Eric H. Santana
October 15, 2008
Fire and Friendship
“Jerry… Jerry… it’s time to wake up.” Jerry was sound asleep in his bed as his mother’s words reached him. He began to slowly shrug off his unconscious state in order to get dressed and go to school. “You don’t want to be late today do you? Get up so you can eat breakfast and get dressed.”
“Ok, ok I’m up. Do you want to drive me to school today?”
“Sure I’ll take you, I’m going to the bank today anyway so I’ll drop you off then take care of that. Just don’t take so long.” Jerry sat at the kitchen table and began eating his bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich his mother had prepared for him after he hastily dressed. He didn’t have any preference for his attire as he was still groggy and tired. He combed his curly hair but it didn’t really make a difference, his bed-head hair remained.
“Thanks mom, it came out really good.”
“You’re welcome sweetie.” As Jerry’s mother went upstairs to get ready for the day’s journey Jerry finished the last of his sandwich. He stared at the crumbs on his plate for a few seconds, as if he needed a moment devoid of any activity. This desire to do nothing was brought about by him only sleeping four and a half hours. He then stood up and shook off the remains of sleepiness he felt and ventured down to the basement to use the second bathroom so he could brush his teeth. The lush blue carpet covering the stairs cushioned his footsteps and he quietly descended. “I’ll be waiting in the car.” Jerry’s mom said as she opened the front door and stepped out. Jerry took his bright red toothbrush out front behind the mirror above the sink and coated it in toothpaste. He then rubbed the five o’clock shadow he had on his face and thought I’ll shave… eventually.
He glanced at the stripes of green, red, and white paste on his brush before he began brushing.
As he spit he watched the foamy paste slide through the screen in the sink down the drain.
Afterwards Jerry grabbed his worn, ripped book bag from the floor and locked the door on his way out. As he opened the car door his mother smiled at him and asked “Do you have everything you need?”
“Yea I do. Thank you for taking me to school mom.”
“Alright, you’re welcome.” Jerry’s mother started the car and pulled out from their house. Jerry looked one last time at it as they pulled away. He felt his home was a protective vessel for his family. He felt a home should keep the residents safe from outside factors, seeing as how people have to work years to afford a home most of the time, in his opinion. He thought it seemed fair that way. His eyes averted to a flock of pigeons flying in the distance in the direction opposite the car was going. “Your father took his bike to work today instead of the car.”
“Oh that’s good. I thought I heard him leaving this morning.” Jerry smiled at the thought of his father. Jerry realized how much he appreciated his parents raising him and smiled a little as he stared through the windshield. He then was saddened by the thought he didn’t always show his thankfulness to his parents and how he had caused them to be upset with his actions in the past. The car pulled up in front of his school. “Ok mom, thanks. I love you.”

“Ok I love you too. Take care, honey.” Jerry kissed his mother on the cheek and stepped out of the car. He looked at the three year old ford crown Victoria his mother was driving and smiled as it pulled out. The grey paint job was scratched all across the front passenger door horizontally from a random act of vandalism by one of the local kids in the neighborhood. Jerry didn’t let the observation put him in a bad mood however because he realized it wasn’t fair to let someone else’s actions spoil his day. The scratches had been there a week but he knew his father would eventually get them repaired when the money was available. He noticed a few rats scurrying in the direction from which he came and as they passed him he couldn’t help but stare.
“Yo! Jerry! Yo!” Jerry turned his head and looked down the block. It was his friend Remeh calling his name. Remeh had on his faded black shirt that once said “Heavy
Metal” but as time took its toll the letters wore down. His shirt now read “Eav Etal” and was untucked overlapping his loose fit blue jeans and black skating sneakers. Jerry observed the green laces Remeh put into them and smiled.
“Yo whats up man!” Jerry and Remeh shook each other’s hands with their own original handshake. They both had a solid grip and flexed their arm muscle as they held each others hand. They made eye contact and Remeh’s soft green eyes met Jerry’s fierce brown eyes. Jerry’s mood went from being ok to being happy due to Remeh’s presence.
“So how’ve you been?”
“I’ve been good, a little tired though. How about you?”
“I’m alright. I got to eat a really good bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich this morning. Yo that shit was mad good.” They both laughed aloud at how enthusiastic Jerry was in relation to the quality of his food.
“That’s pretty ill man. I only got to eat a bagel with cream cheese I bought on the way here. Trying to eat it while sitting on the bus was a bitch!”
Jerry smiled at Remeh and said “Oh I’m sorry to hear that man.”
“Nah its cool, I enjoyed it anyway. It’s not like it tasted bad, it’s just that as the bus hit all the cracks and potholes my bagel would hit my face instead of going in my mouth.” Jerry began to laugh very heartily. Remeh began laughing as well after seeing how funny Jerry thought that was. “I hope the teacher’s absent today, that would be great.”
“Yea for real…” Jerry and Remeh were half a block away from their school and began to enter the schoolyard. “Oh look its Mandii. Mandii! Yo Mandii!” A girl with long black hair featuring green highlights and streaks turned around. Her black hoodie matched her black and red painted fingernails and the wind blew lightly against her plaid skirt. Her black sneakers with red laces caught Rememh’s eye and he thought they were tasteful as he made a grunt of approval.
“Mandii!!” Remeh exclaimed as well. As their mutual friend turned to greet them, something very strange caught Jerry’s eye. He thought initially someone had thrown a cigarette into the trashcan behind Mandii and some of the garbage had begun to burn.
“Yo look at the garba-“ Before he could get out the words Jerry’s mind was frozen in its tracks. The smoke he saw coming from the trash suddenly had a hand composed entirely of flame come out of it and grasp the rim of the trash can. Jerry stared in confusion at what reality was now showing him. Suddenly Mandii gave him a hug which caused him to take a step back, as he was so caught up in what he saw he didn’t notice her approaching. He then accepted her hug, as it brought him comfort in his

