even more vulnerable to his predicament. But despite his fear he wasn't willing to surrender to Death's grip. A voice had emerged from that darkness; ironically, it was Cameron, one of the boys in that freight tunnel, who had saved his life.
And Gary remembered another time and place, a building eerily similar to this one where he was trapped and awaited Death. He didn't want to die in that carpet store sub-basement. But he *expected* to die. Maybe he even felt as if he *deserved* to die. He was supposed to save Jeremiah, but he let him die.
A part of him had wanted to die the day Kathryn died. When he cradled his daughter's very still body in his arms after she had been hit by that car, he would have traded his life for hers. In a brief moment, he had even bargained with God- "take me instead of her. She's just a little girl"- but his offer was refused.
How often had Marissa called The Paper a blessing? But that blessing had caused him to save the man who ended up killing his daughter. And now this. Garrett was only twenty-two years old. He had his whole life ahead of him. He deserved to find love, get married, and have a family. Gary knew that The Paper was responsible for putting Garrett in this building. The story had to have been in The Paper. Garrett must have seen it; he must have known that this was going to happen. But somehow Garrett had made a choice that placed him in this jeopardy. But why?
If only he had The Paper right now.
Garrett wasn't dead. Somehow he knew that his son wasn't dead. And in that moment, Gary made his own choice- he wasn't going to leave this building without his son. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to come out of there without his son.
"Garrett! Garrett, son, can you hear me?! Garrett!"
"Meow."
The familiar, yet unexpected sound momentarily halted his steps. Gary shone the flashlight in the direction of the cry. There, a few feet away, sat an orange tabby.
"Cat?!"
"Meow."
"Cat...Cat, take me to Garrett."