Archive for the ‘Spiral Notebooks’ Category

“Hurry, an SUV just jumped the guardrail.”

“Yes, it went airborne. Must’ve flown twenty- or thirty-feet straight up.”

“Uh huh. Hit a tree and then fell down into the ravine.”

“Must’ve been doing ninety or better when it hit the barrier.”

“One of the men is in the top of the tree—”

“No, he’s not moving—”

“That’s right…and I can another one on the riverbank.”

“The car was packed.”

I’d say at least five people were inside.”

“Upside down, now.”

“No, no one is moving.”

“It doesn’t look good.”

“Please hurry.”

A beep, then radio noises in the background.

One-sided conversation.

Then…

“Okay, I’m sending an officer right now.”

Long, slow day.

Four hours, two tickets.

Hot sun.

Hazy.

Cloudless.

Bored.

Radio crackles.

“10-4, running radar, but I’m close. I’ll take the call.”

“Rescue is en route?”

“I’m on the way.”

Tires spin.

Gravel tossed.

Rubber grips pavement.

A squeal.

Engine roars.

Lights flickering and flashing.

Siren screaming.

Scenery a blur.

Traffic backing up.

Pass on shoulder.

People out.

Some looking, some running.

Broken guardrail.

Smashed concrete.

“Stand back!”

A peek over.

Tree top.

Broken branches.

Clothing and papers.

And a body.

“Send me some help!”

One-hundred feet below.

Crumpled metal.

Twisted steel.

And more mangled humans.

More sirens.

Climb down.

Three deputies.

Steep.

Rocky.

Snakes.

Insects.

Thick brush.

Briars and thorns.

Slip.

Slide.

Push through greenery.

Two steps forward.

One back.

Wading against the tide.

Wreckage.

Overturned.

Top flattened.

Glass broken.

One under…dead.

Two to the right…dead.

One inside…dead

Broken and motionless limbs.

All dead.

Souls departed.

The climb out.

Passing rescue workers.

Straight up.

More pushing.

More brambles.

More cuts.

More brush.

A look around.

A very close look around.

All around…

An ocean of…poison ivy.

Neck deep poison ivy.

As far as the eye could see…

POISON IVY!

Three officers.

Three highly allergic officers.

Three bottles of Calamine lotion.

Seven long days…

Itching.

Scratching.

Calamine-painted pink deputies.

From head to toe.

And everywhere in between.

Everywhere…

10-4, it’s a structure.

Fully involved.

A real hot one too.

Send fire units to my location.

Standby.

Someone’s running toward me.

Please, you’ve got to help him.

Help who, ma’am?

The old man.

He’s in there.

I tried.

But it was too hot.

He’s trapped.

Screaming.

His bedroom.

Heat and flames

A fireplace

Times ten-thousand

Smoke

Thick

Heavy

Choking

Eyes

Burning

Get low!

Crawl

Glass

Flaming carpet

Hot embers

A doorway

So hot

Can’t breathe

A little further

Furniture

Ashes

The heat

Too intense

TV

Melted

Smoke boiling and billowing

Can’t see

Hands burning

Wheelchair

Caught on bed frame

A crutch

Out of reach

A foot

A leg

Trapped!

Pull and tug

Pull

Harder!

Fire

Crackling and popping

Something falls

Two hands

Back down hallway

Dragging

Straining

Pulling

Muscles screaming

Can’t see

Sweating

Burning

Heart pounding

No air

Pulling

Dizzy

Can’t breath

No strength

Can’t breath

Almost there

Can’t breath!

Moonlight

A touch

Strong hands

Gloved hands

Pulling

Dragging

Helping

Cool night air

Deep breaths

Firefighters

Oxygen

Yes, I’m okay

A few burns

Not too bad

Yes

The coroner’s on  the way

I tried

I really did

But he was already gone.