Brenda’s POV
I sat by myself in the chilly woods the night after the fire.
The smoke stuck to my skin and hair even after the flames had gone out. My clothing was ripped. I had scraped hands. However, the space next to me hurt more than any of that.
Tony had left.
I had looked. Until the sky went grey, I waited by the brook. However, he never showed up.
Luca had remarked, "Perhaps he's just hurt." "Perhaps he was taken once more."
However, I had witnessed the building collapse. I had witnessed Tony vanish into the flames, the beam fall, and the fire rise. It was the last time I had heard his voice.
There was nothing now.
I sat looking at the ground while perched on a fallen log. Even though my eyes were burning, I was unable to cry. I was crying no more.
I said, "I should have sta
