Schism

Chapter 7 part 2

William clutched hard at the tangle of tarp in his hand.  The texture of the cloth and the pain radiating from his elbow kept him focused, away from the fog, but sleep still pulled at him.  His body ached.  Legs, arms, back, all were sore and demanded rest.  Those muscles had barely moved for two years and today he had sprinted over half the city and pulled himself up onto the top of a building.  It was tempting to let the fog take over and melt the pain away.

He didn’t want that, but the need to rest was becoming irresistible.

As he eased off into sleep, the fog formed over him and brought the memories with it.

 *

He stared at the smoke rising from the building down the street.  As he did, William's awareness itched at him and he felt himself both on the street and curled on the tarp at the same time.  This wasn't just a memory or dream.  He hadn't been bothered with dreams of the fire since he'd taken the pills.  Why were they coming now?  Were the voices bringing them to him?

The images pulled at him, tore his attention away from the objective thoughts, away from where he lay in the abandoned building.

He was on the street, staring at the smoke.  Jessica stood next to him.  "What is it?" she asked.

You have to go, The Hunter said.

They need you, The Caretaker said.

The voices started down the street without him. 

"Will?" 

He turned to Jess.  If only he could explain.

You cannot tell her. The Advisor said.

The Advisor stood firm.  William looked between them.

"Please, just wait here.  I'll be right back."  He gripped Jessica's hand quickly and sprinted down the street.

The first screams hit him when he was still two blocks away.  He sped up and scanned the outside of the building as he ran.  Flames crawled out some of the windows, but no first responders had arrived yet.  Maybe he was in time.

He worked his way through the first two floors quickly.  The flames were lighter and most of the apartments had already emptied.  But when he touched the door at the top of the staircase, it surged with heat.  He dropped to the floor and kicked at the latch.  The door slammed open as the flames first sucked in the breath of fresh oxygen and then spit out a plume of heat over William's prone body.

He rolled over and crawled forward, stopped at the first door.  The Advisor stood there, flame folded around and within his fog filled body.

Empty.  The next one.

William continued forward, wrapped his shirt around his palm and grabbed the knob of the next door.  Locked.

The Hunter stood near him.  Hit it, he said.

A quick nod to The Hunter and William dove forward, buried his shoulder into the smoldering door.  It cracked and swung open, the top hinge broken, leaving the door at an odd angle in the apartment's living room.

Inside, a family of four was huddled together under the smoke.

"Go!"  William pointed toward the stairway down the hall.  The parents urged their children forward and William pushed them all out of the apartment.

One more, The Advisor said.

The voices pointed down the hall, into the deepest smoke and fire.  William scuttled his way to the door, barreled through it without testing the lock.

There was a man on the floor, arms stretched toward a bedroom door.  The Caretaker stood over him, smoke filled eyes locked on the door and what lay behind it.

His wife and child.  They are gone.  Help him.

William grabbed the man and quickly hoisted him up into a fireman's carry.  It would make staying low harder, but he could probably hold his breath through the smoke until he reached the lower floors.

As he rose, he caught a glint of metal and glass on the floor.  A watch.

Take that.  He will need it, The Caretaker said.

William snatched the watch up and with a final breath of relatively clear air, he ran out into the hallway.

 *

He twitched awake, his body nearly afire with pain.  William blinked back the threatening return of sleep, grabbed a handful of tarp to anchor himself again.

He knew it wasn't a dream.  The voices were showing it to him for a reason.  Though it hadn't been the answers he'd wanted, nor come when he'd asked, the voices had finally replied.  The one vision of his past had shown him two things.

More fires were coming.  That was what he needed to protect Jess from, he was sure of it.  He let himself relax for a short moment.  He'd been through fire before.  If he could watch over her, he could keep her safe from it.

And the vision had shown him a second thing.  He now knew who the man at Jessica's apartment was.  

 *

(Author's note:  So, was William saving who we think he was saving?  What do you think...does this explain a few things???  FYI, chapter 8 has some big revelations about Jess and Dr. Westen!  It's just one click away...)