A Journey And A New Place

[Tetsuri Tokai]

A Journey and A New Place

​

Every second, every minute, every hour, life is changing for people. The world spins even when a life is lost and continues its circular path as it is destined. People live their lives as they see fit and never look back. The world as we know it changes in both a good and a bad way. Time ticks away slowly for a few lucky ones, while it speeds away for most. In time, most wish to explore or journey out into the unknown world and learn more of what is beyond their gates. Most find something far greater than that in which their hearts desired. While others find nothing more than shattered wastelands that lay before their feet, leading them into a chaotic frenzy.


There is a man and a woman who will soon journey out together. Two ordinary people such as you and I. The two have the same hopes: to find a place of everlasting peace. The wish to find a place in which they can live in the highest of royalty in which their hearts desire. The two set out on this journey, unknowing of what may or what could happen. The journey that the young man and woman take may bring them closer, or it may break them, shattering them into pieces and leave them in lost hopes.


But, if the two can make it through these trials and tribulations, they will reach their dreams and the place in which they have begun their search for.


Their new journey to find a place of hope and beauty is soon to begin.....
​

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Carlos opened his eyes and let out a yawn. A good nights rest was just what he needed after a long day of work. Sometimes, he dreaded working at the antique shop, because the customers would give him a rough time. It had even gotten to most points where the customers would begin to break things in the shop. It was sad to him how most people could be cruel in the world, but that was a reality that he would have to grasp sooner or later. His feet touched the cold, hard floors and it sent a chill down his spine.

Being topless in combination with being sock-less was not a very good mix-up at the moment. Carlos wrapped his arms tightly around himself and stood up on his feet, rubbing his arms up and down. The house was quiet and his girlfriend was sound asleep. She always slept so comfortably and it made him smile to see her resting peacefully. Carlos wasn't one of the richest, but he still did his best to provide for her as best as he could.

He took a glance back at her with a smile. It was truly a blessing from the skies above to have someone like her in his life. There was a routine that he loved doing in the morning. He took small, quiet steps towards the window and looked outside and covered his eyes. Rays of sunlight broke through and he shielded his eyes a bit. The sun tended to hurt his eyes a bit, especially after just waking up from a good nights sleep. A chuckle escaped his lips lowly as he stretched. The sound of the morning birds song made him sigh and relax. It was so peaceful in the morning. Aside from the cars that made noises, as people drove to their locations of work.

Carlos decided that he would surprise his woman this time. He had always wanted to make her breakfast in bed and he hadn't received the chance to do so until today. He crept out of the room and closed the door quietly, then walked down the hallway. It was just as cold in the hallway, maybe a little bit colder. They had a few cracks in various places in which air seeped through, out into the hall. He shivered a bit, but shook it off. No amount of cold would stop him from making breakfast for his woman.

He grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open enough to the point his slimming frame could fit through it, then closed it behind him. He looked at the table lined in the center of the medium sized room. It was round and covered with a white cloth. Resting in the middle of it was a candle holder. The base of it was round and flat, while the handle hooked. Sometimes, he would hang it up on the nail in the left hand corner of the room. He stopped examining the the holder and turned his attention towards the appliance in which he would be using, the stove. Carlos let out a sigh. What could he make today? There were so many ideas and so little time.

Time after all, waited for no man or woman in that matter, so he had to get to work. A laugh rung out at the thought of 'work'. Well, that made his day a little better in any case. Carlos walked over to the refrigerator, grabbed the handle then opened it up. He scanned the inside to see if he could find the eggs, milk, bacon, orange juice and apple slices he had bought yesterday at the market. When he found his items, he altered them in his arms as best that he could, before closing the door with his backside. He walked over to the table, and then placed the items on the top gently. Eggs, grits and bacon seemed like it would suffice for the day's breakfast. First to be served would be his woman. He would worry about eating later. There was meat slices that he could use to make a sandwich. The only person he was concerned about was her.

Carlos walked over to the left pantry then stood in front of the counter, He opened up the pantry, then grabbed two skillets and closed it. He smiled widely as he walked over to the stove and placed the skillets on the front two burners. He reached over to his right and grabbed the cooking oil sitting on the counter-top and removed the cap, then poured 1/2 a cup into each. He would add more if needed, but for now, that should have been enough for him to cook.

Carlos walked a bit fast back to the table, excited about cooking. "Alright! Lets get started," ​he said in an excited tone of voice.

