Chapter 2 Loosing Everything in a Day

If nightmares could crawl off the pillow and smack you in the face, this would be it. Elena just crumpled, right there, legs giving out like they'd turned to soggy noodles. Her hands? Shaking so bad she could barely keep them in her lap, let alone do anything useful like, I dunno, breathe normally. Panic, that nasty little gremlin, just wouldn't let go.

Her shoulders sagged like she'd been carrying bricks for years. Legs-deadweight. Useless. Honestly, she felt hollowed out, just a shell with empty eyes staring at this mess. Usually, she's bright, sparkly even, but now? Nope. Just blank, haunted.

And the sight-man, it was brutal. The air itself felt mean, all sharp edges and that awful burned smell that stuck to her clothes and hair, like it was trying to crawl inside her lungs. The building... calling it a building feels like a sick joke, 'cause all that's left is a pile of blackened, twisted junk. Used to be something sturdy, important. Now it's just... nothing. Pretty much how she felt on the inside-like everything good had been ripped out.

How the hell did this happen? What was she even supposed to do now? Those questions just spun around her mind, squeezing her chest tight.

First time back at her dad's supermarket since the fire, and honestly, seeing it like this? It hurt in ways she didn't even know were possible. The ashes felt like they were whispering her own heartbreak back at her, just to rub it in.

She'd stayed away until she knew her dad was pulling through. Didn't matter-her chest still ached like she'd swallowed a fist. Eight hours outside surgery, pacing, praying, mind racing a million miles an hour with everything that could go wrong. And when the doctor finally came out? She almost collapsed all over again, but this time from relief, clinging to that tiny sliver of hope the doc handed her.

That relief was shaky, barely there, but it was something. Like a skinny little sunbeam poking through a storm cloud. In all this mess, she still had her dad. That kind of hope-maybe it's God looking out, or maybe just dumb luck-but whatever it is, it's everything to her.

Now, standing here? It felt like the universe had thrown Elena straight into a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. The place-her dad's supermarket-looked like some dead thing, all bones and ashes. Employees told her locals spotted the fire just before sunrise. Classic: disaster always picks the worst timing.

Help showed up, but honestly, it was already game over. The wind had turned the whole building into a fire buffet, flames chewing up every aisle and corner like it was personal. Trying to stop it? Might as well have tried to blow out a volcano with a birthday candle.

Her dad? He'd rolled up while the fire was still going nuts, arguing with one of his right-hand guys. Then, bam-he just dropped, grabbing his chest like he'd been zapped by a live wire. Heart attack. Out of nowhere.

Ambulance came in hot, sirens screaming like they could actually fix anything. ER was chaos, everyone running around, and after a blur of way-too-bright lights and medical jargon, the doctors said he needed surgery ASAP. Like, right now, or else.

So here was Elena, staring at what was left-just twisted metal and blackened nothingness. It hit her all at once, like a punch in the gut: no wonder her dad's heart gave out. Who wouldn't crack, watching everything they built get roasted to oblivion? Family dreams, gone-just like that.

She fell to her knees, the cold biting at her, but honestly, she barely felt it. The real chill was inside. Police tape fluttered in the wind, like that could keep the disaster from spreading any further. Elena just stared, hollowed out, whispering, "Oh my God... what happened? How did we get here?" But nobody answered-not that night. Not ever.

Cops and firefighters drifted through the wreckage-ghosts, honestly. There, but not really there. You could feel them breathing down your neck, even if they barely glanced your way. Out of nowhere, Elena caught sight of a face she knew, with a cop on one side and a fireman on the other. Great. Just what she needed.

She was slouched under this massive tree, half wishing it'd just swallow her up. Every muscle in her body screamed, but the real anchor was all that grief, all that loss. And yeah, the dread of whatever was coming next.

"Evening, Miss Elena." The guy was one of her dad's inner circle-old-school loyal, but his voice wobbled, like he wasn't sure he even wanted to be here.

"Evening," she croaked out, voice scratchy. "So, what happened?" She shot him a look that said, Don't even think about lying.

"We're still digging into what started the fire, Miss," the cop cut in, all stiff and official.

Elena just kind of nodded, slow. She knew the drill. No point in throwing a fit and demanding answers-no one had any, anyway.

"Miss Elena, if you have a moment... I need to brief you on what's been lost," the guy said, tiptoeing around the words like they might explode.

"Oh, the impact," she muttered, not even trying to hide the bite in her voice. Her head pounded-damn near splitting in two. She blew out a breath, hoping it'd clear some of the fog.

"Fine. Let's talk over there." She jerked her chin toward some battered café, just across from what used to be the supermarket. Not much left, but at least it was standing.

