Hell Came to Earth

Hell Came to Earth

Linda moved a little closer to Bill; the evening breeze had a bite to it and the smoldering remnants of the fire didn't provide much but volumes of smoke. She knew she should go check that their daughter, Samantha, was properly covered up, but she was so very tired.

I’ll just stay here a few more minutes, she thought, Samantha is probably snuggled up with her favorite doll on the back seat and is just fine..

Mrs. Crabtree was Samantha’s favorite doll, luckily they were able to grab it on their way out. There wasn’t any time to grab much else, it all happened so fast.

SO DAMN FAST! She thought. How could our world change so damn fast? One moment we were just an ordinary family, living ordinary lives and now we have nothing. Poor Bill, he has the look of a cornered animal. I imagine I don’t look much better, but it scares me so to see that look of desperation in his eyes.

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Sunday started out as just another day, it was only by accident that Linda turned the radio on, usually preferring the peace and quiet of a blissful weekend morning, reading or just relaxing and enjoying her mornings. She hadn’t even seen the smoke until the announcer was well into the breathless exclamations. Truthfully, she had only turned the radio on for some background noise while she prepared breakfast. Then what he was saying sunk in.

“All residents of Western San Diego County are advised to prepare for evacuation immediately.”

What? Huh? Not very articulate thoughts for a schoolteacher, but the confusion she felt was so very minor compared to the events and thoughts that came very quickly after.

First, she just stood staring at the radio in shock, then realization set in. “Bill! she screamed, "BILLLL? Bill, for God’s sake wake up!” Turning from her frozen stance, she set off up the stairs. “Bill! Bill, wake up!” Barely pausing long enough to fling the master bedroom door open, she ran down the hall to Samantha’s room.

“Samantha, honey. Wake up dear, hurry wake up and help Mommy get your clothes.” It was then she glanced out the window and saw the smoke billowing up the ridge. “SAMANTHA! HURRY! NOW!”

As Samantha struggled to wake up, Linda began grabbing clothes out of the closet. Her mind on one thing and one thing only, FLIGHT! “BILL, God damn it! Wake up and get in here!” she screamed once again.

“What's going on?” Bill appeared in the doorway, rumpled pajama bottoms and his eyes large with fear. So rudely awakened, his first thoughts upon hearing his wife’s screams that there was something wrong with their daughter. Seeing Linda’s own wild eyes and the way she was throwing clothes around the room only intensified the fear. “What the hell is going on?” He asked. Looking towards Samantha, all he saw was a scared little girl trying to rub the sleep from her eyes, clutching her favorite doll. No blood, no catastrophic sickness.

“Linda? What the hell?”

“Look out the window, Bill! We have to hurry!”

Turning to look out the window, at first Bill couldn't comprehend what he saw. “Oh my God!” He croaked at the sight, a roiling wall of smoke rising out of the canyon, the roaring orange glow right behind it. “My God! Hurry, Samantha!”

Grabbing his daughter up from her bed, Bill turned to Linda. “Just grab all you can carry and let’s go!” Not waiting to see if she understood, Bill rushed down the stairs with his young daughter still clutching her doll. As he reached the SUV parked in the driveway, he was relieved to see that Linda was right behind him. Grabbing the door handle he was horrified to realize that he didn’t have the keys.

“Linda!” he screamed, holding his daughter out. “Take Sammy, I don't have the car keys!”

Clutching Samantha desperately, Linda could see the wall of fire getting nearer. “Oh my God! Hurry Bill, hurry!”

Bill raced into the kitchen, hoping that Linda’s keys were in their regular place hanging from the bulletin board, he didn’t think he had the time to run upstairs to find his own.

God, please let them be there!

At first glance he didn’t see them, almost missing them behind Sammy’s latest posted art work. Thankfully, he spotted them before he lost it in a total panic. Grabbing the keys, Bill turned and ran for the open doorway and outside.

Upon reaching the car, Bill pushed the button and unlocked the doors. “Quickly, Linda!” he gasped, “Don’t bother with the car seat! Just get in, now!” Sliding into the driver’s seat, Bill was already starting the engine. Linda barely able to get herself and their daughter inside before he threw the lever into gear and they backed around the driveway as the first flicker of flames reached the side wall of their house.

Clouds of angry black smoke, billowing from both sides of the road, made navigation almost impossible, but Bill had driven this twisting, canyon road hundreds of times, he only hoped that he could find the turnoff. Glancing in the SUV’s mirror, he could see the smoke behind them as thick as that in front. Turning to look at his wife with their daughter clutched tightly to her breast, Bill tried to sound calm. “Linda, are you all right? We made it, everything is going to be okay.”

Her eyes straining to peer through the thick smoke, Linda only held their daughter tighter. “My God, Bill.” she whimpered, “it all happened so fast!”

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That was all just four days ago! Linda mused. We managed to get down the canyon road safely, and the fire crews brought the fires under some control eventually, allowing residents to check on their homes only today, but our whole lives forever changed. Our home, all of our possessions, gone!

Standing here with Bill in front of the smoldering ruin that had been their life, Linda didn’t know what they were going to do, but at least they are all together. Insurance will take care of most of the possessions, but their life would never be the same.