Flash Fiction Friday - After the Fire

Head into the Tunnel of Love

“Okay, I’m recording now. We can start whenever you are comfortable.”

“I’m ready.”

“Excellent. Before we get to the Summerland fire, can you tell me a bit about your background.”

“What do you want to know? My life story or just my time as a firefighter?”

“As much or as little as you want to share.”

“I was born and raised in a shithole little Florida town that was more swamp than anything else. My old man was the volunteer fire chief, and since I sucked in school, becoming a firefighter seemed the obvious choice.”

“Was it what you wanted to do?”

“Doesn’t matter what I wanted. That’s irrelevant. It’s what I was equipped to do, physically and mentally.”

“But not anymore?”

“That day was more than enough for anyone in my former line of business. I saw things…”

“Do you want to talk about those things now?”

“Not really. The money you guys offered for my story means that I will.”

“I can remove the part about the money.”

“I don’t give a hot damn if you do or don’t. People are going to think I’m making shit up…I know what I saw.”

“I believe you.”

“We heard about the fire over the radio, heard the chatter of other houses closer to the blaze. The call for help spread quicker than that damn inferno, so it was only a matter of time before we had to suit up and go help.”

“How bad was it when you arrived?”

“Fully involved. It looked like the entire park was sinking, or better yet, being dragged into Hell. The heat was something else. Felt like your skin was bubbling under your suit.”

“What was your team asked to do?”

“The big rigs were already pumping water, doing their best to get things under control. We were there for about an hour or more before it became safe enough to go inside the park.”

“And then you went in?”

“Yeah. It was search and rescue, but we all knew damn well that no one was getting out of that. If the fire didn’t get them, you can bet your sweet ass the smoke did.”

“What was it like in there?”

“Grim is the best way I can put it. It was tough to tell what were park parts and what were charred people. The smoke didn’t help, and that was when things got weird.”

“What do you mean by weird?”

“There were things moving in the smoke. Big fucking things. We were told after the fact that it was our brains trying to make sense of things that made none.”

“Pareidolia?”

“Yeah, I think that’s what they called it. Wasn’t no brain trick, though. Not demons, either. Something other, something with tentacles, like a giant fucking octopus.”

“I’m not…”

“Let me get this part out. Not to be rude, but if I don’t say it now, I’ll second guess myself and clam the fuck up. Those tentacles would emerge from the smoke and pass through us, like a ghost walking past. When it did, we saw things…at least, I did. Other fucking worlds with creatures bigger than the one hiding in the smoke. I heard this strange language buzzing around in my head, like chanting. It made me want to die.”

“The other guys saw and heard this, too?”

“None of them admitted to it, but I saw it in their eyes. The fire was under control by then, so there was no reason for them to have that level of fear shining through.”

“Did you find any survivors?”

“Not a one. They told us that our best hope was the Tunnel of Love ride. There were doors at either end of the ride, both of which would close in the event of an emergency. The feeling was that the people inside might have been protected from the flames.”

“They weren’t, though?”

“No. It looked like a dragon had shot a breath of fire through the whole thing. The white swans were charred black, and the riders were fused together.”

“I wonder if they were hugging out of love or fear.”

“Isn’t it the same thing? You need someone to hold onto when you’re in love and when you’re afraid. The only thing wanted to take hold of me at that time was the tentacle monster.”

“You must…”

“I can still feel him reaching out for me now. Can’t you?”