PYGMALION

  by DocPaul  

Chapter Nine: Built of pyres of fire, the heart is slain.

Day Nine: Wednesday, 3:36 am

Zeke woke to nothing. It was there again. Stillness. This was the second time that night he had awakened. Sitting up in bed, he checked the clock on the bedside table. He still had a good four hours to sleep before he needed to get up.

Lying back in his bed, he tried to go back to sleep, but something seemed to stop him. Caught in an uncertain mood, he let fantasy take him on a ride to calm his nerves and give him an outlet back into sleep.

Ticking.

Time moved slow.

Hush. Silence. Then a loud almost swooshing sound. Followed by a deafening explosion.

The sound seemed to fold in on itself, and the loudness deafened the ears until all he could hear was the beating of his own heart.

The initial blast was strong enough to throw Zeke from his bed. Fuck! Standing up he shook himself. What the hell was that?

Then he smelt it. Fire.

Grabbing his shoes, he hopped down the stairs, struggling to put them on.  

Margo.

Rushing outside, he could see the night sky lit up by the flames of the fire. Call. Fire. No time. The end of the warehouse was on fire. The south side where both Margo’s and Mrs. Mulhoney’s lofts were, plus the two empty ones waiting to be renovated.

Margo.

Zeke rushed to her door and banged on it. Frantic when there was no answer, he could already smell the smoke coming from under the door. Moving back, he raced forward hitting the door. Nothing. Damn strong oak. He looked around frantically for something, anything to help break down the door. Peering through the window, the sight of gathering smoke turned his stomach, emptying it in a disquieting nausea. Margo. Her paint supplies. Turpentine. If the smoke didn’t kill her, the explosion and racing fire would, once it hit her supplies. Almost everything she had was an accelerant. Margo.

Not thinking. Zeke moved back and then ran at the window. Jumping high, he crashed through the glass as tempered sheets of cutting ice rained over him, slicing into his skin. Rolling on the floor, he got to his knees as the thick smoke overwhelmed him. Coughing, he called for her, “Margo!

No answer. Zeke rushed for the stairs. He had to search there first. If he checked the first floor, he might lose the opportunity to get to the second, and Margo would be dead. If she was there. Rushing the stairs, the metal grating was already too hot to the touch. Searching the loft studio, he couldn’t see anything through the smoke. His eyes were streaming with tears. Dammit. No. No. He wouldn’t lose her too. On his hands and knees he scrambled, feeling, touching things and moving. Coughing, his head hurt. The pounding was almost louder than the rushing sound of the fire.

Margo.

She lay on the floor in a heap. Her head had a bleeding gash and she was unconscious. The initial explosion must have thrown her across the room.

“Margo! God!” He quickly checked her neck. Sighing in relief. Still beating. Leaving her, he scrambled towards the area where he knew there was a sink. Grabbing anything that felt like material he soaked it in the water. Wrapping a wet cloth around his head and shoulders, he quickly wet another one and tried to keep from succumbing to the smoke. If he went down, they both died. Margo couldn’t die.

Returning to her, he quickly wrapped her in the wet material as best he could. Gathering his faltering strength, he picked her up and tried to get through to the stairs. The smoke was too thick and the upper room was a hotbed as the heat of the fire concentrated to the top of the room and sucked what remained of the oxygen from the room. Stop. Drop. Roll.

Zeke went to the floor, and pulled Margo behind him towards the stairs. The air near the floor was still breathable, but just barely. At the stairs he pulled them both down a few steps until he could finally pick her up and walk the rest of the way. Struggling to stay upright and not collapse, he carried her still form down the first flight. The smoke was too thick to see through, but one thing he could see was flames. The fire was already in the bottom section surrounding them. The material around his head was already dry, and his skin burned from the cuts and some type of chemical gone aerosol. He felt like his lungs were going to explode.

