A/N: This is a Partner Story. While this may well be a perfectly good story on it's own, the full effect of this will only come if you read this with the story 'Chasing Destiny: Obsession'. You could choose to read one first and then the other, but since I will be updating the stories together, you might as well read them chapter by chapter, switching off stories after each chapter. I think the idea will come across better that way anyway. Please, Review, Tell me if you like this idea. I have decided to start responding to reviews, so if you review, i write a message in my next chapter. Thank you.
Messing With Minds.
8 Years Ago
He wasn't quite sure what was going on. All he knew was that alarms were blaring somewhere, and there were lights flashing, and his mom was holding him to her tight. In front of him his house was light up bright, but it was too early for Christmas lights, and besides, this light wasn't steady like the electric glow of holiday lights. This light was violent, it was crazy, it was hot. It was really hot. He felt the blistering air pushing against his face, against his skin, drying out his eyes of any tears that might have come out. But why would he be crying? His mom was crying. Even in the face of overwhelming heat little wet lines streaked her faces as she petted his blonde hair holding him close.
"Chase… oh Chase, it's okay, we're okay…" she whispered soothingly into his ear, silently crying. Of course they were okay. Chase was eight now, he could tell when he was or wasn't okay. A group of men dressed in heavy looking yellow coats ran past, dragging a long snake behind them. In the background, somewhere, Chase heard yelling and saw as water began to shoot from the snake's mouth. It looked a lot like a fire hose. Those men looked a lot like firemen. That light looked a lot like… fire.
Fire engulfing his house.
The smell of smoke drifted into his nose, part of his roof collapsing onto itself, it all made the memory of why he was currently standing outside shoot back into his brain like a shot gun. He was asleep, and then he wasn't, as a screech came out of the little knob on the ceiling of his room. Before he could get out of bed, his parents burst into his room, Mom carrying Sonia, his Dad grabbed him from his bed, sheets and all. By the time they were outside Chase could already hear the sirens. And then he remembered… the men running by him with the hose. Suddenly it occurred to him why his mom was currently crying into his shoulder.
He watched with amazement as his house burnt down in front of him. Which is why he saw when a small furry face poked it's way through the curtains, appearing in what was left of their front window.
Jake.
His dog. His dog looked helplessly from the window. He could see it barking, but the sirens and gushing water drowned out the sound before it could get anywhere near him. Chase tried to look through the window to the scene behind Jake, but all he could see was black smoke.
Wrenching away from his mother he ran to the nearest fireman. He was holding a radio and looked busy and maybe he could help Jake.
"My dog!" he yelled. The man looked at him and worry flashed across his face.
"Son! Step back. You are too close," He held out a hand, and started to repeat himself.
"No!" Chase tried to interrupt, pointing towards the window where he could still see Jake. The dog was scratching at the window.
"We're doing everything we can. But I need you to go back to a safe distance with you family," He looked at Chase sternly, ignoring a beep on his radio. Chase could tell this man still had no idea what he was talking about, but he needed to help Jake.
"No—" he pointed, but it was no use. The man had pushed him gently towards his family and turned back to the house.
Chase screamed in frustration, but this time the fireman didn't turn. He felt hot tears pressing behind his eyes, hotter than the dry air that was being blown into his face. He couldn't stand it. Jake was his dog. He was going to save him.
He ran, darting past the radio man. He had already passed the line of men with the hose by the time he heard someone yelling "Stop him!" somewhere behind him. But he was fast, and these men had no chance of catching him with all their heavy gear. The front door was still open, or maybe it wasn't even there anymore, but he wasn't even completely into the house before he was blinded by smoke. He stepped back, scared.
Before he could step into the blinding smoke, he felt a thick arm wrap itself around his torso, pulling him back away from the heat. He struggled, fighting against the iron grip as the firefighter continued to pull him farther and farther away from Jake.
Chase tried to turn around in the man's grasp, but the face was hidden behind a mask, and he couldn't tell what the man looked like as he twisted and tried to get away. When they were far enough away, the man put him down, still holding onto his shoulder.
"What in God's name were you thinking boy?" he asked, and Chase felt the weight of the man's hand on his shoulders, felt him searching for an answer. But he knew the man wouldn't listen to him about Jake. The last one hadn't. And he remembered a trick his dad had taught him about escaping someone's grip, something about going dead. And so he fell, slipping out of the man's grip, and he was up and running again before the man knew what had happened.
He was fast but the smoke slowed him down. He reeled as the heat hit him in the face as a small flame flared up, licking at the space in front of him. That was all the time the firefighter needed to catch up to him again, and this time he screamed as the man threw him over his shoulder, running him far past the front line of men.
"You trying to get yourself killed!" The man asked, raising his voice over the blare of the flames.
"No!" Chase yelled, and he tried again to tell someone else about Jake. "My dog!" he pointed to the window where he could still see Jake's head. The dog wasn't barking anymore.
"Shit!" the man yelled, as he turned and began running towards the window. Chase watched as the ceiling in the front room dropped even as the man was still running towards the window. Fire began surrounding the window flaring up the curtains that surrounded Jake. The firefighter had reached the window, and was using his axe to shatter the glass. Jake watched as he reached in, watched as he pulled out a still, unmoving Jake.
The man ran back, but this time, there was no extra speed in his step. Chase watched as he carefully laid the dirty body of his dog on the ground, looking up to see him watching, the man shook his head, before joining the front line again.
That was how Chase found out Jake was dead, that fire had taken him. He felt the tears press past his eyes, and he looked away from the fire to let the escape. Slowly he made his way over to his family, who pulled him close as they dared to watch the fire burn down their lives. Everything they had was gone.
Even two weeks later, as the family settled into their temporary apartment, Chase couldn't shake the memory of Jake, of his house collapsing onto itself, of the fire beating back everything the firefighters threw at it. And he remembered how horrifying it had been, and he shrank back every time his mother turned on the gas stove, or something blew up on TV. Every night he went to sleep he saw the fire, and he remembered how terrible it had been, and he was terrified.