It was just all so fast, but I remember being upstairs in my bedroom with the window open to let fresh air in when something was thrown into the room that I identified quickly as a firebomb. I only had time to see a dark kind of shadowy figure outside in the yard before a few more were thrown and I had to escape from my room.
My parents made sure I was safely out of the house while they attempted and succeeded to get the fire under some control. When practically the entire town ended up outside the house sirens and blinking lights were supplied by a fire engine, ambulance and police car where I could see my dear Aunt Mall Cop.
I ended up sitting in the back of the ambulance with a blanket around me after my aunt spoke to me about the attack but there was a very irritating reporter trying to get it out of me again. By that point I could barely talk, my voice was scratchy by the smoke.
"Can you describe the figure you saw?" the reporter, a fast talking raccoon, asked me.
"Shadowy and......dark? I don't know, they were too far away," I answered.
"How many bombs did your assailant throw?" the reporter demanded after taking note of my last answer.
"Four, maybe five? I don't know," I said, tired of all his stupid questions. "Can you just stop now?" I added bitterly.
"Just a few more questions, Miss Borowski. Please," he insisted before being forcefully shoved away by Bea. My long time girlfriend of over a year was exactly what I needed right now.
"MayDay! I came as soon as I heard," she said, pulling me into a hug. Her face had been full of terror but now she was a little bit relieved that I was okay.
"BeeBee," I whimpered, holding on as I cried into her shoulder.
"It's alright, I've got you and I told Gregg and Angus to get here as soon as possible," Bea reassured me, and she was right. In the distance the reporter from before was almost ran over by a bicycle which came to a sudden stop, almost throwing off Angus but somehow my best friend was up on his feet in about two seconds.
"Where's Mae!" Gregg shouted at the racoon who pointed in my direction. Bea pulled away and sat beside me as we watched him run straight over while Angus set the bike against a tree before following at a slower pace.
"Gregg...." I tried not to cry as I spoke. "They burnt down my room.....I-I was still inside when it happened, I've lost almost everything I own." I felt Bea take my paw in her scaly hand which provided me with a little comfort.
"Where did they go? I swear I'll slit their goddamn throat," Gregg muttered darkly and I was only the slightest bit scared at the pure rage on his face.
"Round back, my dad is already looking," I answered, and Gregg nodded before pulling out his pocket knife and heading off. Angus came over and sat next to me, which I guess was surprising.
"You're not going to stop him?" I asked the big guy.
"I don't think the National Guard can stop him at this point," Angus replied. "And I'm kinda hoping he does slit the guy's throat."
"Me too, or I'll hunt them down and do it myself," Bea said, keeping me close to her. I could see Germ at her feet, just sitting in the grass and not really saying anything.
"I can't believe this happened," I whispered as I watched the house I grew up in burn to the ground.
"If you need a place to stay you're always welcome at ours," Angus said, and even though I was reassured I just couldn't.
"It's fine, at this point I would sooner sleep at Aunt Mall Cop's," I answered.
"Why do you call her that again?" Bea asked suddenly, and it wasn't a bad question.
"Because mall cops are the worst kind of cops," I explained.
"Man, you do not like your aunt," Angus commented, and in response I shrugged. Gregg came walking across the lawn, looking disappointed and angry so clearly the guy had gotten away.
"I got nothing," he said to me when close.
"Too bad you didn't get stabbed in the face," I said softly since my throat still hurt.
With a smirk, he answered, "Too bad you didn't get burnt alive."
"Too bad you didn't get sideswiped by a bus on your way here."
"Too bad you didn't break your neck."
"Hug me," I pleaded with my arms out and Gregg eagerly returned the hug.
"You two have the strangest way of making up," Bea commented when we pulled away. "But back to the matter at hand, where can you stay now?"
"You can stay at my house," Germ said suddenly, which directed everyone's attention to him who met our gazes with his usual indifferent expression.
"Is there room at your house, Germ?" Angus asked him.
"Yup, a lot," the small bird answered, tucking his hands into his jacket.
"I don't know, Germ," Bea said. "Didn't you tell me your family was sort of....on the big side?"
Germ paused for a moment as he counted on his fingers before nodding. "Our house is bigger," he concluded.
Bea knelt down on the ground beside him. "Germ, are you sure Mae will be safe with you? Her life could be at stake," she said with a firm voice.
"I'm sure," Germ replied seriously.
"Promise me and all of us."
"Stick a needle in my eye," Germ said, still with a serious tone.
"Then I guess I'm staying with you," I said with a small smile.
