The Fire

By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire. The forest fire had taken off and there was only one way out. It was up. I ran as fast as I could to the fire department's helicopter, which was sitting nearby picking up people who were trapped in the fire. I was the last person on and just as we were taking off I saw a child in the distance running towards the helicopter.

"Stop!" I yelled, "There's a kid in there, we have to get him out."

"Sorry, there's no room and we have to leave now," said the pilot. I jumped from the helicopter. I just felt that something about that kid was important. I had to save that kid. I ran through the heat of the flames, as I was running a tree branch started to crack. I ran as fast as I could and narrowly missed it as it came down. I finally made it to the kid. When I got there I realized it was Carl, my best friend Charlie's kid.

"Bob?" Charlie said desperatly.

"Yes, it's me," I told him before picking him up over my shoulder and carrying him over to where another helicopter was waiting. When we got on the helicopter the pilot told us we were lucky to be alive, this was the last helicopter to leave the forest. We were lucky they saw us coming or we would have gone down in flames.

The next day we were both in the hospital, I was well enough and would be released tomorrow and Carl came to see me. I told him about what happened.

"I'm sorry, I should have gotten to him sooner," I told Carl.

"I'm just glad you got there when you did, if it weren't for you Charlie would be dead right now," said Carl. A few minutes later the nurse walked in and asked for Carl. He went with her and came back about a half hour later.

"Good news, Charlie will be alright thanks to you," said Carl, "If he had gotten any more smoke in his lungs he wouldn't have made it, but now it sounds like he will be back home next week."

"That's great!" I exclaimed.

The nurse came in again, "Charlie is asking for Bob," she said. I understood and Carl and I went to see Carl.

"Bob?" said Charlie.

"I'm here," I said.

"They said you saved me."

"Ya, I did."

"Thanks." Then he fell unconcious. The nurses rushed in.

"We need to take him in for x-rays again, there's something wrong, he shouldn't have fainted," one of them told us. We went back to my room and I tried to comfort Carl.

"What if he doesn't make it, I can't lose him and Della," said Carl worriedly and filled with grief. His wife Della had died shortly after giving birth to Charlie and since then Charlie has been all that Carl has. I can't imagine the pain of losing them both. Charlie has to live.

A few hours later one of the nurses came in, "I'm sorry," she said. That was all it took, Carl started crying uncontrolably in grief for his son.

"I'm so sorry," I told him trying to help him. Over the next few weeks Carl had to go to a therapist. I couldn't linger on the topic forever and I needed to get over it so I started taking pictures. Fall is a great time for pictures because of all the pretty colors, leaves, and pumpkins. It was a good hobby for me to pick up.

I started selling my pictures online and I've been getting a lot of money for them. Apparently I'm a natural at photography and my pictures are nothing less than perfect. So now I've got lots of extra money of my hands, which is great because I've also started swimming at the local indoor pool and I'm doing well, but it can get hard because of the damage the smoke did to my lungs.

I'm really glad I was able to continue my life after Charlie died though, that's what he would have wanted me to do. He would have wanted Carl to do that too, but Carl has been struggling with it. I wish there was something I could do.

I'm going to get some coffee now. I like coffee, but only iced coffee not regular coffee. Well, except for the pumpkin spice latte. Today I'm going to get a french vanilla, caramel iced coffee with extra caramel. Next time I think I will have that same thing, without the extra caramel. It's really good and I love it. They even put on some extra whipped cream for me.

The people at the coffee shop are really nice, but now I have to take my latest photos to get printed. There's this really cool place that I go to to get them printed, they also put them up for sale on their website. We split the profits from the website fifty-fifty. I love photography. In my fall photos I can see elements of Charlie in them. He was very fond of fall. He would roll in the leaves and come get coffee with Carl and I.

We still don't know why he was in the fire and no one has been able to find out, but I think Carl might know something and because he knows it it's very slowly killing him. If he knows why, that means he blames himself. When he blames himself, that's the worst type of punishment.

I wish I could help him, but I've already done everything in my power. I found him a therapist, I've comforted him, I've stood by him, I just don't know what else I could do. I'm worried about him. He may or may not come out on top of this.

A few weeks later:

Well, today Carl died. I guess it is for the best, he needed to be with his wife, son, and parents. I will always grieve for him, but I know what he wants from me. He wants me to keep living and make the most of the life I have. I still have my wife and my parents, he would wouldn't want me to shut down like he did. So I guess the next right thing is the keep living, but that can be harder than you think.