“It’s just weird, you know?” Ashley was making her dinner as Nicole ate at the table. “Like, I was doing all this stuff before Lance came, but it was nice having someone out there with me. And it would be one thing if Lance just left. And it would be one thing if the semester ended and everyone went home. But the two things happening at the same time make me feel almost lonely when I’m out there.”
“I’m sure the next three weeks will fly by,” Nicole answered, setting her fork down. “You’ll leave next weekend and be at home for a week for Christmas, and you’ll have soccer practice to keep you occupied. Plus, at least since I’m here for intersession classes, you won’t be alone when you get home!”
“You’re right, you’re right. It’s just a lot more change than I was anticipating all at once. I mean, I feel like I was just starting to be around people again after my injuries, and now everyone is leaving again.”
“I know, Ash. It’ll be okay, though,” Nicole assured her as she washed off her plate. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll have more action soon enough.”
“I know, you’re right. As soon as I finish this, I might go ahead and go out early. I think it will help me process.”
“If you think that’s best, then I support it. I’m going to go work on some laundry now before I tackle my homework. I’ll see you in the morning!”
Ashley finished up her dinner, grabbed her jacket, mask, and staff, and headed out for rounds. Patrolling looked different, carrying the staff and wearing a mask the whole time. She couldn’t just walk around campus looking for something to happen anymore. She had to just sit and wait for something to happen. For someone to be attacked or get robbed. I hate waiting.
After four hours of alternating between sitting on the rooftop edge and stretching to get loose from sitting on the ledge, Ashley returned home and called it a night.
“Not a single person even walked by below me last night. No one is on campus,” she complained to Nicole the morning after.
“Isn’t that good?” Nicole asked, still in her robe as she brewed a pot of coffee. “It means no one is in trouble, right? Isn’t that the goal?”
“I mean. Yeah. That’s true. But also. It’s boring to just sit out there all night without anything happening. But if I don’t go and something does happen, then I’ll feel guilty and the very little trust I’ve built back up on campus the last few weeks will have been squandered.”
“No one is expecting this of you. You’re stretching yourself too thin. Just take a break from it.”
“I already took a month-long break to heal. It’s not a break that I need. I need opportunities to stop bad guys, so people stop making me out to be the bad guy.”
That opportunity came that night, though not in the manner she expected. Three hours into her patrol, she stretched out, paced the rooftop, and came to a pause to stare out into the night on the opposite, neighborhood-facing side of the building.
A light caught her eye through the window of one of the houses next to the street. A flame. Racing to the fire escape, she made it to the ground and sprinted to the house where smoke was beginning to rise up into the dark sky. She banged on the door as the dog inside barked in a panicked frenzy. She pulled on the handle, but the door was locked. Ashley took a step back and a deep breath. Then, swinging her staff as hard as she could, she broke the window next to the door and crawled in.
“Hello! Is anyone in here?” she yelled out, the heat almost as oppressive as the acrid smoke.
“Unghh,” a faint moan called from the kitchen. Sprinting to the room, Ashley pulled her shirt up over her nose and mouth to keep from coughing as the smoke pushed up against her. A young woman no older than her was lying on the floor, coughing.
“Are you hurt?” Ashley asked through her shirt, but the woman only coughed in response. Lifting her up under her arms, Ashley dragged her out of the house, stopping only to unlock the door as smoke billowed out around her. Once she’d dragged the woman far enough from the house that the smoke was no longer intrusive and the heat had faded behind them, Ashley laid her on her side where she continued coughing.
“Is there anyone left inside?”
The woman coughed again but nodded her head yes. Sirens began blaring in the distance as Ashley rushed back into the house.
Her shirt still over her nose, she fanned smoke away from her watery eyes to see. In the hallway, she kicked at the first door to the right but only found an empty bathroom. Moving on to the second door on the right, she kicked again. A dog whimpered and dashed through the living room and out the open front door. A rumble went through the house as part of the ceiling caved in above the kitchen. Ashley quickened her pace, darting across the opening to but still feeling the blistering lick of the flames seeking more fuel.
The last door on the left was already open and appeared empty. Kicking at the final door, she found two women unconscious. One lay sprawled out across the bed while the other was under a dresser that had fallen. Using her staff, she pried the dresser up enough to flip it on its side.
She grabbed the girl under her arms and dragged her to the front yard too. Flashing lights came up the street as she rushed back in, leaving her staff outside the house.
She stuttered to a stop as a pillar in between the kitchen and living room crashed to the ground in front of her. Another part of the ceiling caved in, the whole house shaking around and under her as her legs threatened to give way. Coughing, she leapt over the fallen pillar and rushed back into the room. The fire had reached the far wall and the flames crackled as it ate through the wood, almost drowning out the sirens just outside. After dragging the remaining woman to the living room, she picked her up into a fireman’s carry to maneuver over the pillar.
Outside again, she carried out the last woman and passed her off to firefighters who had just arrived on the scene and were checking on the other women. Picking up her staff, Ashley stumbled further away from the house, coughing, using the staff to support her as she allowed her shirt to come down off her nose. She blinked, trying to get the burning to stop, but to no avail.
A small crowd of onlookers had come out to watch the burning building. Some were checking on the women, and a couple in the crowd had the dog from the house at their feet.
“That’s her!” someone shouted, pointing at her. “That’s the campus vigilante! The girl who took the White Knight’s spot! She just saved those people from the fire!”
A chorus of cheers came from the crowd as Ashley waved while continuing to cough. They moved to get closer to her, but she took off, against the firemen’s wishes, jogging as quickly as she could into the brisk night, her lungs still burning.
Eagless Season 1 will conclude with episode 112, December 15th.
For more stories set in this world, buy my books, The White Knight and SAMSON – OUT NOW! Or read my short story series The Street Rat for free like Eagless!
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K. B. Kirtley 