There we stood, jaws hanging open as we watched the house of the Lord go up in smoke. The smell of singed memories and teenage revelry filled my nose as we stared up at the building in a state of pure shock. Flames spit into the evening sky as the sacred structure began to fall apart, and all we could do was stand and watch.
"What do we do?" I cry, looking to the group for an answer. I was expecting an immediate response, but as I turned to look at them, I was met only with blank faces paralyzed in shock.
"C-Call the... call..." Dallon stutters, eyes transfixed on the incandescent flames flying in the air.
Nodding in response, I grab the phone from my back pocket in a haste, trying to steady my shaking hands. It had been no more than a few days since I had last called this number, and my fingers hesitated slightly, hovering over the numberpad before punching in the familiar digits: 9-1-1.
"Nine-one-one, What is your emergency?"
"Th-there's a fire," I say absently, staring up at the smoke that poured from the windows,
"What is the address?"
"Um, it's at Friends and Family Church on..." I paused, realizing that I didn't even know the address. I began racking my brain, my eyes searching everything around me as if the answer was inscripted on the concrete parking lot.
"Uh... it's um-"
I look up as something inches its way into my peripheral, and see a hand extended towards me,
"Here, hand me the phone," Brendon says quietly, his attention finally averted from the fire. I place my phone in his palm, and watch as he brings it to his ear.
"Yes, it's five three oh nine North Crimson Avenue..." he speaks into the receiver, turning away from me as he notices my unconscious gaze. I stare at his back as he aimlessly takes a few steps away from the group. Listening for a second, he turns back around. His eyes scan down my body before he steps farther away from the group and examines them all up and down,
"No, no I don't think anyone's injured..." He listens again, "Yes, everyone is out of the Chur-" He stops in the middle of his sentence, turning hastily to face the burning building behind him, "Holy shit! No, oh my god, no!" Brendon shouts in alarm and anguish as my phone falls from his hand and drops with a sharp crack onto the pavement,
"Brendon, what are you-" Dallon calls behind him,
"My dad! My dad's in there, I- I have to-" He immediately begins sprinting towards the building, faster than I've ever seen anyone run in my life.
"Brendon, no!" I scream, running after him in an attempt to catch up. I reach my arm out as far as I can, struggling to grab his, but finally I get a hold, pulling with all my might to keep him from moving any further toward the flaming Church.
"Vanessa! What are you doing?" he asks in incredulity, his eyebrows knitting together, "Stop, let go of me." His voice is firm as he shakes away the grip I had on him. As he looks down, his eyes finding mine, I noticed immediately the distance he was facing mentally, and I was aware that what I was about to say would more than likely have no affect on him.
"You can't go in there, Brendon. It's- there's fire, it's burning. It's not safe, you can't-"
Suddenly he grabs my face, pushing his lips against mine to quiet me down. Sparks rush throughout my cheeks and down my neck, his kiss something that I hadn't realized that I'd so badly missed. Pulling away, he stops to look me in the eyes before grabbing me in a second's long embrace.
"I'll be okay, in and out in no time, just please... stay here." And with that, he turned away, disappearing into the building. I'm left there, frozen in shock.
"Dad!" He calls into the Church, as the door slams shut.
"Brendon!" I yell after him, watching his body become concealed by the thick smoke.
I choke on a sob as my legs give way and I land in a heap on the jagged pavement. I couldn't do anything but cry as I stretch my arms out pathetically, trying with all my might reach for him, to get him back, but as I was being dragged away, and no matter how much I wanted him to come running from the building and into my arms, he didn't. There was no magical, triumphant return due to a sudden change of heart like I'd hoped... and with that came the realization that I may never get him back.
I couldn't think straight anymore. My mind was preoccupied with too many things at once. Brendon, the Church collapsing, Brendon, the trouble I was in, if Brendon would make it out alive, what kind of repercussions I would have to face after all of this was over, and Brendon.
Dallon, who had previously been the one dragging me away, scooped me up into his arms and carried me across the street to a nice green lawn. The rest of the group trails behind, Dani with my phone in her hand, talking assertively to the woman on the other end.
"Yes, as I've said, there's one for sure, maybe two people still left in the church. No, we can't get him out, he just went to get someone else out. Well, isn't that the fire department's job? Just send someone, my god! I'm about to hang up. Not with that attitude I will not stay on the line! Okay, thank you."
Tears continue to escape my eyes as I'm sat gently onto the grass, Lindsay and Ab have a seat next to me as Dallon begins to pace back and forth, stopping occasionally to run his fingers through his hair aggressively, as if he's trying to calm himself down. It doesn't work. He continues moving aimlessly and I can only imagine the things that are going through his head. They're probably the exact same things that are going through mine.
Ab has her nails up to her lips and she's ripping the ends of them off one by one. Lindsay just sits with her head down.
Two black combat boots come into my line of vision as Dani sets my phone down on the plush grass at my feet.
"The fire department is on their way," she informs us all impassively, with no hint of assurance in her voice. I find myself only able to nod, pulling my knees up toward my chest. I didn't blame her though, for her lack of emotion, there was nothing that any of us could do right now to cheer each other up.
I knew talking wouldn't help much, but nonetheless, the first words that came to my mind left my lips.
"I can't believe this," I mutter, squeezing my eyes shut and feeling the last remaining tears fall down my cheeks.
"Me either," Ab replies, throwing herself back onto the grass with a huff.
"This whole night's just been crazy," I add quietly as my brain flashed random images of the night's entirety, trying to sort everything that had occurred.
The way I'd felt when I found out that Brendon was even here to begin with, meeting Ab and Lindsay, the drugs the drinking, the Ouija board, Dallon scaring the life out of me, and me screaming at everyone in return. God, if I could only take back everything I'd said to Brendon tonight. All of it had been hurtful and malicious, and I couldn't live with myself if those were the last of things I'd gotten to say to him before...
"Yeah, well it wasn't supposed to turn out this way." Dani interrupts my thoughts, dropping herself down onto the grass beside us.
Something in me clicked as she'd said that, her words echoing inside my head, "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way."
Pent up anger served as a match to which Dani had just struck with her words.
"I'm sure it wasn't," I snap, "but it did." meeting her eyes, it was easy to tell that she was taken aback by my assertion. I turned my head then, to the other girls sitting around me who had winced at my statement, "And now, thanks to all of you guys-"
Dallon stopped pacing immediately, facing me with rage overtaking his features, "Don't you dare fucking blame this on us!" he yells, "We're all just as worried about Brendon surviving this as you are. You may think you're special in this case, but you're not. I've known him for eight years! You've known him less than a week! So don't you even try to play the blame game because I can throw it right back onto your shoulders!"
"Guys," Lindsay says firmly, jumping to her feet and standing between Dallon and I, "We've all been through enough tonight. Yes, we're all worried about Brendon, so right now that's all we need to be worried about, not ourselves."
Dallon and I stare at each other for a second longer, as he crosses his arms over his chest in a silent agreement. Never breaking eye contact, I rise to my feet and step toward him, wrapping my arms around him. The gesture catches him off guard for only a moment before he's wrapping his long arms around me as well.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't really mean that..." I say into his bony shoulder. He nods, squeezing me tightly for a mere second,
"I know, kid... don't sweat it." he replies, his voice a bit hoarse, "Brendon's gonna be alright."
"I hope so."
And with that, I feel Ab, Lindsay, and Dani wraps their arms around us as well, as the sound of fire truck engines grows closer in the distance.