 

[Theory]

Anna had gone to bed quiet early not feeling to well from the previous days' work. She spent most of her days, Monday through Saturday, to be exact, at the nearby farm. Women didn't usually work but she had struck a deal with the farmer to allow her menial tasks.
Which was a very good thing because on a farm, there are many such tasks needing done around the clock.
The pay was meager but for a woman to be allowed any was a godsend.
She didn't complain at the hard hours and poor conditions when it stormed and she still needed to bring in the cows or clean the fields.

The one day off that Anna usually had was spent in town, mainly at the antique and book store run by her current boyfriend.
They had moved in together using there small amount of savings to procure a tiny house within a few minutes walk of the shop.
The home was in no means perfect but it was just that, a home, a roof over their heads and a place to store and cook food for themselves.
As it were there were leaks in the ceiling, boards of wood along the wall that needed replaced and other areas that needed repainting.
In fact, a new leak had just sprung with the light shower going on outside. The soft patter of rain should have remained outside on the roof but one new patter started inside, falling little droplets of cold water onto the girl's cheek as she slept.

The odd disturbance soon awoke the girl, her eyes blinking open and hand lifting to her cheek to wipe at the moist droplets.
Automatically she slowly sat up, then rose her light blue eyes to the ceiling and was rewarded with a plink of water against her short nose.
With a slight smile and a quiet giggle she slid her legs over the side of the small bed and stood.
Retrieving a bucket for just this purpose she put it where she had previously been laying and then sniffed.
"Hmmm?"
Anna could smell bacon and eggs...along with something else?
With a sly grin she walked to the bedroom door, peeking out quietly, the grin widening as she noticed Carlos was cooking.
She would normally be the one to tend to meals but perhaps he planned to serve her today?
That little thought had Anna's heart beating a bit faster and a small blush rising to her cheeks.

Straightening her soft cloth nightgown she tip toed towards the kitchen, leaning over around the corner just enough to watch him work.
The boy might have just been a clerk at the antique shop but he was so fascinating to Anna.
From his soft brown hair to his slight but well-built form. Those who laughed at him and his shop didn't understand what a special person this man really was.

Stepping out from around the corner Anna smiled, "Good morning, Carlos."
Her hair was still a bit of a mess but seemed to flow down her shoulders anyways as if it knew what the routine was and didn't have to be fooled around with too much.
Her feet were bare but the bite of the floor didn't bother her nearly as much as him.
"Breakfast smells amazing."

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

Carlos cracked a few eggs over the side of the left skillet, then dropped the yoke into the grease. After, he took four strips of bacon from the package and placed them in the grease. He turned the burners on a medium flame and waited until the food began to cook. It would take a few minutes for it to get started, so he proceeded to the refrigerator once more and took out a packet of luncheon loaf, mayo, tomatoes, and lettuce. He was always a healthy eater, since he loved to workout on most days. It may not have seemed like it, but running an antique shop took a great deal of energy. That was mostly because he had to lift and move heavy boxes.

It wasn't anything that he couldn't handle though. Now that he thought about it, that was how he had met Anna. She would always hang out at his shop and they would have intellectual conversations. She was as bright as she was beautiful. Carlos considered it more of a treat. It wasn't her looks that he loved, it was her in general. He loved her for her and the way she was herself. Right in the moment of his reminiscing, the grease within the skillets began to fry and the bacon and eggs began to pop. He closed the door of the refrigerator, and then walked over to the table and placed the items on its top quietly, before he walked over to the stove and turned down the heat to a low flame. He reached over to his left and grabbed the salt and pepper containers.

With his free hand, he grabbed the spatula, then flipped the eggs and bacon. Once they were both cooked thoroughly, he sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper over the eggs, turned off the flames and placed the containers back in their proper places. The air was filled with the aroma of breakfast and he took a whiff, closing his eyes with a smile. He was proud of his work and proud of himself for making breakfast for Anna. He felt so accomplished. Carlos reached over to the right pantry and opened it, then grabbed a medium-sized, round glass plate. He placed the spatula under the eggs then lifted them out of the grease. He lowered the plate a bit and placed the eggs in a corner of the plate and did the same for the bacon.

He wasn't aware that Anna was watching him, until she spoke. He turned around and looked directly into her eyes as she spoke. "Yes, I thought that I would surprise you with breakfast, Anna. I wanted to surprise you," he said with a little blush.

