Absence

The moment Marla’s eyes opened, pain pierced her skull. Gasping, she clutched her head, hoping the ringing in her ears would stop.

What happened?

Her memories were foggy, but images flashed in her mind. She was waiting for the bus, a large sign with a drop of water and a dollar sign surrounded by a red circle with a line through it, in her hand. She was on her way to a protest. Global warming had made water scarce in the last couple of decades and now only the rich could afford to keep their pools and deep soaker tubs full, while the rest of them had to wait for the government to hand out rations for drinking and washing.

Looking around, the bench she had been sitting on was covered in rubble from the apartment building behind it. Flames licked at the gaping hole in the corner of the four-story walk up as smoke billowed into the street. All around her, people ran in different directions to get away.

Pulling herself up, Marla stumbled and fell against a parked car. The red finish that was once smooth was now dented and coated in a thin layer of dust. Wiping her dirty hands on her torn shirt, Marla realized her heart-shaped locket was missing. It had been a gift from her mother before she had died.

Frantically searching the street, the ringing in her ears finally subsided and the noise around her came into full volume. People were crying out for help; others were screaming in fear or pain. Across the road, a woman held a man in her arms and she wailed as she rocked his body back and forth on her lap. The only sounds missing were the fire trucks.

There wasn’t enough water to save the buildings anymore. Once a fire was lit, it had to burn itself out. Many neighborhoods were nothing but charred remains now because of it. Marla’s mother’s house included. Tears ran down Marla’s cheeks as she stood there, watching.

“Alex! Alex, where are you?” a man down the road shouted. His clothes were torn and dirty, and a gash on his head seeped blood down the side of his face. “Please, anyone. Help me find my daughter! She’s wearing a blue dress.”

On shaky legs, Marla rushed over to him, dodging abandoned cars and bikes.

“Maybe I can help,” she called out, but the man stared blankly ahead and kept walking. Frowning, Marla followed in case he didn’t hear her. “Sir, I can help. Where did you last see her?”

The man paused to cough, deep and loud, but still didn’t seem to notice her. When she put her hand on his shoulder, he flinched and spun to look behind him. His blue eyes glanced around, almost as if he couldn’t see her.

That’s weird, Marla thought. Maybe he’s in shock. “Are you okay? I think you might have hit your head too hard. You should see a doctor.”

The lines around his mouth deepened and he shook his head. “I don’t have time for this. I need to find Alex.” He turned and shuffled down the road, continuing to call his daughter’s name.

Marla stared after him, tilting her head to the side. Why didn’t he want my help?

Sirens in the distance slowly grew louder. At least the other emergency services were still available as police cars and ambulances parked at the end of the street. A couple of EMS responders ran to the wailing woman, and another to the man looking for his daughter, but no one approached her.

A secondary explosion pushed Marla to the ground, face first. The rough cement skinned her palms and the heat of the flames was hot on her back. The voices of the police officers sounded far away, but she could make out the words: move further away from the building and take cover.

Crawling, Marla made it to the park across the street and picked herself up. After choosing a bench that faced the road, she flopped down on it and rubbed her chest. Her heart raced beneath her ribcage. Across the street, the fire roared with renewed life on the two upper floors and her eyes glazed over as she watched it burn.

Time passed and the flames began to fade just as the sun fell below the horizon. The orange glow from the building cast long shadows across the street where emergency responders were clearing debris, looking for casualties. They had long since taken the man out of the wailing woman’s arms and put her in an ambulance while his body waited on the curb for another vehicle headed for the mortuary. Other bodies had joined his by now, including the little girl in a blue dress.

Sadness tugged at Marla’s heart, seeing the young girl’s body laying on the ground under a white cloth all alone. Having nowhere to go, the least she could do was keep the girl company. Getting up, she made her way to the curb and sat down next to Alex. The grass was prickly against her scraped hands, but at least the cool evening air could reach her better in the open and took the heat off her scorched skin.

Sitting there, Marla’s eyes roamed along the others. At least six bodies had been found at that point, all neatly tucked beneath white cloths. But the hand of one in particular was sticking out and something gold glinted in the palm. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching; Marla went over to see what it was. A golden heart-shaped locket had been placed there with care. Marla’s eyebrows puckered as she stared at it.

Why would they give this body my necklace?

A niggling suspicion pulled at her and she reached out a shaky hand. The cover easily pulled up and fell against the body’s chest. Blood smeared a familiar, but pale face. The woman had the same long nose, thin lips and high cheekbones that Marla did. Gasping, she stumbled back; a hand covering her mouth.

I can’t be dead. I’m still here. Walking around, talking to people. That’s when she realized that no one really acknowledged her. The EMS never asked if she was hurt or offered to take her to the hospital. The police didn’t question her about what happened, and Alex’s dad looked right past her when she tried to talk to him.

Backing into the street, she didn’t see the bright light that appeared behind her, but a little girl’s whimper turned her around. Alex stood in front of the light, staring into it. Reality quickly set in and Marla’s heart slowed. It was their time to go. Approaching the girl, Marla held out her hand to Alex.

“Hey, it’s okay. We can go together,” she said, giving the girl a small smile.

Alex’s tear-streaked face peered up at her. Her beautiful brown eyes were rimmed with red and her little chest shook with suppressed sobs. The blonde head bobbed up and down in agreement as the girl’s tiny hand slipped into Marla’s, and together they entered the light.

The End.