When The Devil Knocks

"Mom! They're talking about us on the television. Come in here, quick!" Merry turned the volume up slightly as Paula entered the room. Both listened and held their breaths, too intent on the broadcast to breathe.

"...Let me repeat for those viewers just tuning in, mandatory evacuation has just been announced by the Fire Chief for the following areas; Northeast San Bernardino County, Twin Peaks, in the vicinity of the Blue Cut Fire, anyone residing between Old Route 66 and Lytle Creek, north of the Lost Lakes campground, and south of Writewood. Now, folks, Red Cross is setting up cots in the following high school gymnasiums and..."

Paula switched the t.v. off with a click of the remote, abruptly cutting off the sound of the news anchor's voice.

"Merry, that's us. Time to go. Just like we talked about." Paula looked at her seventeen year old daughter who sat with a worried frown on her normally smiling face. "Don't frown so, you're too young for worry lines, Sweet."

"But, Mom, what about Boo, and Cheshire? We are taking them with us, right?" Merry held an orange and white tabby cat in her lap, nervously stroking the fur.

"Of course they're coming with us. They're part of our family. Put Cheshire in his travel case, and I'll go get Boo ready." Paula paused a moment and looked around her tidy home. It had finally been paid off, no more mortgage thanks to the substantial sum from the Life Insurance Policy after Marrion's death. Their daughter, his namesake, was all she had left.

All of the important papers, family albums, two suitcases of clothing, some canned goods and a gallon of purified drinking water were already loaded into their Ford F350 truck. "Don't forget his pills, or your black bag, Merry. I'll meet you outside."

Paula strode confidently through the door to halter the horse, Boo, while Merry maneuvered her wheelchair over to the waiting cat carrier. Cheshire, used to traveling, went into his crate without hesitation. Merry placed the cat near the front door, then wheeled herself into the kitchen. She grabbed her medical bag from the fridge, then an ice pack from the freezer; inserting it into the little pouch specially made for it.

Merry then grabbed an extra vial of her insulin, made sure there were plenty of needles and closed the fridge quickly. She rolled into the pantry, grabbed Cheshire's pills and shoved the bottle into the breast pocket of her jumper. She could already hear the truck's diesel engine roaring to life outside and knew Boo would be looking for her.

Merry slung her medical bag over one of the wheelchair arm rests then picked up Cheshire. The cat rumbled out a purring meow then gracefully rubbed the length of her body against the metal grate of the carrier.

"I know, you want out and you want to be petted. You're just going to have to wait, kitty." Merry rolled out the front door and down the ramp to the waiting truck at the end of the path.

Thick smoke filled the air and Merry's lungs tightened in protest. All around her, the beautiful cedars, pines, oaks and sequoias stood tall, wind whistling through their boughs. In the distance, the low, thundering roar of the fire permeated the surrounding forest. Some of the trees were brown and withered from the recent bark beetle infestation which had swept through the San Bernardino National Forest.

"Mom! Can you put Cheshire inside the cab for me?"

"Just a minute," Paula called out from the rear of the truck, "I'm just locking the trailer hitch in now."

Merry wheeled herself around to the passenger side, then waited patiently. All around her beautiful home, billowing clouds of smoke and ash floated, covering the ground in sooty shadows and ghostly grays.

"I wish I could help you more, Mom. I feel so useless!" Merry slapped the side of the wheelchair and hung her head down.

"Merry, you are a big help to me. I wouldn't have had half this stuff already packed and ready to go if not for you." Paula, knees already dusted from the dirt where she had knelt to secure the trailer fastenings, leaned over and kissed her daughter. "The roaring of the wildfire is getting closer. Now, let's settle Cheshire in, load Boo and get out of here."

The ground trembled from the approaching inferno. The winds, heated from the flames, caused rivulets of sweat to run down their neck and shoulders.

"Hand him here, Sweet." Paula took the carrier from her daughter's hands, then placed him in the seat, securing the crate with the seatbelt so he would stay put. "Are you ready to help with Boo?" She asked.

"Yeah, Mom. No problem. If you can get the escape door for me?"

"Already open, just pull it out."

Paula was growing short of breath, the smoke also caused her eyes to tear up. She looped a kerchief around her nose and mouth, then tossed one to her daughter to do the same. Merry tied it quickly then rolled to the horse trailer, pulled open the small escape door and stuck her head inside. Boo, her high-strung Appaloosa gelding rarely loaded into the trailer for anyone but Merry. But since Merry's injury in a car accident three months ago, Paula had been coping with the testy animal.

Mother and daughter had reluctantly agreed; if the time came and Boo wouldn't load, they would have to abandon him to his fate if he became a threat to their own safety. Merry fervently prayed for Boo to behave as her mom led the agitated horse from the barn.

Boo let go a loud neigh as he sighted the trailer hooked up to the truck. The horse loved to travel; he and Merry had gone to many rodeos in this rig and he loved the sway of the tires beneath his hooves. He just didn't like to load. The gelding raised his head high in the air almost lifting Paula off the ground. She held the lead rope tightly as the horse pawed the ground in uneasy fear.

"Come on Boo, come here Baby Boo." Merry called to him from the escape door calmly, waving a bit of hay to entice him into the trailer. "Mom, bring him to the door and let him smell the fresh straw. He's upset about the smoke and ash, but once he smells the straw, he should load right up."

Paula held the lead rope tightly, trying to coax the horse close enough to the trailer as her daughter had instructed. "He's not moving, Merry. Now what?" Paula tried pulling his head down lower, but the horse would not cooperate. "Merry, the Devil himself is in our backyard, if we don't get him loaded in the next minute, he's going to have to stay behind."