Last flight. Then the door, and air. He could do it. He had to - for Margo. Taking the last flight in midstep there was another explosion, and the stairs beneath him collapsed.

~~~

The sensation of falling was the first thing he became aware of as his body hit the floor. There was a stillness as he tried to orient himself to what just happened. It was Maria that made him finally move.

“Michael?"

“Maria!” Scrambling over to her, he found her on the floor as well. She was clutching her arm.

“Let me see.” He looked at it. She had landed hard on her wrist. Instinctually she must have reached out to stop falling, to protect the babies. “I think it’s broken."

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. An explosion.” Michael looked around the room, and from the closed blinds he could see a light where it should have been dark. “Something’s burning. Grab some clothes and shoes. Leave everything else. I need you out of here. C’mon.”

Michael was helping her up, careful of her hand when the second explosion came. Pushing them back, he instinctually wrapped his body around hers and flipped her over to take the brunt of the fall, her elbow coming hard in his ribs. The glass exploded around them. The heavy metal blinds protected them from the shower of  glass as the windows exploded outward. He could hear the glass downstairs go too, when the glass door went as well.

Grabbing clothes, he quickly got to his feet, lifting Maria up and setting her on the bed as he grabbed her some shoes. Glass was everywhere. Pulling on his own shoes, he picked her up and carried her down the stairs. The security system would alert the police, but they still needed to call.

“Maria, call 4-1-1, now!” Michael stepped through the exploded glass door to head to Isabel and Liz’s loft through the garden. Sean stepped through the broken glass on the other side, quickly followed by Alex in nothing but his pants.

“Michael?” called Sean.

“No. You?” Sean shook his head. Both their areas were clear of explosion and fire.

Alex looked up at the lighted sky. “I think it’s the lofts on the other side.”

Isabel and Liz came rushing out of their loft, both wearing clothes and shoes. Isabel grabbed Alex’s arm and handed him his shoes. He was standing in glass.

Michael gestured for Isabel and Liz to follow him into Michael and Maria’s loft. Maria was just hanging up the phone.

“They’re on their way.” Michael nodded as he grabbed his holster and strapped it on. Picking up his spare clutch piece, he looked at the girls.

“Isabel, you and Liz need to take Maria out of here.”

“I’m not leaving!”

Michael went to her. “Yes, you are. This is not a place for you, Maria. I’ll take care of it.” Michael gestured to Sean to go through the garage, and both he and Alex took off. Isabel clutched at Alex’s arm, and he stopped.

“Listen to Michael. Take Maria, and go. All of you. We’ll come for you.”

“Alex…”

“I know. I’ll be careful. Now go.” Alex kissed her quickly his hand lingering on her cheek.

“Michael…” Maria said.

“No. Not over this. You go. It’s not just you at risk here.” Michael waited until Maria finally gave in and nodded. “Take her to the hospital. Her wrist is broken. Take her to Amy. I’ll come for her there.”

“Michael, the others? Mrs. Mulhoney, Margo, and Zeke?” Maria said with real fear in her voice.

“I’ll get them. Now go!"

Isabel led Maria towards the front door, but Michael stopped Liz and handed her his clutch piece. She looked at it and nodded. He had trusted her with Maria once before; this time it would be different. She was different.

“Don’t worry, Commander. Nothing will harm her.” Michael just nodded. He rushed out after Sean and Alex.

~~~

The entire front of the loft area was on fire. Michael came out of the garage and turned to join the others. He could hear sirens in the distance. Sean and Alex were trying to break open Mrs. Mulhoney’s door. The worst concentration of fire and smoke was in the empty unit next to hers, and her actual loft was on fire. He could see thick smoking coming out of Margo’s loft and the other empty lofts next to the garages. All the windows had blown and oxygen was rushing inside, fueling the fire.

“Go through the glass,” Sean yelled.

“You can’t,” said Michael. “We installed special security glass on her unit so she would feel secure. Stand back. I’ll blast the door.” Before Michael could lift his arm, it was too late.

