Men on Fire - Hadyn Archambeault
Case No: **-69185
Date: 07/05/****
On July 4th, ****, I, Reporting Officer Randy Barnett was dispatched to Fairfield Park in
Washington, ** at approximately 2120 after a 911 operator received a call from someone who
claimed they heard a gunshot. Upon arriving at Fairfield Park, I made contact with the
complainant. I observed that no one else was visibly panicked, so I suggested that the sound they
heard was likely one of the fireworks. However, they informed me that the sound was distinctly
sharper and that it came from the treeline opposite from where the fireworks were being shot. I
went into the wooded area with my flashlight, and after searching for approximately 10 minutes,
I came across a body lying on the ground in the supine position. I checked the body’s pulse and
found there was none. I waited until the firework show ceased and for the crowd to disperse to
call for backup so as to not cause panic. Based on evidence found at the scene, the medical
examiner and coroner ruled the death to be a suicide caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to
the head. The medical examiner, coroner, and later the deceased’s spouse ID’d the body as
belonging to [REDACTED]. No further action is needed.
“Hi, welcome to Sam’s Egg! I’m Eileen. I’ll be your server this morning. Any drinks to start us
off?”
“We’ll have mimosas for the table.”
“Oh, actually, I’ll just have a water.”
“Oh, come on, Jen. Live a little!”
“I’m gonna have a water.”
“Okay, great. I’ll be back with your drinks in a bit.”
“Phyllis, you know she can’t have alcohol.”
“Oh, my god. Jen, I’m so sorry. I totally forgot.”
“It’s okay.”
“How far along are you?”
“Twenty weeks.”
“So do you guys know if it’s gonna be a boy or girl yet?”
“It’s gonna be a boy.”
“Oh, my god, congrats.”
“Congrats, Jen.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“That’s amazing.”
“You lucked out.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, speaking from experience, boys are so much easier to raise than girls.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. They’re like my labrador retriever; as long as they’re fed and get outside they’re good
to go. With girls, there’s so much more handling.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. I mean, have you seen Beth’s kids?”
“The twins?”
“Yeah, they practically terrorized my daughter at the park. She came home in hysterics.”
“What did they do?”
“I don’t know. I think they were teasing her.”
“Boys will be boys.”
“Oh, speaking of Beth…”
“Oh, god, I know. Were any of you guys at Fairfield Park?”
“I think everyone was.”
“I didn’t even notice it happen. Did you?”
“No.”
“I don’t think anyone did, well, except for the person who called it in, obviously.”
“Do you know who called it in?”
“I heard it was Jackie’s boy.”
“Doesn’t he go hunting with his dad?”
“I mean, who could’ve seen this coming?”
“I can’t imagine what Beth’s going through, let alone the twins.”
“I don’t know. I think they’re too young to process that sort of thing.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen Beth leave the house since, not that I blame her.”
“Should we send her something?”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I heard she’s using.”
“Oh, stop it, Kathleen.”
“What? I’m serious.”
“I heard she drove him to suicide.”
“I heard that, too.”
“I heard he started having problems when he came back.”
“Being around those dirty terrorists probably did something to him.”
“Here are your drinks. I’ll be back in a few to take your orders.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you so much.”
“It’s just so scary.”
“So sad.”
“Should we look at the specials?”
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Name: Abigail Hyman
Date: 09/20/****
Tell me a time when you felt sad. What helped cheer you up?
I felt sad when bullies chased me on the playground with toy guns. I told them to stop but they kept shooting me and yelling at me. They
were really loud and they hurt my ears. I cried when I went home but I hugged my stuffed dog and she made me feel better. I love her. Her
name is Stella.
Tell me a time when you saw someone feeling sad. Did you try to help cheer them up? If so, what did you do?
On Fourth of July I was eating a hotdog at Fairfield Park and I saw a man that looked really scared and really sad and lost and sweaty. I
think it was because of the fireworks. They were very loud. I tapped him and I tried to give him Stella. He didn’t take her and he walked
away. A few days after Fourth of July I saw the man on our TV. He died. I don’t remember the day but in August I went to the park and the
bullies were there but they didn’t have their toy guns. They were very sad. They walked over to me and told me they were sorry. They told
me the man on the TV was their dad. We hugged. They are not bullies anymore. We are best friends now. We are in the same class and we
eat lunch together. We play at the park after school and on weekends. Their mom is nice but sad. I think she is lonely. I wish I could have
cheered up their dad.
I enlist. I am shipped overseas. The raging waters try to force us back. We make it to the exotic land. The sands are hot and the plants are
sharp. The buildings are rubbled and the houses are blank. A malnourished mutt hangs around our base. No one feeds it. It’s so brown
here.
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I miss my dear Beth and our boys. The women and children here hate us. The men hate us more. Some men light themselves on fire to
protest us, to curse us. Why? Is this what we’re doing to them? They wish to see us burning. We’re here to save them, right? The buildings…
us? The bodies in heaps…the limbs in the streets…Did we…? Are those our bodies or theirs? Some of the limbs are too small to be ours.
How long have we been here? Why are we here?
The sands are scorching now and the plants are piercing and the bodies are piling up and the men who light themselves on fire burn
brighter. The war is over.
I am sent home in time for a Christmas. I don’t know which one. I feel out of time. It’s so much whiter here. Beth gets the twins toy guns. I
can’t stand the sight of them, the sound of them. Beth looks at me differently—like a wounded puppy. Do I look different? I feel different.
Did the fire follow me home? I can’t wash myself. I don’t like being near Beth and the boys. I don’t like being near anyone. I don’t want the '
fire to spread. This house—this land—I am a stranger to it…
It’s getting hotter out. The twins grin. “It’s Fourth of July!” The sky is screaming. It smells like smoke. Sparklers whip past me. Why are
people cheering? Don’t these people know what I’ve done? I’m burning. A girl is offering me her dog. Did we kill her? No. She doesn’t look
like a girl we killed. I need to get away. I am in the woods. The limbs are trying to grab me. Where is Beth? Where are our boys? They’re
away from me. That’s good. I need to put this fire out.
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Hadyn Archambeault is a senior year English major, with a double minor in film studies and creative writing. He’s also a tutor at the Writing Center. His work has been published in previous issues of ARCH Journal. He has a passion for creative writing. He’s also a music lover and a film nerd. He’s addicted to Letterboxd, and you can follow him @hadyngrey.