 

[Theory]

The girl couldn't help but watch everything he was doing.
Their kitchen wasn't that big but that made it just that much easier to keep an easy eye on him.
Even though he didn't cook as often as she did he made it look easy...or at least fun.
Let's go with fun.
With a quiet chuckle she walked over to him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before going to the fridge and taking out some orange juice.
Filling a glass she took it over to the breakfast table, then raised a brow at the food set out on the counter.
"You're planning to eat sandwich stuff again instead of a real breakfast, aren't you?"
Her voice was chiding but not angry.
He'd done it a few times when they had run low on breakfast items, always allowing her to have the last few eggs or bacon.

Sitting down at the table Anna added a slight sprinkle of salt to her eggs before taking a small mouthful.
"Mmmm..."
Swallowing she smiled and looked up at him.
"You cook very well when you're determined." With a wink she took another bite, making short work of the eggs, then going for the bacon, her favorite part of any breakfast.

When Carlos came over to the table with his own food she addressed his calmly.
"There's another leak in the bedroom, I set a bucket on the bed to catch the drip for now..."
She left the sentence hanging, wondering if her argument from the past few weeks would be valid now.
Anna had wanted to move out a bit ago because to be honest, as 'cozy' as this place is, it's not.
The roof leaks, there were buckets everywhere to attest to that.

"We should go somewhere else, hun.
We've been here for nearly five months and now and everything has gone downhill."
She wanted a place that didn't have leaking ceilings, a stove with only two working burners, and a pleasantly plump infestation of ninja cockroaches.
Yes, they are ninjas. They totally vanish and then reappear out of no where.

"What about moving? Finding a new place...new town even?"
Anna was a bit adventurous in her life, she took it by the horns and right now she wanted nothing more then to do just that.
"Just think, we could move to a big city and have this amazing place in a huge building, maybe even a house of our own!
You could bring your stuff from the shop and open an even bigger place and I could get a job that doesn't involve what comes out of cows....yeah.
We could seriously make something of ourselves!"

Well, with that motivational speech out of the way Anna blushed slightly and looked back down at her bacon.
He was probably just gonna say the same thing he always did.
That he liked the shop and didn't want to move...

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

Carlos could say nothing to Anna for the moment. Everything was like a big cluster in his mind that overloaded him like a self-destruction sequence. A blush flushed his face again as Anna kissed him, then fixed herself a glass of orange juice, before grabbing her plate and sitting at the table. He watched her, as she dazzled a little more salt on the eggs and he sighed a bit. He already knew where the conversation would go now. Before he listened to what she had to say any further, he fixed his sandwich. Anna really hated the fact that he always ate sandwiches instead of a real meal.

Well, they were low on groceries, so he let her be the one to have a hot meal instead. It was just as filling for him to each luncheon loaf. He walked over to the table and sat down, listening to Anna speak. There had really been an issue with the plumbing in the house and he was always the one to fix it. It was almost like all his patchwork was doing no good. He was quite handy when it came to fixing the plumbing. It would only last for a few weeks, before he would have to re-patch it.

The roaches were also an issue as well. Those things would swoop in and take a nibble off your plate, then run off faster than road-runner escaping from coyote! Those little guys were just as annoying as the plumbing, even more than that. There had always been thoughts just lingering around about moving, but he never really said much about it. He was quite happy with his lifestyle. Aside from the roaches and the plumbing, it was like a five star home.

Oh who was he kidding? Anna was right, they needed to find a new place and soon. To move to a big city would take a great sum of money and he was barely making ends meet at the antique shop to make ends meet, because of all the breakage. How he wished that he wasn't so clumsy at times. He took a bite out of his sandwich, then chewed it good before swallowing and responding to Anna. "Well, a newer city would be nice, but in order for us to move out, we would have to save up every cent we have. Either that, or I can get an extra side job. That still doesn't ensure that we will have it much easier in a big city, than we do here. For now, lets just relax and work to save until we can get the money," He said in a soft voice.

He knew in his heart that she truly wanted to move, but they would have to live in their old home for just a little longer. He went into thought. It had also been quite a while since he took her out. A month to be precise. He looked up at her and smiled at her, noticing she was blushing slightly. "Honey, how about we go out tonight?" He asked her, maintaining his smile.

 

[Theory]

Speaking of cockroaches, Anna flipped her empty cup of juice over abruptly, a rather large bug trapped under the rim as she sighed, leering up at Carlos though not really angrily.
She was just silently proving a point with the help of her little 'friend' under the cup.
The girl knew moving would take a lot of money but if they didn't go soon they'd have to put even more into this place and then where would they be? Stuck here.