Another explosion threw both Sean and Alex to the ground, and blew the door they were trying to get through. Alex just barely escaped having a piece of the door as part of his head, as he hit the ground before it came flying past him. Sean was on his side cussing as flames followed the explosion in large yellow licks of fire that  whipped out the door like angry tongues of demons.

“No.” Michael just shook his head. No. Mrs. Mulhoney...

Michael ran for the door despite the flames. Alex saw him coming, and he quickly rolled to his feet as he heard Sean scream.

“Michael, no!”

Alex tackled the raging Michael as he tried to fly by him into the raging inferno. He took him at midgut and they hit the ground hard and rolled. Michael struggled, slugging Alex as he tried to get Alex to let him go. Sean rushed to help Alex, and the two men had Michael pinned to the ground.

“Get off me, God damn you! Get off!”

Before either man could reason with him, another explosion shook the structure, and more debris and glass flew, showering them in molten brick and bits of steel.

“She’s gone, Michael. She’s gone.” Sean yelled above the roaring fire. The fight seemed to drain from Michael as they slowly let him up. Michael looked at the door front and saw the entire unit was a blanket of fire and smoke. She was gone. He shook his head and flopped his hands around him, helpless to stop what happened. Horror gripped him for a moment until his thoughts turned.

Margo. Zeke.

Michael rushed around the warehouse building to the east end where Margo and Zeke’s doors were. The south half of the building was on fire, but the north side appeared untouched beyond the firewall running straight down the middle of the building, separating the four lofts on the south from the four lofts on the north.

Michael looked at Margo’s unit. It was on the south and also on fire. The last explosion had come from her door, and billowing smoke was obscuring the entrance. Michael, Alex and Sean ran towards that unit, as fire licked out the exploded windows.

Through the smoke came a figure. Zeke. Zeke carrying Margo’s still form in his arms, struggling to keep his feet. He jumped through the fire and smoke to the outside and into the waiting arms of Michael, Sean and Alex.

The three men pulled him and Margo back from the structure as they all collapsed in a heap. Zeke was struggling for a breath, his voice thick and hoarse.

“It’s going to explode! Margo’s artist materials...”

Alex rushed to his feet and put a hand under Zeke’s arm and Michael took the still Margo from him. Sean took Zeke’s other arm, and the group of them ran. They hadn’t cleared the sidewalk before another explosion sent them flying across the grassy area onto into the parking lot there. Zeke was coughing and struggling so much that he lost his stomach. Alex held his head as he retched, and the three men turned to look at the burning lofts.

Sean checked Margo, and frowned. “Michael, I can’t get a pulse.”

Alex pushed him aside and tried for one too. Nothing. Swearing, he moved, checked her mouth for an obstruction, quickly listened to her heart, and began CPR. Zeke watched helplessly as tears streamed down his face from the smoke. His face and hands were blackened from the soot and blood. Looking around, he saw firemen starting to move into the area quickly, but no paramedics.

“Where the hell are the paramedics?” His voice broke, edged in breaking desperation.

Alex stopped as the woman started to cough. She didn’t wake up, but he was getting a pulse. “She’s breathing.”

Zeke knelt next to her, his hand checking for himself. Breathing a sigh of relief, he bent down and kissed her cheek resting his head against her.

The Fire Department’s larger units arrived, and already they were deploying teams. They had extended ladders moved into place as hoses were pulled and moved up to their tops. Michael could see firemen on his roof, on the building unit housing his and Maria’s loft away from the main structure. They were searching the units on the other side, and wetting the rooftop of the units not on fire.

A fire marshal came to the group sitting in a huddle watching the fire.

“Is everyone out?”

Zeke looked up and around. Some were missing.

Michael shook his head. His voice was thick from the smoke, and he had to shout to be heard above the roar of the fire.

“No. There was someone left in the first unit on the south side. We couldn’t get to her.”

