Death Before Dishonor

The Promise to Saving Lives

There’s a dog in there!

The firefighter shouted. Looking at the fire devouring the house in front of them, people think of it as a lost cause. Both the people living in there along with the dog have been charred to death. No way they made it out alive…

“Sir, with all your respect,” the firefighter insists, “I’ve seen the dog. He’s still in there.”

“Bryan, I am not risking any of you to save something that is surely not there. We’ve done what we could.”

“No we haven’t. We haven’t done enough until we save someone.”

   

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

The house had stood at the corner down the street from the fire station. Every single time the fire truck drove by in emergency call, the house was there, standing still, living up to whatever season of the year. It was Spring when Bryan noticed the new tenants; before that afternoon, the house had been dark, empty, and you could smell the solitude from miles away. But it seemed to come to life when a 2010 yellow cavalier and a 2010 white Ford Focus appeared in the driveway. The grass was mowed, the yard got put together, the paint on the house was fresh and bright as the blue of the sky; a hose was also hooked up to the side of the house to work as a sprinkler on the sidewalk, and then, there they were, a couple, from what Bryan could tell. From the moving truck, he stared at them while they watched a puppy pitbull play around in the yard. It was just like any other American family enjoying of their evening. They just happened to be a gay couple, two guys sitting on the ground, one leaning against the wall by the door, holding the other one in his arms, and they smiled, and Bryan could see the happiness in their smile. And he smiled too.

The heat in his face makes him come back to reality, and he finds himself bursting into the house, his sergeant screaming behind him to stop right there, but he keeps on going inside. The crackling of the fire is all around him, it makes it hard to hear, even after all these years of service, he can’t get to the point where things just slow down, as others put it, to think and hear as clearly as one can under such heat -pun intended.

Suddenly, a whimper comes from the very corner of the house where he figured the bedroom would be. The house wasn’t too big which made it easier under the circumstances to get from one place to another; and also, a little harder because the flames were closing in faster by the minute. And again, there was the whimper and a bark from the dog coming from the hallway.

Brian had never met a gay couple before, not one that took a big step as it is to move in together and raise a dog. It is a big deal, you see, he explained in his personal blog, a hobby he shared with no one, having a dog is like having a kid; they need attention and care, it’s a life that depends on you. For the rest of the dog’s life. At least, after a few years, your child is able to look after oneself; but not the dog. They still rely on you. There is no turning back. Also, besides the dog, Brian could just see how much the guys cared for each other, somehow he could just tell; the way one looked at the other when he wasn’t looking. And the way they just stood there, watching life pass, holding hands, with no care in the world. Why would anyone be against love like this?

He finds the dog hiding in the bathroom behind the toilet, barking louder as the flames started to barge in more and more. With one swing of his ax, Brian breaks the window right across from the bathroom, giving way to the smoke to get out, and for water to come through. He then comes into the bathroom and goes straight to the dog, grabbing him with both hands as if it were a baby to shelter him on his way out. And he makes it through the broken window, which was his only way out because the fire had blocked the way to the door.

The medal for bravery he receives days later does not change the image he’s acquired of the very same man that told him to give up, and now praises his courage and dedication to the job. Yet, he still respects him, and he understands his stance; the house was pretty much gone, but it was the barking that got him riled up to disobey orders and risk his life. And he doesn’t regret it. Sitting up next to Brian, the dog looks up at him as if thanking him once again, and the image of the remainings of the house sneaking up in his head breaks the moment. As Brian was handing the dog over to paramedics, and getting himself some of the oxygen that was swaped for the dog, he looked back to the house only to discover the face of hatred. The fire had ceased from the window that served as his exit just seconds before, and clearly on the wall that the broken window exposed, and as if the fire decided to leave intact, in bright red a spray painted message that sent Brian in an internal hysteria --DIE F*****S!

Author's Note

Not sure if adding another paragraph would be a good idea. What do you think?

Reviews

[Rohan Tandon]

I think it is perfect as it is. Don't change a thing. I like the way you keep breaking off to give us a look into Brian's mind. Sorta like alternating between whats inside and whats outside... Great story.

P.S. Do read my 'Criminals, Lovers, Sinners' and let me know what you think

Thanks,
Rohan