Trial By Fire

So far, Heddy has discovered a German man hiding in an abandoned house just down the beach from her house. A new boy, Lester has come to the island to stay with his aunt and uncle. Heddy and Lester become fast friends and share a kiss. Heddy's brother, Willis, has returned from the war and is haunted by the things he has seen. Now, Lester let it be known that there is a German on the island. While Heddy's family talks with her, they smell smoke and it seems to be coming from the direction of the abandoned house.

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Willis tries to hurry, jumping down to the beach. I watch as he presses his hand to his hip and bites his bottom lip. My daddy is right behind him. "You and Heddy go back into the house. Lock the doors until we get back," Daddy calls out to my momma. "Go."

"Wait, I want to come with you. I know him. He's going to be scared." I wriggle free of my momma's grasp.

"Go inside with your mother, Heddy. Don't argue with me."

I run back to the house, crying loudly not caring who hears me. My friend is in danger and there is nothing I can do to help. From the porch I can see the thick black smoke filling the sky. I just want to make sure Artie got out of the house. I close my eyes and pray that the tall grasses around the house are what's burning. They get so dry that sometimes lightning will set it ablaze, but everything is wet from the hurricane. My gut tells me that Artie is in danger.

Momma tries to comfort me but I'm not having it. "Artie needs me, Momma. You have to let me go. Please?" I beg.

She shakes her head. "Your father wants you here. He wants to know you're safe. Please, Heddy, stop acting like this."

"He's a good person. He is."

Momma looks away, she brings her knuckle to her mouth and I can see how pale she's become. "We don't know that for sure."

"I do! I know it." I just want her to listen to me and hear what I'm saying. When she doesn't answer I whisper desperately, "Will you, at least, say a prayer for him? God made him just like he made me. Wouldn't you want someone to say a prayer for me or Willis, even if they didn't know if we were good or bad?"

She looks at me, as if she's hearing me for the first time. "Come on, you hold my hand. Your daddy is not gonna like this, but lets go."

I run to her and throw my arms around her.

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The wind off the ocean has picked up, swirling the smoke around and bringing it closer to the ground. Momma covers her mouth and nose with her hand and tells me to pull the neck of my shirt over my nose.

The closer we get I feel my stomach tightening. Voices, angry and loud are mixed in with the sounds of wood and glass popping from the flames. I climb up to the top of the dune and hold out my hand to help Momma. She's out of breath and her eyes are red and shimmering with tears from the smoke. She has beads of sweat plastering her usually perfect hair to her forehead and neck. She looks beautiful to me because she believes me about Artie.

I don't let go of her hand, just duck down and pull her through the acrid haze.

"Artie," I yell.

"Thick as thieves. I knew that little traitor brat of yours would show up. We all could have been killed and she wouldn't have given a damn. All these times everyone thought little miss Heddy was looking for U-boats to keep the island safe. She was welcoming them. Nasty little girl, needs her tail whipped." I can't see her, but I recognize Mrs. Collette's voice. I see a shape coming through the smoke. She lunges, her hand grabbing my wrist. "We'll string you up with your Nazi friend." Her nails dig into my arm, and the more I try to pull away, the deeper they go.

Momma tries to pull me back but Mrs. Collette gives one final yank and I go hurtling face first into the sand at her feet.

Momma screams. "Heddy!" She stumbles towards me, her eyes mere slits from the burning smoke.

Mrs. Collette grabs a handful of my hair and drags me across the yard. The sand and rocks tear into my legs.

As she pulls me closer to the flaming house, I see Artie. He's lying on the ground, Willis kneeling beside him. "Artie!" I call, my voice raw and dry. "I'm sorry."

Willis turns quickly at the sound of my voice. "Heddy, what are you doing here? Where's Momma?"

"Your little sister has been consorting with the enemy, Willis. While you were overseas, fighting for freedom, this little brat was yucking it up with a spy."

"Heddy is a little girl. Let go of her," he says.

Mrs. Collette tightens her hold. "She's gonna get what's coming to her."

Mr. Collette runs over. "Have you lost your mind, Nancy?"

"She's gonna pay for what she's done."

"Let go of her. Now, dammit!" Willis limps towards us. "Look what you've caused here tonight. We could have come to talk to him. We could have acted like human beings, but you set a man's house on fire. You and your accusations, you don't see anything wrong with hurting an eleven-year-old girl. And for what? Because he's different? He's German. Let me tell you something, Mrs. Collette, there are good decent people in every corner of the world. You are willing to write off an entire country because of a few murderous fanatics? You are no better than they are."

Momma quickly pulls me away from a very stunned Mrs. Collette. "Did she hurt you?" she asks, as she wraps her arms around me protectively.

"Is he...," I look towards Artie still lying on the ground.

"He's pretty beat up, but he's alive," Willis says. "Go on over there and sit with him."

Mr. Collette puts his arms around his wife and tugs her back from Momma and me.

"She needs to be taught a lesson," she yells.

Mr. Collette doesn't let go. He looks like he's about to cry. "Let it go. No one else needs to get hurt. You said we were just going to scare him. This got way out of hand, Nancy. First, Lester, now all of this. You knew you were going to set fire to old Dr. Monroe's house, didn't you?"

She looks at Mr. Collette with a coldness that I've never seen before. "I had to. You're a weakling and a coward, Wayne. I had to because I knew you wouldn't."

I run towards Artie and drop down beside him. I pick up his big hand and hold it between both of mine. "Artie, it's me, Heddy. I'm here now."

I feel his hand squeeze mine.