Eric--Part Thirteen

Thirteen

   This time there was no murmuring at all. In complete silence, people looked around and then turned their attention back to Eric.

   He returned the looks, wondering if there was more he should say. He turned to Nol, standing beside him, but Nol just looked at him with a silly grin.

   And then the girl, Bev, was walking towards him again, still holding the rabbit in her arms.

   But before she could reach him, Eric became aware of an increase in the heat radiating from the fireplace behind him. He and Nol turned around at the same time to see a roaring fire where, previously, there had only been some smoldering embers.

   As Eric watched in surprise, the flames began to envelop the fireplace itself. To his amazement, the bricks began to burn. They turned a bright pink color and then flames actually started to sprout along them. Soon the flames were climbing towards the ceiling and spreading horizontally along the back wall of the building. When they reached the corners, they began following the walls to where the door was.

   Suddenly, two hands grabbed his right arm and he was pulled backwards, almost off his feet. He turned to find Bev yanking him away from the wall of fire that had had him mesmerized. He realized that people were already heading out the only door, though with a calmness and a quiet that quite surprised him. He turned back for Nol, but Nol had just jumped off the hearth he had been standing on. Trails of flame were streaming along the floor from the fireplace. Bev took his hand on one side and Nol took the other and they headed outside. The flames were only about halfway through the building when they got to the door. Eric turned back and said, "Why don't we try to put it out?"

   Bev went through the door pulling on him and Nol moved behind him to make sure he kept moving. Eric was surprised to find that it was dark when they got outside, with a full moon beaming down. There was no one in sight and Eric reiterated, "Let's do something to stop it."

   "Cor, we've seen these flames before. You know there's nothing that will stop them once they've begun."

   "What are you talking about? Isn't there any water around here?"

   "Cor! You're acting like this is just a fire. You know there's no water nearby. And even if there was..."

   "Will you stop calling me Cor?  My name is Eric."

   Nol froze and looked at Eric with his mouth hanging open.

   Eric was standing just at the start of the center path, watching the fire slowly engulf the building through the open door. In frustration, he sat down where he was.

   "Eric?" Bev walked up and sat beside him. "Do you know where Cor is?"

   Nol walked over to them. "Bev, what are you doing? Cor, what do you mean your name is Eric? You just said you'd join the conference. This hun-fire isn't going to make any difference now. It's happened before, it'll happen again. Everyone knows where to meet next. You're not going to drop out now, are you?"

   The flames started coming around both corners of the building now. The small clearing where the three paths met was becoming very bright. Eric was sitting and looking at Nol who was looking back at him. Frustration was etched on both their faces. Eric looked away, wondering if he had done wrong to commit Cor to a course of action that he, Eric, wasn't sure he would be able to accomplish and that Cor, it seemed, didn't want anything to do with. He looked at the building being consumed by flame.

   "Who's Sean F?" he asked absently.

   Both Bev and Nol started laughing as if Eric had told a particularly funny joke.

   That was the last straw. Eric stood up and started walking doggedly down the path. He wanted to get away from people who thought he was someone else and buildings that caught fire suddenly and couldn't be extinguished. He heard the laughter stop and the two of them start to follow him but he just kept walking. He didn't want anything to do with them. He could hear them keeping pace not far behind him but neither of them said anything.