“Madi said hi,” Sam said climbing into the shower with me. I was singing along with the song on the radio and lost in thought when she did.
“She did?” I laughed.
“Actually she said…‘oooowweeee’…but I speak baby,” her silly impersonation made me fall even harder for her. I slid next to her and began washing her back. She turned around and joined me. The shower lasted longer than planned.
10:22 a.m.
The drive to the beach passed quickly. The smell of the surf slid inside the open windows of the car just before the ocean was visible. I still found the weather on this paradise mind-boggling. It was a few days away from winter and it was beautiful out. As I sucked in a long breath, Sam loosely tied her hair into braids that fell gently over the freckles on her shoulders. While I watched her careful hands she blushed.
“Will you go home with me?” I asked out of the blue. The car came to a stop at the edge of the parking lot.
“After the beach? Sure,” she smiled not fully understanding my question.
“No, no, no…I mean, will you come home with me to San Diego?” I let a nervous breath out. Her eyes locked onto me and she sat completely still.
“Madison too of course. I’d like both of you to meet Mia,” I whispered. I could see the daisies I had left for her, rustling in the soft breeze with the sun setting. Sharing my little sisters final resting place with Sam would be the most open I had ever been with anyone. It scared me to my very core. She slowly slid up to me and brushed my bangs behind my ears with a warm smile. A welcomed calmness slowed my racing fears.
“Max, I would love to.”
“Okay,” I sighed, relieved. Her eyes held back tears. We kissed before jumping out of the car and walked hand and hand to the sand.
Sam spent most of our morning snapping pictures of all things Hawaiian. Beaches, sand, shells, and palm trees. She captured some of our intimate moments and even posed for me as I took over the camera, but I could sense something stirring inside of me. Something that riled up my insecurities. The rolling ocean seemed to mirror those budding fears.
As much fun as I had been having with Sam I was still feeling guilty for leaving her so many months ago. She had forgiven me but for some reason I couldn’t shake the feeling. She could tell that I had some things on my mind. To her I was an open book and easy to read.
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” I couldn’t have sounded more unconvincing. “Why?”
“Don’t lie to me Valentine…I know you better than that.” Her hand gently grabbed my arm. She was breaking out my last name. That meant she wasn’t going to let this go.
“I’m not sure.”
“You don’t have to hide from me. Let me in.” I barely heard her over the rushing waves in the background. The ocean seemed to be upset or at least on the way to it. I ignored the foreboding water and let her in, all the way in.
“Why do you love me?” I shrunk.
“What?”
“After all the pain I’ve put you through…I mean…I’ve made your life nothing but trouble…” I was feeling overheated.
“After everything we’ve been through Max, you’re going to sit there and doubt my feelings for you?” She stiffened and found my sulking face. Her hair scattered around her face as her braids loosened in the wind.
“Where’s that stubborn confidence I have to wrestle out of you?” she laughed and twisted her finger in my falling bangs.
“Why me?” I said seriously. Her eyes filled with the determination I had grown to love and she placed her hands on the back of my neck.
“Your smile.”
“My smile?” I gasped with a laugh. “That’s all you got?”
“Your smile and every little thing you hide behind it.”
“Oh,” I stood, stunned.
“You and your gifts make you so special to the world but if you were to have those taken away, I would still love the man that you are. The man you strive to be,” she kissed me, bringing my smile back.
“And now with our daughter, the man you have become.”
“Wow, deep!” I joked, and she shoved me playfully. The wind grew stronger sending a chill from the water to our bodies.
“I’m also a sucker for those eyes,” she added, and I blushed even though I enjoyed her compliment. Her faint freckles along her cheeks disappeared behind her flushed skin as she blushed along with me. It was a perfect moment and I wished I could have stayed there forever. After a few sweet minutes of enjoying each other’s presence she nudged me softly.
“All right, my turn. Why me?”
