GEN IV: Chapter 15

Jennifer couldn't wait to get her new clothes on. She had spent her first morning as a teen doing what they do best - shopping. She bought three outfits in total. The next makeover would have to be her bedroom but she hadn't thought of how she wanted to decorate that yet and figured it would come over time.

"Jenn, will you get Logan from his crib and humor him for... a couple of hours?" Rachel shouted from her bedroom.

"Yeah sure." Jennifer replied trying to ignore the giggles coming from her mother. She did as she was asked and got her little brother out and fed him lunch.

That gave Rachel and Brian some private time together, which is what Rachel was searching for.  Brian had started a fire for he and Rachel to cuddle by, but one thing led to another and before long the two were in bed together. The two of them had not really had any romantic times since Logan had been born.

The rest of the night was filled in with learning. Brian studied chess while Jennifer started reading some books she would need in school. Rachel stayed with Logan and played with him into the evening.

After a quick dinner the family went to bed already ready to face the next day.

Jennifer's first day of High School went very well. She met a girl named Laurel Grisby and became friends nearly right away. Jennifer saw that a lot of schoolmates made fun of Laurel and decided to get to know her instead of the bullies.

Rachel and Brian hung out in the hot tub a lot of the afternoon while the girls did their homework and played video games together. After a while Rachel went upstairs to get Logan and bring him outside with herself and Brian. When she started out the door though, Logan protested and squirmed to get down.

Rachel laughed and said, "Okay okay. Goodness, go play then."

Logan went happily to play with his new doll, given to him by Jennifer. Brian came inside as well and joined Rachel on the couch in the entryway.

"I am so glad that Jennifer is happy here, I was worried she wouldn't like the house very much but I think she prefers this to living in the country. Maybe because she is closer to her friends." Rachel said.

"I think you're right." Brian agreed. "I am glad we live closer to town as well."

"Thank you. Thanks for moving us here. I like it too." Rachel told him. "I'm a little tired, I think I will go upstairs and take a nap while Logan is happy, okay?"

"Sure honey, I'll be down here in the living room with him." 

She did go up and take a nap, but she forgot about the fire that Brian had started. While she snoozed some burning ash popped out of the fire place onto the carpet. The flames burst up quickly engulfing everything around.

Jennifer, who was also taking a nap, rushed in at the sound of the alarm as well and started to shout.

Rachel heard the alarm and jumped out of the bed. She heard the firetruck coming from down the road but the flames were too quick. She decided to try and help out and started to put out the fire on her own. Unfortunately the foam failed to come out, Rachel paused and looked to see if anything was blocking the tube - she did not see anything.

That small pause was the biggest mistake of her life. Rachel's nightgown caught fire and the silk burned quickly melting to her skin. She screamed in agony as the flames engulfed her as well as the furniture surrounding her.

Two firetrucks arrived at the house to put out the fire. Two firemen and one woman rushed up the stairs. It took a long time to extinguish all the flames, and it was too late for Rachel.

With no way to get to her, Jennifer watched as her mother was burned alive. Rachel's screams echoed through her hears. Even though the house had gone silent, the roar of the fire quieted, it still seemed very noisy to Jennifer. She was in shock.

Brian rushed in. He had heard the firetrucks and watched in total surprise as they ran up his stairs. No way, he could not believe there was a fire, but he hurried up anyway. 

When he entered the room he choked. What he saw wrenched his heart out. His wife was curled up in a ball on the floor, her bare skin burnt black - ashes surrounding her body. The fireman tried to apologize and talk to Brian but all he did was scream. He couldn't speak - just wail.

Jennifer was so scared and hurt that she got physically ill. Through her tears she gagged and threw up right there on the floor. Directly after that she passed out. One of the fireman picked up Jennifer and placed her on the bed in the next room.

Brian came to his senses slightly. The sight of his daughter hitting the floor jostled him back to reality. He watched as the stranger carried her away and thought of Logan. Where was he? Where did he leave him? In all the trauma Logan had been forgotten. Tear soaked and grief stricken he ran to get his son.

Logan was fine, playing in the living room. Brian picked him up and held him close tears falling from his eyes. "What are we going to do little man? What am I going to do? I'll never survive without her. Ever."

Brian walked slowly but brought Logan to his bed. He also pulled out an old twin bed the family had stored away and put it in Logan's room. He fell upon the bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, then cried. He cried hard until he fell asleep.

Jennifer's and Brian's dreams were haunted by the event of the day. Many times that night they each woke with a start and tears would fall again until they were back asleep.

Their lives would never be the same again.