Zeke looked at Michael in horror and struggled to his feet. “No! No!” Zeke took off around the corner trying to get to Mrs. Mulhoney’s door, but Michael caught him and pulled him back.

“Let me go, dammit. We can’t just leave her!”

Michael pulled the young man’s body back hard against his. “It’s okay, Zeke. She’s already gone. Let her go, son.”

Zeke looked up at Michael’s stark solemn face, and back at the burning building. Coughing, he wiped an arm against his eyes as they filled with tears from something else other than smoke. Turning in Michael’s arms he reached an arm around Michael’s neck as the older man held him tight in a strong hug. It was hard to see young Zeke crying. It wasn’t something he did well or often, much like Margo never spoke. Holding the young boy, Michael just watched the building burn as he slowly lowered them to the ground.

“My fault,” said Zeke hoarsely. “My fault.”

“No. We couldn’t get to her. It was too late. It was no one’s fault.” Michael said, not believing it for a moment. His. His fault. He promised Maria he’d get them. He was too late. And if Zeke hadn’t gone for Margo, she would’ve been lost too.

“I could have. I was first on the scene.” Zeke could stop crying. “All I could think of was Margo, and I should’ve gone for Mrs. Mulhoney first.” Zeke bowed his head against Michael’s chest. “I was only thinking about myself, and how I couldn’t…not without Margo, and…”

“You couldn’t save them both!” Michael said forcing the young man to listen. “Listen to me! Margo was the better choice. Mrs. Mulhoney’s place was next to the primary blast. Chances are she was already gone even before the fire started.”

“I should have gone for her. She died alone.” Michael just hugged the young man harder, and he looked over his shoulder at the fire. He should’ve been faster.

They both watched as firemen tried to make it inside. They entered the loft nearest to the garage and were fighting the fire in Margo’s loft, but the two middle lofts were gone. Zeke’s entire body shook as the top floor caved in and ash, smoke and debris flew.

“Michael?” Michael looked up at the fire chief crossing over to him.

“Chief.”

“I thought it was your address that called it in. Is Maria ok?”

“Hospital. She hurt her wrist.”

The fire chief nodded. “Your structure is fine, and the back lofts are undamaged. A little smoke damage and there will be water damage as well. I had them tape and close all the back lofts until the building inspector and arson investigators can clear the structures. The garages and the annex loft area were undamaged except for  the glass from the stress waves. It was lucky that they were closed off by the firewall as well.”

“There was a large explosion that started it,” said Michael, not really much into talking. “You need to call in Simon’s forensic teams and the bomb unit support to check out the rest of the structures for more bombs.”

The fire chief looked up at the building. “Parsons! Get me bomb squad, and pull those boys out of the unoccupied units now!” He looked down at Michael. “Same person as the DA’s offices and Valenti?” Michael nodded. The older man swore and grabbed his field squawk from his hip. Talking into it for a few moments a few feet from them, another fireman stopped to talk to him. The chief nodded and came back to them.

“I’ll make sure you’ll get a copy of the report. The paramedics are here. They need to take the young lady in and I suspect this young man as well. All of you need to be checked out for smoke and glass. The investigator will come find you.”

Michael nodded. Zeke, hearing them talk about Margo, struggled to get up, and before Michael could stop him he was off and running, stopping every few steps to cough and retch. Michael went after him.

Alex was talking to the paramedic who was checking Margo over. She had an oxygen mask on and they had covered her head wound. She still hadn’t regained consciousness. Zeke struggled with the paramedics until Michael intervened.

“Zeke, put the damn mask on, now! Let them load Margo. She needs to be at the hospital.” Zeke calmed down in the face of Michael more authoritive voice. Michael turned to the paramedic. “Take him too.”

“I can’t let anyone…”

“You aren’t. He has smoke inhalation, some burns and cuts.” The paramedic finally went over and checked the young man. He had a large piece of glass embedded in his upper arm, and some still bleeding off his neck.