Merry gripped her wheelchair tightly. Boo was the last gift she'd gotten from Dad. He had died in the same accident which had put her in the wheelchair. He's just got to load for Mom, he's just gotta! Merry willed calming thoughts to her horse but the gelding refused to budge.

"God, Dad, please help Mom with Boo." Sudden inspiration hit her and she yelled out, "Scold him Mom, like you do when I don't take my insulin shots! Use that tone of voice, MAKE him behave." Merry watched from her vantage point as Paula worked up the nerve to scold Boo. She knew her mother had an irrational fear of horses and often wondered why.

"C'mon, Mom! You have to show him you're the boss! He won't trust you if you don't!"

Paula stared up into the huge beast's eyes, then gave a brisk tug on the lead. "All right, Boo. You either load up right now, or stay and get no grain tonight!"

Boo gave a loud snort, but took an uneasy step forward.

"That's good, Mom. Keep him coming! Come on Boo, come on Baby Boo. I'm right here." Merry slapped her hand onto the floor of the trailer, getting the horse's attention at last. He moved forward steadily, then as he stepped into the stall, Paula released his lead rope then secured the gate chain in place so the horse couldn't back out. She closed the tail gate up, then moved around beside Merry.

"Good boy, Boo. Good boy." Merry stroked the lowered muzzle lovingly, then fed him the promised treat of hay from her hand.

"Mom, you have to tie him in so he doesn't get turned around."

"I know, I know. You'll have to move your wheelchair so I can reach the rope, Hon."

Paula grabbed up the rope, tied it securely to the D-ring on the side of the trailer, then closed and latched the escape door.

Merry moved close to the passenger door of the truck and started coughing. The smoke was getting thicker and both women's eyes were stinging. The roaring flames were getting closer and they heard the sirens winding through the valley from the highway. Overhead, a water tanker flew above the tree tops, engines humming as the doors opened to drop it's load on the advancing flames. Time was up, if they delayed any longer they might not make it out at all.

Paula helped Merry into the front seat, stowed the wheelchair into the bed of the truck, then jumped behind the wheel. As they pulled out of the circular drive, she wondered if it would be standing when all was said and done.

"Mom, do you think we'll still have a home to come back to?"

"I don't know, Merry, all we can do is pray." Paula stopped briefly as they both looked at the pretty house with its brick chimney and tidy flower beds. The recently added wheelchair ramp had been painted the same sage green as the house. The smoke swirled in circles around the cozy valley, almost obscuring the still snow-capped peak of Mount Baldy.

The truck rolled slowly down the mile-long driveway until they reached the highway. A CDF truck, heading south with a fire crew on board, pulled over. One of the firemen jumped out of the cab, waving his hands to get Paula's attention.

"M'am, Miss. Anyone left up this road?"

"No, there's no homes up there but ours." Paula replied.

"That's good to know. You need to head north, just follow the highway to the 139, then the Highway Patrol can help you from there." The fireman waved Paula on, then stopped a car heading south. "You can't get through that way," he yelled at the driver. "The fire's jumped the road, turn around and head toward San Bernardino. It's the only safe way out."

Paula and Merry didn't hear any more as the window sealed the noise, smoke and ash outside the cab. They waited until the blue sedan had turned around and sped away before pulling out onto the highway.

"Merry, call the Hazelton's on the cell, make sure they got out all right."

"Ok, Mom." With unsteady fingers, the girl pounded out the number, then hung up almost immediately. "I dialed it wrong, sorry." Merry re-dialed the number, then listened to the ringing of the phone on the other end. The answering machine clicked on. "Hello! This is Mel, and this is Tilly, we aren't able..."

"It's the machine Mom, should I leave a message?"

"Yeah, tell them we're heading over to the Masonic Temple, the one in Highland, just in case they need to find us."

"...so leave a message after the beep, and we'll be sure to call you." The short tone ended abruptly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hazelton, this is Merry. Me and Mom are fine, we're heading over to the Masonic Temple down in Highland. We have the cell phone if you need to reach us." Merry hung up the phone, then tightened her seatbelt slightly.

"Oh, Lord!" Paula gasped.

"What, Mom? What?"

Paula was watching as fifty-foot tall flames roared into her side-view mirrors.

Merry, seeing the reflections of the flames, turned in her seat. Because of the horse trailer, most of the view was obscured, but she saw the tall flames none-the-less.

"Oh, Mom! It's all on fire! It's all burning!" Merry's tears trailed down her cheeks. "What are we going to do? Mom!"

"Merry, calm down. We're safe. You, me, Cheshire and Boo. You're all that matters in the world to me. Nothing else. Not the house, not the things in the house, just us!" Paula's heart raced, not looking forward to an uncertain future.

The truck wound its way down the curving mountain road until they reached the 139 and headed east. The forest behind them, home for many years, burned bright against the setting sun. Mother and daughter held hands as they glimpsed the destruction through the driver side window.

"Mom, I love you. I haven't told you lately, but I do."

Paula wiped the tear crawling down her cheek, then patted Merry's hand. "I know, Baby, I love you, too. We'll get through this, I promise Sweet."

After a moment, Paula turned on the radio.

"...and though local firefighters declared the fire season a week early, homeowners and businesses have been slow to clear safe zones around their homes and offices. Several fires last week have been determined to have been set by arsonists, and twelve homes have been lost in the Blue Cut fire already. Reports just coming in that the firefighters will be receiving reinforcements from LA, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, and also from as far north as Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties. Local officials are looking into hiring a task force to investigate this latest string of fires that have recently caused millions of dollars in damages..."

The End

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