“Not yet Sam.” I was teasing her but I sounded awfully serious. She pushed herself into me with a wicked smile and the sound of the crashing waves disappeared. There we stayed until the sun began to settle along the stormy horizon. Those clouds made me nervous but I tried my best to not let her see that. We gathered our things and ourselves before calling it a day. I walked next to her with a permanent smile.
“You sure do know how to push my buttons,” she said, as we strolled back to the parking lot. It had been a perfect day and a perfect date. I was lost in her. I think I was ready to give her everything.
“You’re like a song,” I said holding her hand tighter.
“What?” She wore her confusion beautifully.
“A song is instant gratification. Instantly knowing how it makes you feel…how it moves you.” I shuffled my feet. She stopped walking and looked up at me intensely.
“A song speaks to your soul, whether good or bad. I have spent most of my life trying to make sense of my abilities. Running from my fears, my emotions, but with you and that amazing, steady confidence. When the world falls apart I know it’ll all be okay.”
“Max?”
“You speak to me. You are the steady beat that centers me. You are my lyrics Sam, you are my song,” I finished, and held my breath. She started to cry as she looked through me. Her chest filled with a shutter as she tried to take in my last words.
“So, it is not a matter of why I love you…I just do.” My hand wiped her fresh tears away as new ones took their place. She said nothing, only looking at me forever. Normally I would run and hide from that silence after opening up like I had, but not this time. This time I felt safe. I felt happy.
We walked to the car slowly, not saying anything to one another. Not out of awkwardness but out of the sheer fact that it had finally happened. We had fallen in love with each other. No more hiding. No more running. Just Sam and I.
But would that be enough.
8:22 p.m.
“Try again,” I encouraged Sam as she hung up her cell phone. She had already tried her mother’s home phone and cell with no answer. Her face filled with worry as she dialed again. The line kept ringing as we pulled into the driveway of her parent’s house.
“Something’s wrong Max,” she warned. I let her fear wash past me. She was over reacting. The lights were on inside and I could see something moving behind the curtains.
“Everything’s fine,” I smiled and took her nervous hand in mine as I turned the car off. The vehicle filled with an awkward silence. Sam inhaled a quick breath and turned to me upset.
“Do you smell smoke?” she asked wide eyed. I held my tongue, shocked. She jumped from the vehicle.
“Sam wait!” I called out. At the same moment, my eyes focused on the familiar flicker of flames that had just begun to peek from the edges of the window. That was the movement I had seen from behind the curtains. My heart dropped as I ran for Sam and her front door. I couldn’t get there fast enough; as it felt like I was running through quicksand. She flailed about in a new panic as I approached. She reached out for the door handle and screamed from a new burn inside of her palm. I pushed past her and slammed my already burning hands into the wood and pulled the door from its hinges. The heat pushed against my eyes with a violent flash. Sam covered her mouth to stop her screaming. It only took a spiraling second for my world to stop.
> “Not again,” I gasped.
Innocent - 28
~Innocent: Fuel~
The fire crawled everywhere. Up the walls, along the furniture, and across the ceiling. Sam stumbled past me and into the black smoke.
“Mom!” she screamed. I walked slowly into the burning living room thinking of only one thing.
“Madison…”
“Mom!” Sam called louder. I was frozen now. Standing just inside her doorway with my hands ablaze. I could smell the kerosene everywhere, making me want to gag. This was no accident. My past had caught up with me again.
“Max! Help me! Max! Where’s Madi?” Sam cried. That was enough to snap me from my silent prison. I whipped around, looking back and forth. It was no use though. The fire was now out of control and soon so would I. The black smoke grew thicker with each second.
“Max!” Sam called again as she found her mother Rebecca, lying on the floor of the kitchen. I had brought this upon her and her daughter. She would surely never forgive me now. I was bad for her daughter. I was even worse for her granddaughter. I began to shake uncontrollably when my eyes caught the flames around my fists that were reaching for the fire all around us. The orange flames along the table next to me stretched themselves for my unnatural white flame. The two flames tickled one another with a pop and a twist. It gave me an idea that I acted on without even thinking.
