California Fire And Life

133

Jack's crawling through hell.

On his stomach on the floor, down where there's a little air, below where the fire's burning on the counters, he crawls. Feels his way on the walls, praying he remembers where the door is. The smoke, the noise, the heat…

Then he feels the doorway.

It has to be an exterior door.

It has to be because if it isn't, when he opens it the fire will blast back and blow him away, but there isn't a choice so he pushes it open and then he's outside.

The grass is on fire.

Shit, it seems like all of California is on fire.

Through the smoke he can just make out a figure.

Nicky running down the bluff.

Jack runs after him.

Coughing, struggling for breath, Jack chases him down to the beach, runs after him along the beach. He can feel his heart pounding, hear the surf pounding almost in rhythm. Nicky's starting to slow down and then Jack catches him.

Nicky whirls and throws a finger strike at Jack's eye.

Jack turns his head and the strike catches him off the side of his left eye, opening a gash, and for a second Jack can't see but he lunges for where Nicky's neck should be and throws Nicky down into the surf.

Lands on top of him, holds on to Nicky's throat and pushes him under.

A wave comes in, breaks close to shore and sends a rush of swirling white water into Jack but he holds on. He feels Nicky's hands around his wrists, pulling and jerking. Nicky's legs kick out and up, trying to get away, but Jack has him by the throat and isn't letting up, even as another wave breaks and smashes into him. He holds on, holds Nicky under. Nicky's bucking and thrashing as Jack thinks about the Atlas Warehouse fire and Porfirio Guzman and the two dead teenagers and George Scollins and his own fucked-up life. And he pushes Nicky down harder until he can feel Nicky's back hit the rocks rolling in the trench. The white water recedes and Jack can see Nicky's face, can see his eyes bulge, and Jack hears himself yelling, "You want a deal, Nicky?! Here's your fucking deal!"

Hears himself yell that.

Hears himself.

And lets up.

Drags Nicky out of the water by the back of his neck and drops him on the beach. Nicky coughing and sputtering and gasping for air.

And Jack swears he can hear a damn dog barking.

He looks up the beach where the Monarch Bay community juts out from the coastline.

The trees are on fire.

Chimneys going up.

Jack starts running.