Virgil stood frozen in place as frozen as the dying fire before him. The sounds of the world returned to but no sound was louder than the sound of Virgil’s heart pounding in his chest. He turned and began to run again the only thought in his mind was that he would be blamed for the fire and by extension Mr Wont’s death. Virgil ran as fast as his legs would carry him, his vision beginning to blur as tears weld in his eyes. He reached the stair to the ground floor taking them two at a time. When he got to the bottom the exit was right there in front of him, the main exit to where anyone who had been in the building when the bell rang would be. He turned and went towards the back exit, using his shoulder to burst through the door so he wouldn’t have to slow. He raced across the tarmac of the school's rear parking lot, the one strictly reserved for teachers, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the eerie quiet outside the building. He headed straight for the high back wall that separated the school from the back alleys of some of the local businesses. As he approached the wall he jumped pushing off the wall with his lead foot grabbing onto the stone capping in order to haul himself over landing hard in the alley with a thud.

  Virgil ran and ran. He couldn’t run home if he did he would either get a beating or tossed out onto the streets, probably both. He ran aimlessly, his feet dictating his directions. He ran though the large town square which had been built around a rather large portal dolmen. The north and south streets of which were lined with all the shops one would expect in a town ,before the advent of online shopping and big box stores becoming ubiquitous, almost all of which were open apart from the bank building which had long shut down the credit union next door people had a revolving door of customers and was the only building on the same side of the square as the bank. Opposite them was a large church building whose stained glass windows bore depictions of Jesus, Mary and St Anthony for whom the church was named for. Virgil ran, turning down side streets at speed, if you had asked him where he was going he wouldn’t be able to answer but in his heart he knew. As he crested a hill the bridge out of town came into view. It was an old arch-bridge with multiple arches spanning a river and connecting to an old mountain road. The bridge was made out of mostly well weathered granite apart from a section on the left hand side where oak planks, which now bore a greenish colour from where the rain had gotten to them, had been used to repair a hole that had been left in its wall from where a car had driven through it, Virgil's parents' car.

  Virgil’s lungs burned in his chest, his heart poured in his ears telling him to slow down. He couldn't keep pushing himself but Virgil knew he just needed to reach the water and then he would be okay. Before the bridge there was a small path that had been walked into the field next to it that led to the water. Virgil started down it, his feet struggling to keep grip on the muddy ground getting closer and closer to the river banks, he could hear the sound of rushing water now. Virgil stopped on the bank staring into the flowing water, the water that had taken everything from him, taken his parents, taken the life he could have had, that had given him nothing but misery, was the reason he was covered in scars was the reason for all his pain. And on the banks of the river Virgil broke down.

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  It was hours later when Virgil's senses came back to him, he had moved to be under the bridge on a stone that he would often sit on when he came out here. He could feel his throat was raw as were his eyes from hours of crying there was a chill in the air but most chilling was the voice that had brought him back to himself

  “So Virgil that was quite the incident over at the school care to talk about it” said a voice from the shadows. Virgil turned his head to see who was there but it was a man he had never seen before who, if Virgil had to guess, was in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. The man wore what appeared to be a bespoke suit the finery of which didn’t match with his face and hair both of which were so greasy Virgil wouldn’t have been surprised if there wasn't a trail of oil following in his wake.

  “I’m sorry officer I don't know what happened” Virgil started his voice hoarse from crying for as long as he had been.

  “It’s okay Virgil son” the newcomer said his hands raised in a placative gesture “I’m not a cop I’m a friend of your parents come on we’ll go see them and I’ll be able to explain the situation to them”

  “How are you going to explain how I froze fire?” Virgil asked a note of anger in his tone.

  “Trust me” the man replied as he fought to suppress a grin “the Oliver and Alice Frost I know will understand”. The words hit Virgil like a slap in the face it was the first time Virgil had heard his parents' names spoken in what must have been years at this point, this man knew his parents, his real parents but didn’t know they were dead and what did he mean they’d understand. This whole thing felt wrong and it took Virgil a minute or two to respond.

  “Sorry sir I didn’t catch your name and how did you know my parents” Virgil said as he began to push himself back to his feet.

  “My apologies Virg I didn’t introduce myself, my name is Rami Zuko I attended school with your parents although they were a few years above me we floated in similar circles until they left to go work with the environment” the man who claimed to be Rami said as he stuck out his hand for Virgil to shake. Virgil didn’t shake his hand.

  “And where did you go to school”

  “Seeing as you don’t know what happened today I’m going to assume your father probably told you he went to a comprehensive up north for school which isn’t true but we don’t have time we have to move now i’ll explain everything at your parents house.” The urgency was clear in Rami’s voice as well as more than a hint of fear there was just one problem.

  “Sorry sir but my parents are dead” Virgil said looking straight into Rami's eyes and he could see part of the other man break and he knew in that instance he could trust him.

  “How long?” Rami said, choking back tears.

  “Thirteen years ago tomorrow”

  “Shit”