“Sam! Cover your mom!” I screamed, as I brought my fists to my chest. I was always able to push my powers, push my body to let those fires escape, but I never tried to pull them back. So that’s what I did. I pulled with every bit of strength I had. Within seconds the flames jumped from the unburned kerosene along the walls and finally from the ceiling. All of it slammed into me with a smoky swirl.
“Max!” Sam called out in a panic. Her eyes watched as I closed my arms around my body and hugged my torso. The orange and white flames swirled together into a bright yellow hue. It sizzled all over me in circles before turning white again. When they changed color I could feel I was in control again.
“It worked!” I gasped and began coughing in a fit. The flames flickered out as my coughing grew overwhelming until finally I was completely out and steaming a thousand ribbons of smoke from my entire body. My mouth filled with the taste of black and smoke. It took everything I had not to throw up that taste.
“Sam?” I reached out. She waved for me and began checking her mother. She was moving slightly and coughing too. Sam wiped her moms face and checked her for burns.
“Samantha?” her mom coughed. She was still dazed.
“Mom where’s Madison?” Sam lost her cool. Her mom coughed harder and let out a long wail.
“Mom? Please!” She held her tighter. I could only watch in terror as her mother’s words cut me in half.
“She’s gone…” she coughed again. My legs felt like jelly.
“They took her!” she gave up. Sam cried out loud clutching her now, hysterical mother. As they rocked each other back and forth on the kitchen floor, flashes of light from the approaching fire truck danced along my pale face. I could not hear any sirens, only the dull hum of shock that was ringing everywhere throughout my body. I watched in a daze as Sam looked up at me and screamed.
“Madison’s gone! Max! Madi’s gone!”
Sam’s mother was lifted into the back of the ambulance with care as I watched the dark skies fill with grey clouds. Standing outside I watched as the world fell numb. I was having a hard time breathing as my hope collapsed. Sam’s tears would not stop and it broke my heart. This was my fault. They came for me and took my daughter. My guilt felt like it was killing me when the night sky fell even darker. My cell phone rang from the inside of Sam’s car. I recognized the ringtone instantly…it was Frank.
“Hello!” I answered, scared. “Uncle there’s been a terrible…” I started to yell when a dark and unfamiliar voice cut me off.
“Your daughter is alive,” the voice whispered. I focused every fiber of strength I had on the man’s voice.
“That’s more than I can say for your uncle.” Click. The line went dead. Sam ran up to me as the phone fell away from my hand and into the dirt. I could actually taste my heart breaking in my chest.
“Max? What’s wrong? Who was that?” her voice cracked. She grabbed me around the collar. Her fingers tightened like locks.
“Max!” she screamed, as I could no longer hold back my tears.
“Frank…I need to get to my uncle…” my voice faded. Sam wiped both of our eyes and pushed me into the car.
It only took a few minutes to drive to my house but it felt like an eternity. As the tires slid to a halt in my driveway I wasn’t ready for the sight before me.
“Kai?” Sam called out. She jumped from the car before it had stopped and ran for his car. It was smashed into the nearby trees. I could still smell the fumes from the engine as it winded itself down. He must have just gotten here. My eyes followed the lines of three deep tire treads in the dirt. It was obvious now that Kai had arrived just as they were leaving and they rammed him into the tree. The black paint marks from one of their vehicles clung freshly to the side of his car door.
“Oh my god! Kai…baby are you okay?” Sam hollered. Why did she call him baby? I couldn’t stress about that now. He was slouched over the steering wheel, barely conscious. The engine finally fell dead.
“Sam?” Kai spit out blood. His eyes opened enough to find me at her side.
“Max?”
“Don’t move Kai…I’ll get help,” Sam said, almost ignoring me completely. It hurt my feelings but I had bigger things to worry about.
