SCRATCH Episode 1: Ashes in the wind

9

Fall 1972

Driving south along route 315, smoke was visible in the early evening sky, Billowing up above the pines and in to the grey air that clung to the town seemingly year round. Deputy Roves eased off the gas of the police cruiser as the junction in to the River View Estate crawled in to his view.

As he turned off the highway and on to the smooth tarmac of the new estate, the red glow of fire truck lights flashed eerily through the swirling smoke that rolled through the streets. Taking a right turn on to one of the pristine avenues, with its white picket fences and perfectly pruned hedges, the horror of what had happened that night came in to the deputy's view. He pulled up the cruiser behind the Sheriffs four-by-four and cranked open the door.

'Cigarette, Deputy?' The sheriff called, striding over to Deputy Roves, 'You're gunno need it pal.'

Roves straightened his hat, not once taking his eyes off the tragedy before him, 'No thanks sheriff, those things are bad for you. Don't you ever listen to the news?' His tone was soft and quiet, the shock of what he saw was obvious.

The sheriff pushed a fresh smoke out of the crumpled pack of Marlboro's and stuck it in the corner of his mouth.

'Everything seems to be bad for me these days, Roves. Damn doctor would have me eating greens and drinking from the river for the rest of my life if he had his way.' The cigarette danced up and down with every word.

Roves stood staring, seemingly not hearing the sheriffs words.

'Hey,' said the Sheriff, wrapping Roves on the arm, causing the stunned Deputy to jump. 'Hey, sorry pal. You okay? Ain't like you haven't seen a fire before is it?'

Deputy roves looked to the sheriff then dropped his eyes to the floor, shaking his head to collect himself. 'Er, no Sir, I'm sorry I don't know what came over me just now, my head feels kinda fuzzy I guess.'

'Well pull that pretty young head of yours together, we've got ourselves a crime scene. Fire crews already pulled a body from the rubble. If the sight of a little fire and some broken glass is enough to space you out, you might wanna get one of those Paramedics to fetch you a stretcher just in case. You ain't seen nothing yet, Deputy.'

Roves shot the Sheriff a concerned look. The sheriff smiled a disturbed smile as he lifted his chrome Zippo to his mouth and took a few short puffs on the Marlboro. The two of them walked side by side weaving through the abandoned emergency vehicles, the Sheriff lifting up the yellow tape at the perimeter for the deputy to pass underneath. Before them lay a fifteen foot pile of broken concrete, twisted steel and discarded bricks. It looked like the building that had once stood proud amongst the neighbourhood had imploded, as if the earth beneath it had simply fallen away and the house had fallen inside to plug the hole.

Around the scene, uniforms ushered rubber necking residents away from the tape giving them the usual spiel about there being 'nothing to see here,' or that they should go inside out of the rain. 'Don't wanna catch a cold now.' None of them seemed to care. Nothing ever happened in the small town of Pine Rivers, so an event of this magnitude was something everybody had to know about. By the morning, almost the entire town would know. The local once-weekly newspaper would print a special mid week edition full of falsified reports from so called 'eye witnesses'. Rumour would start to stir about 'whodunit', with theories ranging from an old mine shaft collapsing to a mysterious organisation that the Stone widow's former husband had apparently gotten himself involved with. There had never been any evidence or reason for anyone to believe in such an organisation, but it kept the talk about town away from the usual comments about the weather, or the latest out-of-towner going missing up on the mountain. People were more glad of the change of subject than they were concerned for the loss of life in the once happy all American dream household. Eventually it would all quiet down, but for the time being, 'TRAGEDY AS EXPLOSION FLATTENS WRITERS HOME', was the biggest thing to ever happen to the people of Pine Rivers.

****

In the Pine forest at the edge of the estate, a shape moved awkwardly through the damp foliage. Its footfalls were loud and clumsy. Two doe's that were grazing nearby rose their heads and bolted in fright at this new noise. The sound of their hooves beating at the sodden dead leaves on the forest floor seemed not to pierce the ears of the shape stomping scared from the horror behind it. Bleeding, wet, cold, scared, the shape pushed on through the pain using the trees as support to push itself along. All the excitement of the explosion would keep the people busy, nobody would be looking for something running through the darkness of the forest, at least not until the fresh light of the morning came. That would be enough time. The vast wilderness would consume them, the rain and the wind would hide any trace of their passing.

By the morning, almost the entire town would know...

...but nobody would see.