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Teenage Ghost
Dan Holbert jumped out of the passenger side of his brother in laws old, beat up, brown pickup truck. He rushed past the squad car with Principle Stone in the back without noticing her. He made it to the front line of firefighters before anyone had even noticed he was out of place.
Lt. Braken grabbed Dan roughly by arm and dragged him away from the scene, “What business do you have here, Sir?” The disheveled, hispanic man said nothing in reply. Lt. Braken repeated in a louder and firmer tone, “Sir. What business do you have here?”
“I’m head of maintenance.” Dan said softly at first then repeated louder as he pulled himself free from the Lieutenant fire fighter.
“What classrooms are in this wing of the building.” Lt. Braken asked quickly.
“The science labs.” Dan said without hesitation.
“Science labs.” Braken thought quickly of what were in science labs, flammable liquids, chemicals, solids…Bunsen burners. Braken asked afraid of the answer. “Was the gas off?”
“Gas off?” Dan Holbert questioned.
“The labs had Bunsen burners, correct?” Braken pushed with urgency.
Dan’s face turned pale.
Lt. Braken did not hesitate, he rushed to his truck and called in to have the gas line to the school turned off.
The camera man panned out over the crowd that stood near the school. It focused in on the african american woman seated in the back of the squad car. Then later focused on the firefighters and random police at the scene. Then focused on a hispanic male who was on the verge of a hysterical breakdown.
Dan stumbled backwards as he thought about what all this meant to him, to his career. It was over. He was watching it go up in flames in front of his eyes.
The cameraman turned to the reporter who stood poised ready. He nodded at her and she began speaking.
“This is Cheryl Skimmet live at Studemont High School, where the entire wing is ablaze at this hour.” The woman walked across the street and got nearer to the school as she continued reporting. “The source of the blaze is unknown at this time, what is known is that the fire alarms failed to sound. We are uncertain at this hour if it was a technical malfunction or deliberate sabotage.”
Dan Holbert looked over at the reporter who had just crossed the street and was making her way towards him. He let out a breath and looked all around him, as if an escape would present itself, or he would suddenly wake up in his bed and be safe.
“Excuse me,” the reported said as she reached him. “I’m Cheryl Skimmet from News Twelve. Can you tell me your name and if you work for the school?”
Dan answered without thinking, “I’m Dan Holbert. I’m head maintenance for the school.”
Cheryl jumped in quickly with the questions before he could avoid her. “Can you tell me anything about this fire? Was it an accident? Was it deliberate? Why did the fire alarms fail to warn the proper authorities?”
“I…” Dan was at a loss for words. His eyes looked past the reporter to the front courtyard of the school. His jaw dropped as he saw the teenage girl from the video standing alone.
Vi grinned evilly and crossed her arms.
The cameraman picked up on the unspoken exchange and focused in on the girl.
“Hey!” Cheryl complained loudly as the shot shifted off her.
Dan the cameraman took his eye off the teenager for a second at the noise, when he looked back through the viewer the girl was gone. He panned the courtyard but there was no sign she had even been there.
Dan Holbert looked at the cameraman knowingly. There was something not right about that girl.