1. Smoke

Thick smoke fills your lungs as you make your way up to the burning building. There's a small crowd forming around it as people rush around filling buckets with water. Hot air hits your face as you step closer toward the giant flames. You're lost in thought as you walk towards the church when you feel a hand on your arm. Turning your head you look up to see one of sheriff's deputies pulling you away from the crowd. "I don't think the Sheriff would want you getting too close." You hear him say once you're farther away from the noise and chaos. He tells you to stay where you are before running off to help put out the flames. When the flames are finally put out only the burned frame of the church remains. Everyone in the town is buzzing around muttering about what a tragedy it is.

Now that the flames are out you go back towards the church. Most of the people are walking away from the debris, likely heading back to their homes. Reaching a hand out you run your fingers across the warm, charred, wood. You pull away quickly when you hear someone call your name. You don't need to turn around to know who's speaking but do anyway. Sheriff Austin stands a few yards away and looks at you expectantly. Brushing your dirty hand across your skirt you begin walking in his direction. When you reach him you see that his face is sweaty and has soot streaked across it. His light blue eyes lock with yours for a moment before he looks away and behind you at the church's remains. You reach into your pocket and hand him the handkerchief you had inside. He blinks and looks back down at you before taking it and wiping it across his face. "Thank you." His voice is deep and calm but you can see a troubled look in his eyes. He's at least distracted enough to tuck the handkerchief into his own pocket instead of handing back to you.

You don't bring this up but instead ask him how the fire started. "We don't know." Austin sighs, turning away from the church, and takes a step away from you. He pauses for a moment before looking over his shoulder and saying, "Let me walk you home." You stay a few paces behind staring ahead at him as you walk along the path that leads outside the town. His broad shoulders and back are covered by his leather vest and the white shirt beneath is covered in soot. You hear crickets chirping in the grass nearby as you walk together wordlessly up the path. It's a long way back to your homestead but you're used to walking a lot living out in the country. When you reach the gate that leads to the entrance of your property you're surprised that Austin doesn't leave you there. He instead continues up the path to your house and stops when he reach the porch. He turns around and looks down at you with the same troubled expression he had earlier.

A lock of his sandy brown hair hangs down in front of one of his eyes. He takes a step forward to you and reaches a hand up as if to place it on your arm. He pauses for a moment before putting it back down at his side. "I worry about you being out here alone." You bite the inside of your lip before putting your hand on his forearm. He looks somewhat surprised by this but doesn't say anything. "I'll be fine." You tell him reassuringly before dropping your hand from his arm. He nods at you curtly before stepping out of your way. "Good night, Austin." You say before turning around and walking up the steps of the porch. Austin stands watching until you're inside the house then turns and starts walking back down the path. You sigh and go to tend to the dying fire before taking a seat in front of it. You're still not used to being alone in the house and are aware of every noise you hear outside. The low bellowing of cattle in the distance and chirps from crickets outside you window are distracting to your thoughts.

You get up and walk to the mantle of the fire place and look at the small black and white photo resting on it. It's been three months since your father passed away and it still doesn't feel real to you. Your mother died in childbirth so you never had a chance to properly mourn her. It was always just you and your father living on the farm until now. You think of the now destroyed church in town and sigh wearily. Life here has always been hard but it feels like lately it's become even more difficult. After a while you decide there's no point in continuing to worry. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow and need to get an early start. You change into a thin nightgown before climbing into bed and wish you didn't live somewhere so hot.