Categories > Books > Stephen King > The Secrets Within
Chapter Eight: Pain of Loss
Orion felt his eyes fill up with tears as he saw that house collapse. It was almost as if someone had just slipped him off a rug a he was standing on. As if he was falling forward and there was nothing to keep him from falling.
Matt looked at Orion, his mouth open, his eyes sympathetic. There was nothing he could say to the lad to make him feel better. He felt so bad.
Everyone else in the crowd started clearing away as if nothing had happened. They probably thought that everyone was safe again. Not Orion, though.
Orion had dropped to his knees, feeling as if he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Then the tears started spilling from his eyes. His father. The only person that understood him. The only one who he got along with most. Gone. Never coming back.
Matt had put his hand on Orion's shoulder for support, but Orion hardly felt it. He was numb. He couldn't feel anything. Not even the crisp wind break upon his face.
The rest of the firefighters noticed that Greg was gone too, and they stood motionless. They all noticed Orion there and started talking amongst themselves. One by one, they came up to him saying things like "I'm sorry this had to happen" and "Your father was a good man."
After they were done, Orion stood up, wiped up his tears, and told Matt and Bobby that they could both stay at their house tonight. They agreed.
Orion drove his car back home with Matt and Bobby driving behind in their cars. They all parked into the driveway and walked to the door of the house. Orion was in a contemplating daze the whole time. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to his mother. Everything that was once easy seemed like the hardest thing ever suddenly.
He opened the door and his mother, who had been sitting at the same spot as when Orion had left, looked up. Seeing the guests, she smiled and finally got up. "Hello," she greeted. "Since your house isn't very suitable to sleep in, you guys can sleep here tonight. Bobby, you can sleep in the guest bedroom and Matt, I'm sure you don't mind sleeping in Orion's room." She looked behind Matt who was the last to enter. "Where's Greg?"
Orion took a deep breath as he looked at his mother. "Mom...dad died," he said, his welling up with tears again.
He watched his mother's face go completely blank. At first, she looked like she didn't believe it. But after a moment or two of thinking, her eyes were soon flooded with tears. Without a word, she slowly walked up to her room and locked it shut.
Orion looked down and then at Bobby and Matt. He faked a smile. "I'll show you to your rooms," he said before leading Bobby to the guest bedroom and Matt to his own.
When Orion had set up a place to sleep on the floor and they were both snug in their beds, they began talking.
"Are you sure you don't want the bed?" Matt asked, sleeping in Orion's bed. "I mean, you had a tougher day than me."
"It's not competition for whose life is worse," Orion answered. "We both suffered today. I'm fine where I am." He paused before deciding to change the subject. "Matt, do you remember anything about the fire? Like, how it was started."
"I have no idea, Orion," Matt replied, sounding truthful. "All I remember is waking up to the smell of smoke. I quickly got up and your dad was there. He took me out of the house safely. While we were going out, I told him that my dad was still in there."
"Oh," Orion replied, disappointment in his voice. He really wanted to know how the fire had been started. He was tired of questions with no answers. "Good-night, then."
"Sorry I couldn't give you a better answer," Matt replied. "Good-night." And with that, he fell asleep almost instantly while Orion had stayed up the whole night, not being able to sleep because of hard thinking and grief.
Orion felt his eyes fill up with tears as he saw that house collapse. It was almost as if someone had just slipped him off a rug a he was standing on. As if he was falling forward and there was nothing to keep him from falling.
Matt looked at Orion, his mouth open, his eyes sympathetic. There was nothing he could say to the lad to make him feel better. He felt so bad.
Everyone else in the crowd started clearing away as if nothing had happened. They probably thought that everyone was safe again. Not Orion, though.
Orion had dropped to his knees, feeling as if he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Then the tears started spilling from his eyes. His father. The only person that understood him. The only one who he got along with most. Gone. Never coming back.
Matt had put his hand on Orion's shoulder for support, but Orion hardly felt it. He was numb. He couldn't feel anything. Not even the crisp wind break upon his face.
The rest of the firefighters noticed that Greg was gone too, and they stood motionless. They all noticed Orion there and started talking amongst themselves. One by one, they came up to him saying things like "I'm sorry this had to happen" and "Your father was a good man."
After they were done, Orion stood up, wiped up his tears, and told Matt and Bobby that they could both stay at their house tonight. They agreed.
Orion drove his car back home with Matt and Bobby driving behind in their cars. They all parked into the driveway and walked to the door of the house. Orion was in a contemplating daze the whole time. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to his mother. Everything that was once easy seemed like the hardest thing ever suddenly.
He opened the door and his mother, who had been sitting at the same spot as when Orion had left, looked up. Seeing the guests, she smiled and finally got up. "Hello," she greeted. "Since your house isn't very suitable to sleep in, you guys can sleep here tonight. Bobby, you can sleep in the guest bedroom and Matt, I'm sure you don't mind sleeping in Orion's room." She looked behind Matt who was the last to enter. "Where's Greg?"
Orion took a deep breath as he looked at his mother. "Mom...dad died," he said, his welling up with tears again.
He watched his mother's face go completely blank. At first, she looked like she didn't believe it. But after a moment or two of thinking, her eyes were soon flooded with tears. Without a word, she slowly walked up to her room and locked it shut.
Orion looked down and then at Bobby and Matt. He faked a smile. "I'll show you to your rooms," he said before leading Bobby to the guest bedroom and Matt to his own.
When Orion had set up a place to sleep on the floor and they were both snug in their beds, they began talking.
"Are you sure you don't want the bed?" Matt asked, sleeping in Orion's bed. "I mean, you had a tougher day than me."
"It's not competition for whose life is worse," Orion answered. "We both suffered today. I'm fine where I am." He paused before deciding to change the subject. "Matt, do you remember anything about the fire? Like, how it was started."
"I have no idea, Orion," Matt replied, sounding truthful. "All I remember is waking up to the smell of smoke. I quickly got up and your dad was there. He took me out of the house safely. While we were going out, I told him that my dad was still in there."
"Oh," Orion replied, disappointment in his voice. He really wanted to know how the fire had been started. He was tired of questions with no answers. "Good-night, then."
"Sorry I couldn't give you a better answer," Matt replied. "Good-night." And with that, he fell asleep almost instantly while Orion had stayed up the whole night, not being able to sleep because of hard thinking and grief.
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