“We’ll take him with her. That glass needs to come out.”

Michael nodded. Good. Looking at Zeke, he talked in a calmer voice than he felt, “Ezekiel, you go now. They’ll take care of you and Margo, and I’ll see you at the hospital.” Zeke nodded. “How did you get that glass in your arm?”

“I jumped through Margo’s window. I couldn’t get the door open.” Zeke said as the paramedics led him to the ambulance with Margo.

Sean and Alex came to stand next to Michael. They watched as the ambulance pulled away with sirens and lights going. The structure was on fire behind them. All three men stood there in the early morning dark short of dawn as the world burned around them. That was how Simon found them. Michael in the center, with Alex on his left a little back and reaching into his pocket for a cigarette looking down as he lit it. He passed one to Sean who was next to Michael’s right side, wiping his face with his sleeve, crouching to the ground and coughing. Simon told his man to get a picture of them.

Alex lit up, and tossed the lighter to Sean. “That kid’s got some sand.”

Sean got his cigarette lit, and took a calming draw just before Michael reached over and took the cigarette from his hand and threw it to the ground to stomp it out.

“Yeah, he’s tough. He’s had to be.” Michael ignored Sean’s protest. “You don’t fucking smoke anymore, remember?”

“Like you don’t cuss.”

Michael turned around and looked at the structure. Looking at Alex, who was watching it with a dispassionate eye, Michael stared up at the night sky lit by the fire. “You in?” He asked Alex.

Alex nodded. “Yeah. I’m in.” Mrs. Mulhoney was a favorite. This time they came too close.

