The Accident?

Running into his apartment, he ripped open his closet door, where within was his backpack. Inside were the last remains of his old life, along with a book which contained the location of a forger who could help him start all over...again. Grabbing a few possessions and some money, he began to head toward the bank when he heard a familiar noise: Peter frantically barking. Running down to the floor below, he saw Rory collapsed in the doorway of her apartment. Running over, he knelt down and could barely feel a pulse, so he immediately reached into his pocket for his phone and called 911.

Rory opened her eyes and was confused to find Baker standing over her.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I’m not so sure,” Baker responded. “An ambulance is on its way. We’ll get you to the hospital and have everything checked out.”

Walking her down stairs through the throng of other residents, he maneuvered Rory towards the incoming EMT’s and explained what he saw.

After receiving attention, Rory was cleared, and decided to take Peter for a walk. Baker couldn’t fathom why she wanted to do that, and offered to walk with them just incase anything happened. She politely declined, but Baker tailed them anyway, worried more for the safety of Rory than himself. 5 minutes in, he noticed Rory stumbling-barely able to hold herself steady-and randomly crossing the street. Reaching Rainbow River, he saw the pair pause and turn around, and he let out a small sigh of relief that they were going home. But what happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. Rory was in the middle of the road again, and a car turned the corner and sped toward her. Baker was frozen, helpless as he watched the collision which sent Rory into the river without a scream.

Calling 911, he ran back towards the Victorian screaming, “Jenn killed Rory!”

The Return

Baker had been in hiding for only a week. He hated the isolation, of not being able to talk to anyone else or make contact with them. But he knew he couldn’t just pretend like nothing had happened. He was one of the most wanted men in the city, and there was very little chance he could return to his regular life.

However, he didn’t believe himself to be a bad person. Just like everyone else, he helped repair the city in the aftermath of the storm, just out of sight. Continuing this behavior for the day, he was exhausted by the time a small festival rolled into town, setting up a stage and concessions in the park. As the smells and sounds collided with him, he realized he couldn’t do this for much longer. Pulling his coat up and his hat down, he walked towards the baked goods stand, avoiding eye contact of everyone else.

Even with all of his cautious actions, he couldn’t help but say hi to a few people, namely Rory. She seemed so much happier now than she had the last time he saw her, and couldn’t help himself. She didn’t seem to worried about the fact he was wanted, as she believed in his good character. Saying hi to some others from the Victorian, he waited among them for the upcoming eclipse, acting like nothing had happened.

In the next couple of weeks, Baker had slowly returned to his apartment. Being very inconspicuous with his actions and only alerting those he trusted to his presence, he began to resume his normal life. But one day, a note showed up on his door. It read: To whom it may concern, the former tenant of this apartment is under investigation by the United States Army for desertion and assault of an officer. Any information is welcome and will be rewarded. Any accomplices with de dealt with accordingly. At the bottom was the stamp of the army, and Baker knew that if he didn’t flee at this moment, the might face a terrible fate.