“Kai…my uncle…” I started. He pointed to the front door and passed out.
“Kai! No!” Sam screamed. Her voice was dry with terror. I ignored it and picked up Kai’s cell phone, dialed the police and handed it to her. My words had officially left me now and I stared at her with dark and broken eyes. She was in shock or on her way to it. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“Max?” She reached for me as I walked away toward the front door.
“Uncle!” I called, and rushed inside. When my call was followed by silence I almost gave up right then and there. I pushed myself inside when a tiny whine came from the bedroom. I ran to it and found Oz curled along Frank’s chest. They both lay motionless on his bed. He whimpered louder as my shadow fell upon them.
“Oh no, Frank!” I yelled. Oz jumped on me softly as I reached down and pulled Frank to my face. He was still breathing but only faintly. I looked him over and found nothing physically wrong. He was not harmed at all. I picked him up, not worrying about that and ran for the door. Oz followed with a major limp. His right front paw was injured but he ran harder as my pace quickened. As I rushed past the living room I almost didn’t notice the note on the wall. I ignored it for the moment and lay my uncle on the porch.
“Sam!” I called. She ran up to me with Kai’s blood on her shirt and hands.
“The paramedics are coming. They’ll be here soon,” she cried. I smashed my fists into the floor next to Frank’s quiet body.
“I’m so sorry Uncle! I’m sorry!” I cried from clinched teeth. Sam grabbed me and held me.
“Max this isn’t your fault,” she tried to convince me, but I didn’t believe her and from her tone, neither did she. I stood up and walked back into the house and snatched the note pinned tightly to the wall. It tore at the edge as I yanked on it. It had one word written across it…SALVATION.
“Madi!” I screamed. Fire engulfed me from head to toe. Sam watched, terrified, and quickly covered Frank’s body as I exploded. Flames shot from me and out the windows, breaking the glass. It pushed through the open front door and into the night.
“Max!” Sam screamed for me to calm down. I fell to my knees as I watched my gift shoot over the top of her and my injured uncle. The flames disappeared instantly and she watched me with broken eyes. She fell silent and numb, sliding down to the side of Frank. In my fit I had completely destroyed the piece
of paper they had left. Our only clue to finding who had done this, and I ruined it. My stupid temper! My head started to pound with a blinding headache.
“Max what just happened here?” Sam asked in a daze. I watched her, not saying anything at first and hung my head in defeat. She leaned closer with a soft cry at the back of her throat.
“Sacrifice,” I whispered to myself. Slowly I looked around me, trying not to lose control again.
My city was in ruins and I had no one to blame but myself.
“…Angels - lend me your might…Forfeit all my lives to get just one right…All those colors long since faded…All our smiles all confiscated…Never were we told…We'd be bought and sold…When we were innocent…”
Absolution - 29
~Sing For Absolution: Muse~
Slow motion again. As the world slowed I tried to focus my blurring eyes on the light fixtures that lined the ceiling of the hospital hallway. I felt like I was walking through an invisible ocean. Each step felt heavier after the next. Everything and everyone around me though was moving at light speed.
On my left side the hospital staff rushed Kai’s bloody body to a waiting room. He was banged up but they seemed not to be too worried about him. A couple of nurses were preparing him some space to lie down but then rushed to help with my uncle. His gurney rolled up next to Sam’s mother who was half crying and half screaming. I’ll never forget the look on her face. She was so scared. A kind, male nurse cautiously gave her a dose of painkillers for her minor burns. He readied an oxygen mask for her and I turned my eyes back to Kai. He was moving and conscious again. A silver lining to this morbid cloud.
“Sir! Excuse me sir?” a nervous nurse asked from behind me. I didn’t hear her at first; I had focused on Sam at the end of the hall. She was bookended by two police officers who were asking her about our missing daughter. I needed to get to her. She was in complete shock now and all I wanted to do was hold her.