Fireproof // H.S.

5. Tragedies & Mysteries

"A body was found in the woods by a couple walking their dog yesterday. They were walking along Salmon Creek near the intersection of Jackson Avenue and 6th Avenue when they found the body. The body belongs to a young male in his twenties. The identity of the male is unknown and an autopsy is being performed to figure out the cause of death. If you know anything about this incident, please call 911."

"What a tragedy," said the female anchor to her male co-anchor. She shook her head in disbelief. "On Christmas Day, too."

"Yeah, it's very unfortunate," the male anchor replied.

I stared at the Mysterious Boy watching the news intently. Once the talk about the dead body in the woods was over, he continued writing in his journal.

He's sitting in a chair facing me again. This time I'm behind the cash register and the small TV on the counter behind me. Okay...maybe he wanted a seat with a good view of the TV but he still makes me uncomfortable.

I took a moment to take in his features. He wore a green Packers beanie that tamed his wild curly brown hair. His hair was long--it was at his shoulders. I don't usually like long hair on a guy but he pulled it off with ease. He wore a loose light grey sweatshirt with brown elbow patches and black skinny jeans that hugged his legs. He's a handsome young man but there's something off about him. I always have an uneasy feeling around him.

I leaned back into my chair and listened to the news. Now they're talking about spinach being contaminated with E. coli. Why does my uncle like watching the news? I found the news very depressing. Very rarely would we hear good news on it.

My mind wandered back to the dead body in the woods. The place that body was discovered is not too far away from here. I'd say it was about 15 minutes away. Maybe that's why the boy was so interested in the news. He's probably thinking he shouldn't wander around alone at night anymore.

My aunt and uncle were done for the night and here I was watching the bakery till it closed at nine. The Mysterious Boy came in at 7 PM and ordered his chocolate chip banana bread. This time he lucked out but he still hasn't touched his bread yet. Maybe he's just a college student looking for a nice quiet place to study. I was being too judgmental. He's probably harmless like Niall. Jessica, a college student who works at the bakery part-time walked out of the kitchen, snapping me out of my thoughts. She took off her apron.

"Dishes are done," she said enthusiastically. "Is there anything else that you need help with?"

I racked my brain for anything else that needed to be done. We still had a customer and it'd be rude of us to clean the bakery while he was still here. "I can't think of anything right now. You can sit down and take a break."

"Okay! I'll just study for an exam I have coming up. Just let me know if you need anything." I nodded and Jessica walked over to an empty table with a giant textbook and notebook in her hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her approaching the Mysterious Boy. "How are you doing, sir? Do you need anything?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," he answered, smiling sweetly.

"It's no problem. Just let us know if you need anything." Jessica walked back to her table and began studying.

We only had a few moments of silence until Niall burst through the front door. Niall was out of breath and he had a sense of urgency. He looked worried, flustered, and upset.

"Hey, you finally came!" I greeted him.

"Yeah," he replied hastily. "We need to talk--it's an emergency." Something was wrong. I could see it in his eyes. He wasn't bright and happy like he was yesterday. I turned to look at Jessica and she nodded with understanding that I could step out to talk to Niall while she tended the shop. I turned to look at the Mysterious Boy who stared at Niall with curiosity. I then followed Niall out of the shop. We walked a bit down the street and found an empty alley. I stared at Niall expectantly, wondering what was going on. Niall took a deep breath before starting.