moment of confusion. She had already hugged Remeh and the both of them looked at
Jerry.
“Hey Jerry. What’s the matter?” Mandii sincerely asked with a look of concern in her vibrantly blue eyes.
“Yo what are you looking at man? You were saying something but I was saying hi to Mandii, my bad. So… What’s a ‘garba-‘?”
“Garbage Can… Look at the fucking Garbage can!” Jerry couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. The fiery hand was attached to a body which was now beginning to emerge from the trash. By now at least fifteen out of the forty or so kids were observing this phenomena in their schoolyard. “What the fuck…” Jerry squinted hoping this event was a hallucination.
“Yo what the hell is that?” Mandii said curiously. Before Remeh even had time to respond this fiery entity had fully emerged and set foot onto their schoolyard. It was a human shape composed entirely of red and orange fire. One freshman boy cautiously approached as his friends encouraged him to. The boy had a look of excitement as he was sure this was some kind of joke. The fiery being then opened its eyes revealing two blue flames where eye balls should be. It then opened what appeared to be a mouth showing a bright yellow light from within. It shrieked and grabbed the boy, instantly combusting the child. The boy dropped lifeless to the floor, his skin completely disintegrated. He was a crumpled heap of cooked muscle and flesh. His friends looked on in shock and horror.
Mandii was almost hypnotized by the presence of this being and Remeh had his hand over his mouth in disbelief.
“Holy shit.” Remeh said in a low frightened voice.
“Yo c’mon! Let’s go! We have to get the fuck outta here! Mandii! Snap out of it!”
Jerry exclaimed as he grabbed Mandii’s shoulders. By now his face showed a look of determination. He was determined to keep his friends and himself alive no matter what.
“But… What the fuck just happened? I can’t believe…” Mandii said as she broke into tears seeing the burning dead body. By now Remeh had recovered his wits and grabbed Mandii by the hand.
“Let’s Go!” he said to her. She looked at him with tearful eyes as they met his.
Together they ran alongside Jerry toward the nearest train station. “Where the fuck are we gonna go man?!”
“ I- I don’t know. I guess we should all go to our homes—“ Jerry gazed up at the clear cloudless sky and suddenly the entire sky turned a deep red color. “ Oh my god”
Jerry was overwhelmed by the sudden change but continued to run toward the train with them.
“What’s causing that?! What are we gonna do guys!?” Mandii asked fearfully.
She had regained her composure but still felt in danger.
“ I dunno what just happened to the sky.. We’ll talk when we’re on the train...”
Remeh said as he began to run out of breath. They reached the stairs of the train and began to race up them as fast as they could. Jerry stepped on a discarded newspaper and slipped. He tried to grab the rail but missed and landed on his right shoulder and knees against the metal steps of the platform. He lay for a second coping with his injuries.
“C’mon man you’re alright” Remeh said as he picked up Jerry and helped him to his feet.
They once again met eyes and Jerry realized Remeh truly wanted to protect them all. As

Jerry stood up the fiery being emerged from the wall. It could manipulate its own size and grow larger. The being set a ring of fire around the three and spoke.
“Do you fear me? Why run if no fear is in your hearts?”
“Of course we fear you!” Remeh shouted in protest of their fiery prison cell.
“Why fear what you don’t understand?” the being dryly stated.
“Because you’re a killer!” Mandii responded. She was holding back tears and felt like there was a lump in her throat.
“What do u fucking want with us?!?” Jerry demanded to know.
“In order for me to cease this torturous existence, one must sacrifice themselves to extinguish these flames. They must embrace me fully knowing they are to die.”
“Why did you kill that kid?! Where are you from?!” Mandii asked as she broke into tears. Remeh put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. They were all heavily sweating from the heat.
“That child attacked me and I-“
“No! The poor kid didn’t know what you were. You ended his life without mercy! How can u be attacked if you can’t die?!?” Jerry screamed.
“I… I… I don’t know why. I just reacted to his approach and before I knew it the human was dead.”
“Enough! The red sky, the death all around us… This has to end! I love you guys and I’ll miss you…” Remy stated as he walked through the fire and hugged this fiery being. They both exploded into a brilliant green flash and then they were no more. Jerry stood speechless with a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes. He took Mandii by the hand and they stared into the once more cloudless blue sky.
“He’s really gone..” Mandii wimpered.
“No, he’s with us in our hearts and minds… He was our hero.”