The Witness

The Close Call

We had been laughing like a couple of idiots for a few minutes when the sirens started. We both stopped cold turkey and looked at each other. Police sirens, fire truck sirens, heading our way.

In a flash, she grabbed a knife and held up it to my neck.

"Dakota!" I held up my hands in surrender.

"Shut up! Go upstairs, go!"

We both go running upstairs. She leads me past the room and over to the attic entrance. She pulls it down and forces me up the ladder.

"Dakota please, I won't say anything I swear."

She shut the door in my face.

It's super dark, musty, hot. I do see a peek of sunlight so I crawl over to it, moving past boxes and old family photo albums. It's a small window, not big enough to fit through, and no way to open it but it does allow me to peek outside.

Two fire trucks and three police cruisers pull up to the house. I steady my breathing to listen but I can't hear anything they are saying to Dakota who walked outside to meet them. Nothing looks hostile, they are just having a normal conversation.

"Help!" I bang on the window.

But it's no use.

The police haven't turned off their sirens so no one can hear me.

"Help me! Help!" I cry and bang on the window.

I watch them walk into the house, several firefighters dressed in full gear going to check it out.

I quickly crawl over to the attic door and bang on it. I put my ear against the floor and listen.

"Yeah, I was trying to make cookies for a potluck. It was an accident. I was able to get it under control." I hear Dakota say.

"Okay well we just had to come out and check, the alarm system you have automatically alerted us once it rings for more than 2 minutes. I'm glad you're okay."

"Help!" I bang on the floor.

"What was that?" I hear him say.

Yes!

"Huh?" Dakota says.

"I thought I heard something."

"Oh it's probably the tv upstairs, I was watching tv when the fire broke out. I left it on."

"Oh." He says.

"No!" I bang on the floor.

"All clear!" I hear another firefighter say much closer to me.

Then he walks back downstairs.

"No," I bang my head on the floor. "Someone help me." I sob.

I run back over to the window and watch everyone turn their lights and sirens off, getting back in their cars to leave.

"No! Help! Help me! Up here!" I bang on the window.

It's no use, they all load it up and in less than two minutes they are gone. I stare out the window and watch them drive off, tears streaming down my face.

I've never felt more helpless than I did at that moment.

The door to the attic opens and I turn to look at her.

"Come down," she says coldly.

I shake my head no.

"Come down now!" she orders.

A sob breaks free from my lips.

I crawl over to her and climb down.

She has the knife again.

She points it at me.

"I had to try," I say.

She shakes her head no, tears in her eyes.

"Dakota no," I plead.

"You almost ruined everything!" she shouts.

"Dakota," I plead.

"Go to your room."

"No!" I shout.

"Now!"

"No," I sob.

She grabs me by the shirt and points the knife at my neck, I lock eyes with her, showing her I'm not scared of her.

"You could have ruined my life," she says, "Do you even care?"

My gaze softens on her.

"I don't want to be here, do you get that?" I shoot back.

We are silent for a moment.

"This situation sucks for both of us, don't pretend otherwise. I don't want to die, but I also don't want to be here for the rest of my life. No matter how nice you are, or how clean your house is, I have a life! I have friends and family! I'm supposed to be going to school, working for shitty customers. I had to try, do you understand that? I had to try," tears stream down my face.

She nods.

"I'm sorry," I pull free from her and walk to the room, shutting the door softly behind me.

Then I get on the bed and curled up on the bed and close my eyes. This is probably the worst I've felt since she stabbed me and cut all my hair off.

I sniffle and bury my face into the bed to muffle my sobs.

She opens the door to the room and I turn to look at her, she sets the knife down and climbs into bed with me. She's crying softly too. She wraps her arms around me and holds me as I shake in her arms.

I end up crying myself to sleep, too exhausted to stay awake.