"Got it, Miss Elena," the guy mumbled, trying to sound official.

"Well... that's that, Miss Elena. We'll, uh, let you know if anything pops up." The cop and the fireman exchanged a quick look, did the whole professional nod thing, then disappeared into the darkness. Didn't even wait for a thank you-just gone.

So, Elena and the employee headed back toward the café. Not a word between them. Honestly, after a night like that, what was left to say? They walked in out of the mess and into this weird little bubble of light and warmth. Whole place was glowing gold from some fancy chandelier, throwing light all over these wacky paintings on the walls.

There's this bookshelf shoved in the corner, not even big, but somehow it makes the place feel like a living room. Smelled like coffee heaven-fresh, rich, a little chocolatey, the kind of smell that hugs your brain for a second and then poof, gone, because, well, reality is a jerk sometimes. It should've felt cozy, but the whole café was kind of holding its breath. A few people scattered around, whispering like they were afraid to wake some ghost. All that chaos outside and here, everything's just... muffled.

After a minute, they ordered coffee-two, because what else are you supposed to do right now?-and sank into their seats, staring across the table at each other.

"You okay?" The employee asked it soft, like he already knew the answer and was just hoping for a miracle.

Elena didn't bother faking it. "Nope," she said, flat out, voice not even shaking, just worn-out. "I mean, who would be? After all this?"

She couldn't stand the idea of pretending. It's not her style, playing pretend and acting like nothing's wrong when, honestly, her life just imploded. Nah. Elena wasn't going to slap on a smile and pretend for anyone's comfort. She'd rather face the ugly truth-hers, theirs, whatever. Even if it weighed her down, at least it was real.

"Yeah, I get it. Sorry, Miss," the clerk muttered, sounding like he'd just swallowed a handful of gravel. Regret just oozed from the guy-probably picturing himself out on the street, jobless, just because of some stupid fire. Sucks for everyone, honestly.

Elena just kind of shrugged. "Why are you apologizing?" she said, all calm and collected, even though her hands were clenched tight enough to leave little crescent moons in her palms. "You didn't do anything wrong. Thanks for caring, seriously. But let's just... keep going." She tried to sound tough, but if you listened close, you could hear the shaking underneath.

She took a sip of coffee. Slow. Like she hoped it might work some magic on her nerves. Spoiler: it didn't. Sure, the heat felt nice for a second, but it couldn't touch the tornado going wild in her chest. If only.

The clerk, still looking like he'd seen a ghost, nodded and picked up where he left off. "Okay, so, uh, the fire totally wiped out the warehouse behind the store. We've got nothing left to sell. Worse-most of the stuff belonged to suppliers we haven't even paid yet. It's a mess, Miss. Big one." He slid a manila folder across the table, eyes practically screaming, "Help!" Inside, there was this depressing stack of lists and bills-each one a slap in the face.

Elena frowned, flipping through the papers. "Wait, where'd you even get all this? The office is toast."

He didn't even blink. "Suppliers started calling. Mad as hell, too. Sent over all the invoices again. Couldn't ignore 'em."

She just nodded, eyes glued to the endless columns of numbers. Each one worse than the last. Her jaw tightened. She wanted to scream or throw the coffee mug or, I dunno, run away. Instead, she forced herself to keep it together. Just barely.

"Wait, why haven't they been paid?" Elena blurted, her nerves prickling. Then her expression switched-like a lightbulb going off, but y'know, the kind that flickers and makes you uneasy. "Hold up. Where's the finance lady? Shouldn't she be here sorting this out?" she asked, sharper now, practically slicing the air with her words.

The clerk just let out a shaky sigh and stared at the cheap tabletop, suddenly fascinated by the wood grain or whatever.

"She, uh... she took off. With all the store's money, Miss."

Elena's jaw dropped. For a second, she just stood there, blinking, wondering if this was some kind of prank show and the cameras would pop out.

"You're kidding, right? She ran off? With all of it?" Her voice was shaky and weirdly tiny, the kind you use when your brain's still buffering.

Her hands started to tremble. It was like the universe had yanked the rug out from under her, and now she was just free-falling. All the crap she'd been juggling-bam, it just crashed down, one big ugly avalanche.

"She... ran away? Seriously? How does that even...?" Elena's words trailed off, barely more than a whisper, her breath catching. She could feel tears prickling, but hell if she was gonna cry in front of this guy.

Honestly, she felt like the world had just disappeared beneath her feet. Every ounce of responsibility that was already crushing her doubled in weight.

And now? She just stood there, not sure how to move, how to start fixing this mess. For the first time, she wondered-what if she just couldn't?

To be continued...