At his offer she smiled, nearly accepting, but then quickly changing the grin to a frown.
Shaking her head Anna responded, trying not to hurt his feelings but being truthful.
"If we go out tonight we'll be even further behind on money and..."
She sighed, looking around the place they'd hoped would bring about their dreams...but it only held them back and tied up every extra penny they managed to save.
Sitting up straight Anna squared her shoulders and stared Carlos straight in the eyes.
"We need to move soon. We need to sell this house."

They would get very little, if anything for it since there was so much that needed worked on professionally but the little bit of cash the house put into their pockets could get them an apartment for awhile or at least a week or two in a cheap hotel.
Reaching across the table her hand rested atop his left one, a silent plea to think about this seriously.
With another slight smile she spoke one last time.
"I wouldn't mind going out tonight...but how about a walk in the park instead?"
She loved the local park so much after all, it was the main reason she'd agreed to move to this rundown area.
The park was gorgeous and just amazing for afternoon strolls.
"Oh!!"
Jumping up from the table her grin widened to a huge smile.
"We could have a picnic!!"

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

He grew silent for a moment. That was just what he had expected from her. She was always so focused on things like moving and getting out. Although, he also had the same mind set as her. He dreamed of a better place for her and himself. She just spoke her opinion out loud about it while he quietly put money aside for the trip. Since he had been working for a year, he was able to save up to a sum of five hundred dollars. that wasn't bad at all to say that he was constantly breaking things.

He looked down at the little guest that was on the table and laughed a bit at Anna. He found it funny how she jumped and spilled her juice every time one of them would come around. It was also kind of cute and adorable. She had mentioned something about a picnic that he had caught, when he stood up and grabbed a cloth of off the table to clean up the mess.

"A picnic does sound nice, we should definitely do that," He said as he cleaned up the mess. Carlos swiped the roach off of the table with his backhand, and then stood up. "We should get some things ready for our night out!" He said excitedly.

 

[Theory]

Glancing to the right as Carlos swatted the bug off the table Anna shook her head.
He always pushed them aside, never killed them.
She wanted nothing more then to see all the little bugs meet a shoe but meh.
The agreement of her picnic idea sparked her attention back and away from the little sticky bug that was scurrying away to safety.
It shall be back! With revenge!! Not really...

With a wide grin Anna bolted into their room, scooping up a large sheet she'd just washed the day before for such an occasion...if it ended up happening!
Then she was in their tiny closet and reaching up on tip-toes to grab down a small wicker basket.
It had the double flap thing that opened both ways and everything.
Yes, she loved her picnics...

They still had a day of work ahead of them before tonight but at least she could look forward to something awesome now.
Tossing on a light jacket over her clothes Anna went right up to Carlos and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"I'll see you right after work?
The farm said they had some cheese they were working on. Perhaps they'll let me take a wedge for tonight."
Mmmm, the farm she worked had the best cheese in the world, because of course, it was as fresh as it gets.

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

Carlos watched as the little bug scurried away to safety, while he cleaned up the mess. It may have been a little roach, but it was still a living creature. He wasn't really one for killing things. No matter how annoying it may have been, he would rather set it free outside than to end its life. That was just part of the way that he was. Anna had stood up from the table and she caught his attention. His eyes followed her until she was out of the room. There were still thoughts lingering through his mind. Most were about the big move, while others were about how to make ends meet.

There were still a few things that he had to do before the big picnic later at night. First, he had to go to the shop and unpack some boxes. Next, he had to shelve the merchandise and put it in its proper place. It would be time consuming and would most likely have him at the shop all day. He decided that he would finish the task a little more quickly and carefully. Anything broken would create more work and waste even more time. That was a thought he could not bear to think of.

After he was up on his feet, he stretched and placed the dish towel on the counter-top next to the sink. The little clock on the wall ticked away, while he went into thought. The night needed to be perfect for them and he wanted it to be special as well. Let's see...The things I would need to make the night perfect would be-

Anna's question and kiss on his cheek cut his thoughts off.

"Yes, honey. I'll definitely be ready to go when I get back," he said with a blush. It was still so hard to get used to that. Just like it was hard for him to stop loving Anna so deeply. In fact, he was more than sire that if they broke up, he would go into a state of depression. No, now wan't the time to get mellow dramatic about things. Tonight needed to be special and he had to keep a smile for both their sake.

