2020-07-09 - I See Fire

A second stout goblet of golden and amber liquid is drained to nothing. Its flared base rejoins contact with the wooden bar, then slowly slides across toward the side further from its conqueror. A thin finger is lifted and tapped on the rim as green eyes meet the questioning gaze of the tender. Another was being poured soon after.

Even with a name like 'Dirty Couch Brewing', Abitha had to admit they knew how to brew a good damn sour. Donut Return. Who returns donuts? And what did that have to do with peaches? The game store owner ponders this as she leans her elbow on the bar, absently adjusting the neck on her t-shirt with a slight tug downward. Her finger how drawn across the face of her phone to unlock it again.

Even if she was back to browsing the new release schedules, the forums on her small fan-boards, or seeing who was online that might want to game tonight, her mind only half-processed. She tucked it away into her purse. Too many resources were already devoted to whatever... that was. Last night. Those two cops had spooked her.

It was a weird feeling, she knew. How do you feel scared and powerless by something as mundane as cops? After this year? Shit, it had been a year, or it would be next month, since she moved here. In that time, she'd been attacked by elves, gremlins, dogmen, and a mad fucking audience. She could throw lightning bolts now, and lift things with her mind. What did she have to be afraid of? Neither one of those guys had put up the slightest resistance to her skim of their emotions. It was silly. She could have scared them off. She should have.

But she didn't. She played dumb. She was scared. It was two intimidating men, of all fucking things. She was having the powerless showerthoughts after the fact where she realized all the things she could have done to change the situation. None of her powers were time-travel, though.

The third sour had been delivered and she honestly wasn't sure how deep in her thoughts she had been, it was nearly gone already. She had that warm buzz, the kind where things were tipped over to more fun, when she could laugh easier, move a little more erratically instead of nervously. She also had that feeling in her stomach that another sip was probably ill advised before she had something to eat. She thought about the food menu. Even if Maggi had taken the place over, the food was still gross fried shit. She had stuff back in her loft to cook, or reheat. Maybe that thai from the other night...

She waves down the bartender, digging in her small purse, her fingers feeling weird, sort of tingly for a moment. She hands her card over, dismissing any question on seeing the check first. She knew they were honest around here. She signs, tips well, gets down from her stool with only the slightest mistep as she finds her sea legs. She moves towards the door.

I See Fire...

Were people looking out the front window? Why was it so bright outside? It was like 10 o'clock. She sputters breath through her lips as she pushes out into the night. Fuck, it was bright. And even fucking hotter than she remembered going in, AC or not.

Something was on fire.

A building was burning across the street. A thrill ran through her from the crown of her head to the backs of her heels. Shit, could it catch her shop too? What was...

The first neon bulb shattered.

That wasn't another store. That was the Control Pad. Her store was on fire. She could see the flicker of flames in the upstairs windows. Her home was on fire. Everything was on fire.

Everything was on fire.

It was the big, artsy and stylized 'C' that had collapsed first, crashing to the ground as plastic and metal melted and gave way. She hardly heard it. Blood was pumping too loudly in her ears, some other sound helping to dampen any noise she was hearing. The overhang awning was already burning cinders, the signs in her windows were swinging and falling and shredding. One of her upstairs windows shattered, likely from the heat and pressure as the wooden frame was alight. How long had it been going? Where was the fire department? Her phone. She grabs it out. It was on vibrate. Alert after alert. Unauthorized entry detected. Motion in the shop. Motion in back room. Smoke detected. Heat detected. Alerting Emergency Services. Emergency upload of all information. Switch to Cloud Montoring. System has lost connection.

Her vision was blurry now, she was out of breath, her throat hurt. Why? Oh, she was screaming. Screaming didn't help. Screaming was weakness. It belonged in the same place as tears. Oh, super, she was crying too. It didn't make anything better. Her chest hurt. She couldn't stop. She screamed. There were sirens in the air. She screamed. Her knees hurt. She was on the ground. When had she fell? She screamed.

She screamed until the sirens finally drowned her out.