“Then let’s go to work.”

~~~

Isabel paced the ER as Liz made phone calls. She had already talked to Max, and was searching for Kyle’s number when Amy and Jim arrived.

Jim was up and walking with his left arm in a sling, and Amy was in a wheelchair with a nurse pushing her. They spotted the girls, so Liz hung up to talk to Jim.

“Maria?” Amy’s voice wobbled as she spoke. “We were told that they brought Maria in. Is it the babies?” Isabel was astounded. They woke Amy and Jim at this ungodly time in the morning to tell them about Maria?

Isabel quickly went to Amy’s side and took her hand. “No. She took a fall at the loft. Her hand is broken. She tried to stop herself from falling hard.”

Amy put and hand to her mouth. “The babies?”

“They called her doctor. He’s in there now checking her out, and then they’ll cast her hand.” Liz said quietly. They had taken a long time in x-ray because of Maria’s pregnancy. She looked up at Jim and motioned to talk to him alone. He nodded.

Reaching down he quickly kissed Amy on the cheek. “Honey, I’ll be right back. Maria is going to need something to eat. Liz will help me.”

They left Isabel with Amy. Jim led Liz out of the ER towards the cafeteria, and the outside concession area.

“Ok, what happened?”

“The lofts were bombed.”

Jim stopped short, looking at Liz. “Michael?”

“He stayed behind with Alex and Sean. They went to get the others out.”

Jim swore and rubbed his face with his one good hand. “That’s how Maria fell? The bomb?”

Liz nodded. “The explosion was powerful enough to throw us from our beds. Maria must have felt herself falling and she reached out to stop herself before the babies got harmed.” Liz reached into the back of her jean’s waistband. “Michael gave me this.” Liz handed him Michael’s clutch piece.

Jim’s face went dark. “The same person?” Liz nodded. Jim took the gun and placed it in his sling on his arm. “Who did you call?”

“Max. I was trying to call Kyle when you came. I wanted to warn him.”

Jim swore and stopped at the nearest phone. “You go get some candy bars. As many as you can. I don’t care if you have to break the damn machine. Especially peanut ones. I’ll call Kyle. He better damn well have his security system on.” Liz hurried off as Jim dialed his son, but the phone was busy. Looking at the time, Jim assumed that Kyle was being told at that moment so he hung up the phone. He’d try again later.

When they got back to the ER, DocJim was leaving Maria’s room. Amy intercepted him, and Jim joined them as they were talking.

“The babies and Maria are fine, Amy. It’s early in the morning. What are you doing down here?”

“My daughter is here. Where should I be?”

“Resting would be a good idea.” He squatted down next to her wheelchair. “She’s fine. Just a broken wrist. Small cast. Off in six weeks or less. She said she fell and was bracing herself to keep from letting the babies get hurt. And they’re fine.” DocJim looked up at Jim’s worried face. “Now I’m not keeping her or anything, so you can stop worrying.” Getting up, he patted Jim on the shoulder. “Tell Michael that I would like him to call me as soon as he can.”

Jim nodded. “First thing. Are you sure…”

“No. It’s okay. I’m just going to make some vitamin changes, so he needs to call and get the information. Just pass it along.” DocJim looked down at Amy. “You, go rest. Don’t upset my patient any more than she needs to be. Next time I see you, I expect to see you on your feet.”

“Yes, doctor.” Amy said prettily. DocJim just laughed and took himself off.

While Maria was having her hand casted, Jim took Amy aside. He told her about the loft, and both Isabel and Liz looked over sharply at her reaction. Looking away, they gave the couple some time to talk together. Before Maria was through, the ambulance came in with Margo and Zeke.

The entire ER went into overdrive as Margo was shuttled into a closed room. Zeke walked in under his own steam with an oxygen mask on. Amy saw him first and her sound of distress alerted Jim.

“Damn.” Jim stopped Amy from going to the young man as an orderly and nurse helped Zeke into a room. “Amy, you need to stay here. Maria is going to need to be told.”

“Michael? Where is Michael?”

“He’ll be here, just try to keep Maria calm. She’s already been upset enough. I’ll go check on Zeke and Margo.”

Isabel and Liz came over. They stayed with Amy as Amy watched Jim go to talk to the young doctor on call. Her small voice called after him, “Where is Mrs. Mulhoney?”

Jim stopped in Zeke’s room. They were giving the boy a shot for pain, and looking at the glass embedded in his upper arm. No real damage, but it would have to be removed. The kid looked like he had walked through a war zone. He saw Jim and tried to sit up. They pushed him back down.

“Margo? How is Margo?”

Jim just shook his head. “I’ll go check.” He stopped and quietly asked the young man, “Mrs. Mulhoney?”

Zeke’s eyes filled with tears again and his face fell in devastation. Jim squeezed the boy’s hand and went to check on Margo. He couldn’t tell Maria. He just couldn’t.

It was the beginning of a very long day.

~~~

Maria was out of the treatment room and pacing the floor waiting for news about Zeke and Margo. She was strangely silent. Amy watched and Jim worried as he tried to palm off candy bars on her, but Maria wasn’t eating. She lost control a few times and a few monitors suffered a noble death. They took Zeke to a special room to inject dye in and around his wound so they could extract all the glass. No one had mentioned Mrs. Mulhoney. Maria was barely holding on, and she’d need Michael there to control the surge of power from the twins when she learned the bad news.

Margo had a concussion and smoke inhalation. They moved her to a special monitoring room in the ICU, and once Zeke returned, the entire group moved away from the ER. That was how Michael found them.

Kyle had taken Tess to her family’s house, and he was in a corner talking to Jim. After he was informed, bomb squad came to their house to check it out. Kyle called and arranged for the security company to send men over to the loft complex until new windows could be installed, and the doors replaced. Max was absent. He was at the PD working on organizing manpower. The bomb squad had found residual parts of the original bomb. It had been placed in the empty unit next to Mrs. Mulhoney’s loft, and the initial blast took out that entire loft and a good portion of hers. It was set upstairs, and more than likely the elderly woman never woke from her sleep.