"Well, I should get ready for work. I have to un-load some boxes and place merchandise, but I'll clean the dishes before I go," he said walking over to the table.

 

[Theory]

Nodding and waving at him Anna quickly headed out the door, pulling the hood of her jacket over his head.
Stepping outside she smiled as a soft rain pattered on her jacket and hands.
She loved the rain and while she got colds pretty easily she'd take a day in the warm rain then scorching sun.
Arriving at work a few minutes later she quickly got to work.
The first thing she did was bring the horses in.
The owner was out of town and since the rain had just started she figured it was going to get stronger later so best to bring them in now.

Once all the horses were inside she started cleaning the dirty stalls.
Anna left all the cows out since their field had several large overhangs they could go under and the darn things were just beyond stubborn.
They also didn't get rain rot as quickly as horses so they should be fine in a normal rainstorm.

As Anna worked she hummed quietly, her mind wandering to what was gonna happen tonight.
The rain shouldn't last all day, it normally faded off after around noon or so.
By that time exactly the droplets were slowing, then finally stopped at one o clock.
Anna worked for two more hours, feeding everything and taking care of a few medications that needed done.
After calling the owner since he was currently on vacation she got the okay to take some of the cheese from the fridge hooked up in the tack room.
It was an odd place to store the stuff but that's where the freshest milk goes for storage since the cows get milked only a few steps away.
Getting them a nice wedge of pure Swiss she started home, rubbing at her nose slightly and sniffling.
Darn cold...well. It wouldn't get her down for tonight!
It was probably just the sniffles anyways, just need some orange juice and a bit of medicine and then it will go poof!

With a big grin on her face Anna walked straight home, putting the cheese in the fridge before going to their bedroom and changing.
Her new outfit would consist of a pair of black cut-offs that reached a few inches below her knees and a soft red shirt.
Overtop that would be Carlos' American Eagle sweatshirt. Cause she totally loved it and the light gray softness felt amazing against her skin, especially when she wasn't feeling too well.
Now then, shower!
No way was she going on her picnic smelling like horse butt and feed!
Quickly heading into the bathroom she lost her smelly clothes and got to work scrubbing the scent of the farm off her.

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

Carlos quickly finished cleaning up the mess, then headed to his room and quickly got dressed. In a matter of minutes, he was out the house and driving to work. He wanted to get to work as quickly as possible, but obeyed all the traffic laws. Something was off though. His shop's door looked to be open, but he couldn't quite tell. He was a little way's off and couldn't really see it too well. That seems strange....

He could see his shop as it came into clear view. It was just as he thought. The front door was open, but the lights were off. Carlos was more than sure that he had locked the door and that everything was shut tight. Carlos killed the engine on his car and unstrapped his seat belt. There was an array of confusion and worry that poured over him. Confusion as to why the door was open and worry towards the merchandise.

Carlos closed his car door quietly and looked around, there wasn't anyone out on the streets this early except a man and woman walking by. He looked back at the shop and took a deep breathe. With slowly steps, he made his way towards the shop and walked in slowly. There was a foul smell that hit his nose and he covered it. It was really strong. Gas? Carlos made his way to the left wall and flipped the light switch.

Right then, something hard struck him over the back of the head and he blacked out.

 

[Theory]

Anna was ready about ten minutes later.
She brushed out her hair and pulled it back in a ponytail after a very quick blow dry.
Pulling on Carlos's sweatshirt she went into the living room to look for her boyfriend...huh?
Normally he was home when she was out of the shower, but looking around she noticed his car wasn't even in front of the apartment.

"Hmmm..."
Shrugging she put the hood up on his sweatshirt and slipped on a pair of socks, then shoes.
Locking the door behind her Anna quickly jogged down the sidewalk towards Carlos's shop.
She had a feeling something was up whether it was just him taking awhile with inventory or a customer giving him trouble.
Whatever it was she was going to going to help out.

Arriving at the store a few minutes later she frowned as she noticed front door was open.
He never left the door open, it was always humid outside or too cold...
Stepping inside hesitantly she looked around, trying to find a sign that someone was there.
"Hello? Carlos?"

Looking around Anna went to the counter, noticing his books weren't even out for inventory or pay roll stuff.
"Then where was he...?"

