A Call to Love

Chapter 1

Dark smoke cast its ominous shadow across the winter sky as Lane and Maddy pulled into the winding, tree-lined lane way of their neighbor’s farm. “Hurry up,” Maddy urged as she reached for her cell phone.
They had noticed a haze and the faint wisps of smoke upon leaving town. It had seemed innocent enough at first. A farmer burning garbage most likely. As they had gotten closer to home, however, the smoke had grown much thicker. It was increasing far too rapidly. Lane's grip tightened on the steering wheel as he stepped on the gas.
A gasp escaped Maddy’s lips as they cleared the trees, bringing the barn into view. It was clearly the source of the fire. The door was ajar and smoke found an easy escape as it sought release from the walls containing it. The flames leaped hungrily at the wood structure, casting an eerie glow across the snow. Lane thrust the vehicle into park before lunging out the door, in an effort to warn their friends. Maddy finished her 911 call, just as Grace came rushing out of the house.
“Erin’s in the barn!” Grace screamed as she ran toward the burning building.
Lane caught Grace’s shoulders and pulled her to a stop. “You can’t go in there; it’s too dangerous.”
Maddy could see her friend was in a state of panic and knew her husband was right. There was no way Grace would be able to think clearly.
“I’ll get her,” Lane declared as he turned toward the barn.
“No!” Maddy yelled as Lane raced toward the burning structure without the least hesitation. Fear thrust her into action. Her heart pounded as she fumbled for the door handle in her desperation to get out. In only a matter of seconds, Maddy reached Grace’s side, but not before her friend collapsed onto the snowy ground in tears.
“God help him,” Maddy whispered as she watched her husband enter the barn in defiance of the life-threatening flames. She choked down her scream, knowing it would be futile to try and stop him. Erin was only five, two and a half years older than their own little girl. There was no way Lane would not try and save her.
“She went out to see the new kittens,” Grace sobbed as she rocked back and forth in the snow. “I don’t know what could have happened.” Tears were starting to freeze to her eyelashes, but the distraught mother didn’t seem to notice or care.
“God is in control.” Maddy said the words as much to calm her own fears as to give hope to her friend. It hardly seemed like enough. She wanted to do something – to help. With all her being, Maddy wanted to yell at Lane to get out of the barn. Instead she put her arm around Grace in an effort to shelter her friend from the cold wind. Grace had not taken the time to grab a coat and she was starting to shiver uncontrollably. How much was from shock and how much was from the cold, Maddy didn’t know.
Turning back to the barn, tears came to her own eyes as Maddy saw how fast the fire was progressing. Flames now licked the roof in their greed to devour. Where was Lane? He was taking too long. Thick, black smoke billowed out making its winding trail up to the sky. The cool Alberta wind seemed to feed the flames, urging the fire to grow. Her gaze was riveted on the barn door, watching for any sign of life, willing her husband to come out to safety.
Just then a huge crack punctuated the air. It was loud and foreboding. The two women watched helplessly as the large timbers lost their battle against the hungry flames. They both cried out as the roof collapsed with a finality that tore at their very beings.