A consuming Fire

It has been a few days since the fire. Nelio didn’t wnat to think of it. He wanted to forget it. But how could he? It worked yesterday, the day before and after the funeral. But not today. Not on Alecs birthday.

Nelio went into the flower shop nearby, picking up a few red roses and other flowers he knew Alec would have loved. He walked to the cashier. "Ah, good morning Nelio!" Sophie, the owner of the flower shop and his neighbor, smiled when she saw him. "How are you doing? I haven't seen you for a while."

Nelio thought for a moment about what to say. He didn’t feel like talking. "Im good I guess. How about you?" He asked, taking out his wallet. "You sure...? I mean.. a lot happened lately and.." She trailed off, looking at the flowers. "Are you going on his grave today?"

She seemed a bit hesitant. "No" Nelio answered, holding his money up. "How much?" "15 dollars.... where are you going then?" "...on a date" Nelio gave her the 15 dollars and took the flowers "well, good luck then!" Sophie said loudly after Nelio, who already made his way out.

Date... no. He isn't going to a date. Neither will he go to Alecs grave. His wife, Lora, would be there and his family and friends. He didn’t want to talk to them. He didn’t want to bother them. Instead, he went to Alecs house.

The front door was only half, laying where the kitchen had been. After the police and firefighters confirmed that it probably was some pipe that exploded, his parents surched to see if they could find a few things. All that is left is wood, stone and the smell of smoke.

Nelio walked through the debris, until he found the bed where Alec was crushed by the ceiling. It wasn’t burned much, because the fire couldn't reach it. Nelio layed the flowers down, shaking his heas to get the images out. When he looked down, he noticed something shining under the bed.

He pushed it aside, revealing a trap door. Confused, but curious opened Nelio it and all he saw a letter. He took his phone and turned on the flashlight, slowly and carefully going down. It took a while til he realized he was in the basement. Nelio knew Alec had one, but since he had renovated the whole house and destroyed the entrance he forgot about it.

"Did his parents not notice this....?" He asked himself, looking around. There wasn’t much in it. A few things for cars, an old car, and a desk. In the corner he saw a Box. Nelio opened it, finding a bunch of letters and newspapers. He read through the newspaper.

'Yesterday, a fire broke ous in a family house late in the evening. The fire supposedly started because of an old pipe. Both parents died from the burns. Their child, an 9 year old girl was outside of the house at the time. She was playing with the neighbors child, 11 years. The girl had bruises, yet it's unclear where they came from. The girl mentioned getting into a fight with the 11 year old and he confirmed it. An investigation is still going because of an elderly man from the neighborhood, who claimed that he was watching the street all day and that the children did not play on the street at that time and where in the house. The man has trouble with his memory and also suffers from schizophrenia, so the police will still question people'

There was also a picture of the little girl with her family. It was Lora. Lora and her Parents. Nelio didn't know much about Lora. Only that she and Alec had been friends as children until she had a new family further away. Nelio read the letters. Nothing much interesting was in there. Until he read a letter from Lora adressed to Alec.

'Dear Alec,

Its me, Lora. Do you remember me? I met a new friend and she told me about her school and mentioned your name. And when questioned, i knew it was you. How are you? What have you been doing? I plan on going to a school near your school to learn psychology. I would love to meet you again. It took long to love my new family, but i got it. Also, when did you move from you old home? When i went to visit you, you were already gone. I also saw what happened to my old house and all the memories came back to me. Im glad that its all in the past now. I hope to see you soon!

Love, Lora'

Nelio thought for a moment. Was Alec this 11 year old guy they talked about in the newspaper? At the time this all happened, Nelio was 10 and he remembered how his parents talked about it. And now his friend could be involved. No. Maybe he is just... thinking too much. Or?

Nelio decided to meet with Lora to ask her about it. It was a bit awkward as they sat in Loras new apartment. They never talked much and didn't knowneach other well. "Coffee?" Lora asked, already pouring it into a cup. Nelio nodded. "Why did you want to meet me so abruptly?" She asked, giving him the coffe and sitting down.

"Well.... honestly... i wanted to know something. I... found some old newspapers and they managed how a family house burned down and the parents died.. and i saw a picture of you when you were younger and... i guess they were your parents.." Lora looked at Nelio for a long while, then she looked down. "Yes... that was me and my parents and yes, they did die while the fire.... it was... horrible" "..They managed an 11 year old boy there too and... i wondered if it was Alec..?" "Why do you think that" She asked him, her tone changing more serious. "Well.... i.. i talked to his parents...a little while ago and there they managed that you two were neighbors so i thought..." Nelio trailed of, looking down, then back at Lora. She nodded.

"You're right... it was Alec. We were really good friends back then. ...I remember the day it happened so clearly. Alec and I were having fun, playing and all and my parents were inside the house. The fire started so sudden and grew so quickly... we didn't really know what to. Another neighbor across of us had seen everything and he had called the police for us" she paused for a moment "You know, the man was old and ill and he died shortly after. The family i then got brought to was nice and we had a great time. I guess this was something good that happened" " ....what about... the bruises that they mentioned.... how did you get them?" Nelio was confused about himself for asking this question since he already knew the answer, but didn’t want to seen rude so he let Lora talk.

"...i got them because fell down as a kid. I fell badly onto rocks from a slide. It was the day before... all of that happened.."

Nelio starred at her startled. He thanked her for the talk and left, quickly. On the way to the bus station, he thought about everything again. "She said she fell down the slide..... the newspaper said she fought with... Alec.." Nelio stopped walking "Did she just... forget that? Was it trauma? Or does she not want to say that she fought with Alec because he jad been her husband? I mean, they married when he was 20 and she 18, and everyone said that they're too young but... wouldn't she have told him? She seems to be that person. And the way she talks about all of it.... she seems genuinely devastated by it all...

Nelio thought back to the conversation and thought about everything she said and did. There was something he didn’t like. And he didn't know what it was. "The old man..." Nelio muttered. "He died shortly after because he was old and ill...she said. She said he called the police... its not feeling right..."

In the Bus, Nelio called Alecs mom. "Hi Teresa... thay question might seem sudden, but i wanted to know if you still remember when you lived next to Lora and her parents and the fire started..... who called the police?" "It's good to hear from you Nelio. We were a bit worried about you. And because of your question, my husband had called the police. He saw the fire when it broke out"

"Alright, thanks. Have a great day and i hope you're well" Nelio layed down the phone. Her husband. Alecs father. He called the police? Then why did Lora say it was the old man? She should be old enough to remember.... and she had seen Alecs parents more then him and Alec was there too? Why did she never ask any of them? What did really happen on that day?

Nelio held his breath for a moment. "Her parents died because of a fire that an old pipe caused... Alec died in a fure because of a pipe too... did Lora..? No... she would have no reason. Well.... if the bruises did not come the slide..." he shook his head. No, there has to be a reason, an explanation for this. "Im probably overthinking it all... making an unnecessary mess.

Nelio opened the door to his house, heard a weird, rustling sound in the bushes and before he knew it, fire spread in his house, consuming everything in its bath, growing quick