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

The man hovered over Carlos and glared down at him. His head was covered with the hood of his jacket, so if Carlos had woken up, he wouldn't have been able to see who he was to identify him. The man in the hood jumped in surprise when he heard someone outside the shop calling for Carlos. By the expression on his face, he didn't want to get caught, but he was more than sure to finish his job before he got out of the shop.

"Now, its time for you and this stupid shop to burn, Carlos." The man said, dropping the gas can to the floor with a clank. He took out his lighter and a rag from his pocket. In a few seconds, the rags edge was lit and dropped in the gas next to the counter side where Carlos laid. The flames picked up while the rag dropped and the wind caused the flames to spike more. When it hit the gas, the flames spread along the trails of the fire and out throughout the shop.

The man took a final look at Carlos, before he dashed out of the back room and passed Anna. He took a quick glance, as if he knew her, before he vanished out the door and down the western side of the shop.

Back inside the shop, the flames were slowly building and spreading more. The wooden bookshelves were set ablaze and fueled the flames even more. It was a few minutes after hearing shouting and the mans disappearance, that Carlos woke up.

He felt hot, like he was in a sauna, there was also a burning sensation on his leg that seemed to nip at him a bit. It slowly build and the pain that came with it wasn't pleasurable. It took a few more stings before he finally looked down at his left pants leg. It was caught on fire and immediately, Carlos did what he could to put it out. Since he had nothing else, he quickly removed his shirt and smothered the flames.

A cough escaped his lips from the smog that was building and his eyes were on fire. He squinted and covered his face. Carlos did the best that he could to stand up and touched the counter top. He looked around his office, covering his face at the rapid flames. There was no time for him to waste. A bookshelf to his left tipped over and nearly missed him as it fell behind him.

"I have to get out of here." He said, looking for the door. It was a pain to find through all the flames, but he managed to make out a rectangular shape that he was sure with the door. Carlos made a jet for the door. Right as he was close and about to grab the doorknob, a bookshelf fell and caused him to jump back to avoid being hit. It smashed into pieces but left the trail of fire behind, cutting him off.

The only thing that he could think about right now was Anna. The smoke had now slipped out through the cracks of the door and out into the front of the store into the room where Anna stood. He was worried about her. He didn't care about himself, he didn't care about what happened to him! He wanted Anna to be safe. He wanted her unharmed. The thought of her getting hurt made his determination to get out even stronger. Carlos yelled out in hopes that Anna could here him, that was if she was really there in the main lobby of the shop. "Anna-" He coughed.

 

[Theory]

Looking up right as someone brushed past her Anna turned, seeing the man in the sweatshirt look back at her right before he vanished around the corner.
"What the?" Wait...had Carlos just been robbed?!
Running inside a few more steps she halted when she heard something squish under her shoes.
Glancing down her brows drew together in confusion as she picked up her left foot.
Then the smell hit her abruptly and she nearly gagged. Gasoline.

The scent of something burning quickly followed the scent of the gas, then the sound of crackling and someone screaming as something fell over and broke apart.
All of the sounds were coming from Carlos's office..."Oh god...Carlos!!"
Bolting to the back of the shop she ignored the squishing in the carpet beneath her feet and quickly took her sweatshirt off, grabbing the arms of it and tying them around the door handle.
Reaching for the already-warming cloth she turned it, forcing the handle to turn before yanking open the door, standing behind it as a flare of flames burst into the room and quickly started to crawl along the floor and climb the doused bookshelves, eating up books and antiques alike.
This would be about the time panic set in but she couldn't let it take control.
Not with her boyfriend trapped in his office consumed with fire!

As soon as the burst of flames died down she ran into the office and over the fallen shelf.
Without realizing it her gas-soaked shoes caught fire and started to burn and melt.
"Carlos!!" Coughing ended the shout as smoke billowed out of the room.
Reaching out she grabbed her boyfriend's wrist and yanked him right over the bookshelf and towards the door.
"Come on, we gotta get out of here!!"
There was no saving any of the books or antiques but she sure as hell wasn't gonna let her boyfriend die with his store!

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

Carlos felt that this was about to be his end. There was no one around he figured. The flames were slowly spreading more and burning up everything in its path. Carlos's vision was blurry and the smoke was taking his breathe away. What exactly could he do in a time like this. The door was blocked off, cutting off any and all chances of escape.

"I never thought that it would end like this. I'm so sorry Anna. I'm sorry that we couldn't go on the picnic like a promised you," he said lowly. Now, was not the time to be thinking about a picnic, but all he could think about was seeing Anna's smiling face one last time. Carlos closed his eyes and smiled a bit. Well, it looked like it would soon have ended for him, as the flames slowly crept up on him.

