When Ashes Fall

L

SEN

ENCY?" I said into the headset a

e keyboard, my thumb gently tapping the space bar but not hard enough to actually pr

s a r

every time I

one of the benches. He's on the ground, screaming. You can probably h

her description,

ing in slowly made it

pping

our name?

you ne

ds and also so I kn

giving you my last name, b

yped it into the system, "d

st walking by with my boyfr

et close to him an

courtesy. I don't have time t

spond, Rachel dis

c Garden. Before they even left the firehouse, they'd know the man could be suffering fro

dset. Then, I took out my bag from the bottom drawer and reached

ng to make it.

ng to walk to your townhouse and dr

work right now

outside, right in fro

er. This was where most of the emergency and non-emergency calls were answered for each dis

d have the same

have a dif

ouldn't have

d when I heard, "Alix," as

cking until I was in her doorway. "Hey," I said,

for the six years I'd been employed by the city. I'd met her

my shoulders and hugged me.

nd made sure she d

hat I hadn

om my coworkers when I had walked

slipped into my desk, which

tion to lunch

really un

ay to

ght thing to do and said, "Yes, today wen

e you to

cour

tomorrow would

I made my way through

I'd met. Maybe even close to all of them. If they saw m

even want

, pretending to be in a serious conversation. At the same time, I staye

hing I could do

building without having to say a word and continued my trek to

st

ar it was to B

d through one of my apps. I was only able to read a handful of sta

ant. Rose was right in front, just like she had said in her text. She was at a small

t closer and embraced me

dn't

of the reaso

her back as ha

honor roll with ease and wanted to work in health care. I was also extremely inexperienced in partying. Rose was from South Bost

omplete o

nged so much over the years,

whispe

so tightly; it wa

or not ca

tried," I

dn't want to come tonight,

kno

her. Once I slung my bag over the corner of the chair, I li

ot

w what

" she said a

ed in celeb

wa

ng to her, t

nts," I