Questioning
A Thursday Prompt story
© 2024 by Walter Reimer

Prompt: rescue

WARNING: POSSIBLE TRIGGER AHEAD


Parts of the apartment building still burned, although the fire department was steadily beating the flames back. A third of the building, including the part where the fire had started, was uninhabitable, and everyone was counting themselves blessed for having gotten out of the place without any serious injuries.

An EMT was still examining the young femme antelope as a police officer approached her. The rabbit adjusted his body armor and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Ma’am?” he asked respectfully. “I need to get your statement, if you’re ready to make one.”

The antelope nodded and took a deep, almost sobbing breath before she said, “It was my boyfriend.”

The rabbit’s ears swiveled, and he pulled out a pen and his notepad. He made a quick note of the time and date before asking, “May I get your name, Ma’am?”

“Alicia. Alicia Daniels,” the antelope replied. Her voice sounded flat. No wonder, really; she’d been carried from a burning building.

The officer decided to get as much information as he could before she started shaking. “Ms. Daniels, what’s your boyfriend’s name?”

“John Crane,” and the antelope fairly snarled the name. “He’s a ram. We’d broken up about a week ago,” she added as the rabbit scribbled furiously, “but I never thought . . . “ Her voice trailed off as she started to cry. The paramedic produced some tissues from his bag, and she accepted them. “I-I’m s-sorry . . . “

“Don’t be, Ma’am,” the rabbit said reassuringly. “You’ve had a very bad time. You say that you had broken up with Mr. Crane?”

Alicia nodded. “Last week, yes. I thought everything was over, but he showed up at the apartment. Pushed his way in and started . . . started hitting me . . . “

The rabbit glanced at the paramedic. The fox said, “Some bruises, a few lacerations.”

“Got it, thanks. Ms. Daniels, did he touch you sexually?”

The antelope shook her head. “No, no he didn’t. He hit me, dumped me on the floor in the living room. While I’m lying there, he gets a – a gas can out of the hallway.” She swallowed hard. “Said if he couldn’t have me, then no one would.”

“I see.” It was a chivalric impulse and the rabbit knew it, but he was still beginning to feel angry at the ram. He suppressed the feeling and asked, “What did he do, Ms. Daniels?”

“He . . . “ She swallowed hard. “He splashed gasoline all around, used a lighter to set it off, and r-ran out,” she said. “I was so scared . . . “

“It’s over now, Ma’am. How did you get out of your apartment?”

Daniels drew another shuddering breath. “It was all over the place . . . between me and the door . . . and then . . . “

“And then?” the rabbit asked.

The antelope glanced to her right, where a lanky Great Dane was standing, talking to another police officer.

”And then along came Jones . . . “

end