He could hear a voice. The angels? Had he already been dead, but just didn't know it? It was a possibility that he was with all the smoke and fire around him. Well, he had no choice but to accept it now. At least that was what he had thought, until the door flung open and he was pulled out by his wrist.

The sound of Anna's voice rung in his ears and he leaped over the burning bookcase, just barely dodging the screaming flames. He was out of the room, but the fire hadn't made it out of the room. "Anna, we need to hurry and put out this fire before it spreads. We may not be able to save that room, but we can still save the store!" He said, quickly pulling away from Anna.

 

[Theory]

Adrenalin kicked in strong as the young woman turned on her boyfriend.
Her eyes were dangerous and she wasted no time turning on the young man and slapping him right across his face.
"You will do nothing but get the heck out of here!"
Snatching his hand again she yanked Carlos out of the store right as the fire department ran through.

They had the room covered in fire retardant in seconds, the flames quickly starting to wane.
Anna's attention was focused now on Carlos.
She quickly got him to the back of an ambulance where the EMT's standing by got a mask with oxygen over his mouth.
Once the medics checked his vital signs and gave him an 'okay' as long as he stayed there for a few minutes and took the oxygen treatment Anna moved in again.
Her arms wrapped around her boyfriend's shoulders, her face burying softly into the crook of his neck.
"You scared me to death."
Now that her adrenalin had run out she was shaking and shock was setting in but she wouldn't let herself panic.

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

Not to long after he had spoken, that he was dragged out by Anna. Carlos could have sworn that she had the strength of at least ten men. After they were out of the burning building, a fire truck came zooming down the street. Now his thoughts were, where was that truck when I was trapped? An ambulance had rolled up shortly after and a few medics climbed out of the truck and laid him back on the EMT's laid him in the back of their truck and placed an oxygen mask over his mouth.

It was in fact, hard for him to breathe. Each breath that he took in, felt like fire coming out. His vision was blackening a bit and all that he could focus on now was Anna. She had climbed into the truck with him and buried her face into the crook of his neck. He want to tell her and the medics that he was okay, but his body would only have called him a liar.

He could barely move as much as he did before. His body felt like lead and he felt that he could just die at any moment, but he knew that wasn't the case. Besides, he would have fought to stay alive, so that he could be by Anna's side. She was his strength right now. She was his energy. She was his life. The brief memory of him giving up played over in his head and it plagued him. It plagued him because he had given up then. His will had been broken and he gave up all hope.

A sorry wouldn't have made up for the pain that she would have felt, if he were to have died in that fire. The man who attacked him still raised suspicions. Just who could have wanted to burn down the store? Had he upset someone and didn't remember? No, that couldn't be it. There were so many clues to solving the mystery, but only one clue would lead to the source.

Carlos placed a shaky left hand on Anna's cheek, looking at her with low, weak eyes. The remainder of light slipped from his eyes and he felt himself drift of to sleep. His hand fell slowly to his chest and rest on the other. The medic's closed the door's behind them, and then climbed into their truck and began to drive away from the shop.

Many people gathered around the shop and watched as the ambulance drove off.

 

[Theory]

Anna's eyes were on Carlos's the entire time. She didn't look away even while responding to the paramedics on what had happened.
For some reason that man's darkened face kept coming into her mind, even though she couldn't see any distinguishing features.
It really bothered her that she let him get away but Carlos was definitely her first priority.
This was all another obvious reason why they needed to leave.
This town had so little violence, this had to be someone who wanted the shop or disliked one of them.

Pulling up the hospital I noticed that the ER was quiet and only one other patient was actually there being tended.
It looked like a car accident but judging by how the doctors were quickly refocusing on Carlos Anna figured they had the other person under control and they were probably waiting for another to come in.
They had my boyfriend in a room moments later, putting several lines of drips into his wrists and arms.
The smoke had evidently burned his lungs and the general heat had taken a lot of moisture from his body as it tried to stay cool in the extreme temperatures that had surrounded it.
They said he'd have to stay for a few days at least so they could make sure everything was going to be alright with him.

Anna had remained at his side the entire time and eventually ended up falling asleep, her arms crossed on next to his right one, head resting softly against them as she quietly slept.
Her right hand brushed lightly against Carlos's arm, just enough so that she still knew he was there, even in sleep.