Both Liz and Isabel were trying to get people to take some coffee and sit down, especially the pacing Maria. It was hard. The amount of nervous energy in Maria was increasing, and the rest looked on with concern as her skin started to show a color display streaking across her skin. Isabel could feel the power from where she was standing, and instinctually she stepped back and away. Maria was like a nuclear core reactor on the verge of meltdown.

It was the arrival of Michael that seemed to disarm the building power. Maria looked up as Michael, Sean and Alex came through the door. They were all covered in soot and blood. The three walked in abreast. Their attitudes were as black as their clothing and skin. Isabel saw Alex and made a straight beeline for him. Liz stood back watching Sean. His face was grim, and the usual humor and sparkle in his eyes were missing.

Michael was the one to watch. There was nothing there. Just a coldness. Deep abiding rage barely controlled. His eyes found Maria’s and he never wavered. Taking in her broken hand and the tear tracks on her face, he went to her, ignoring all others and their questions along the way.

Michael and Maria shared a silent look, and Michael took her in his arms and led her away from the others. Sitting her down in a chair, he squatted down in front of her. Maria’s hands found his head and forced him to look up at her.

“Mrs. Mulhoney?” Maria asked with her hand over her heart feeling it beating hard against the palm of her hand. Tears were already in her eyes. She wasn’t stupid enough not to realize that the elderly woman was never brought to the ER, but she needed Michael to confirm her worst fear.

Michael remained silent, but a slight shake of his head and Maria’s voice broke.

“Oh God!” Her voice broke, and deep inside was a painful sound of an animal caught in pain. It seemed to echo in his ears as he held her against him, soothing her back, but he couldn’t take away from her what he couldn’t release in himself. It moved between them like a deep cut, bleeding and stark, ripping away everything that was normal and real. Michael held her tight as she cried on his shirt. Speaking to her in a low tone, he said words that made no sense, but Maria wasn’t listening anyway. She was off somewhere. Pain. He could feel her pain. It was his.

“I’m sorry. I promised to get them, but I got there too late.” Michael kissed the side of her head. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t get to her.”

Maria just cried. Away from them, the group was silent. Alex reached down and spoke low in Isabel’s ear and it was her startled cry and denial that pulled the rest of the group from their silent despair. Isabel just stood there in shock, her hand on her mouth as her stomach felt empty. Alone. At least her parents had each other when their car was blown up. It was happening again.

Michael picked up Maria and walked down the long silent halls devoid of workers and daily staff. Sitting down in a darkened hall, he held her in his lap and let her cry. There had once been a time when tears found no outlet in Maria, but recently it seemed as if all she did was cry.

If sorrow was a river of despair, and a broken heart was the point of entry, then pain found its place in Maria’s soul. Today she had lost one of her innocents. It was hard thing for most people, but for Maria, it was more. She did more than help people. She took them into her life, made them part of her. Today a large part of her was ripped away.

Mrs. Mulhoney.

A kindly old woman who never did anyone any harm. She, who was left practically penniless when her husband died, had children that never visited, never called. Left struggling on her own, barely able to feed herself on her husband’s social security and pension, she was one of the lost souls that had found their way to Maria.

Maria met Mrs. Mulhoney at a time when she was sadly broken and in need of a grandmother, someone who would bake her cookies and tell her that there was indeed a silver lining in all clouds. Despite being destitute, the beautiful Mrs. Mulhoney never found a reason not to smile and be pleasant. Inside her was the most noble and gentlest of creatures. Mrs. Mulhoney gave Maria Mr. Booboo, a stray kitten she had found in a dumpster, because she felt that they needed each other. Maria made a home for the sweet elderly lady, because there was no amount of money or time she could give to ever equal or repay what Mrs. Mulhoney gave her in a time of need.

That sweet woman had died alone.

If it was pain they wanted to serve to these people, then pain they would get. All of them stood in the light of a new day and, unusual for a dry September, it rained, and rained.