Every minute and second spent on the plane felt like an endless century for Agnes. It was a torment. Her face was heavy with grief, and she was shrouded in heart-wrenching tension and unease. She desperately wanted to get there immediately. Although she didn’t know what she could do for him, she just wanted to be closer to him. If he was injured, she wanted to stay by his side and take care of him. If he died… she wanted to be with him.
When the plane landed, Agnes’s phone had just run out of battery, and she hadn’t even brought a charger. Fortunately, there were some leftover dollars in the inner pocket of her bag, which solved her urgent need. She took a cab to the site of the incident. Looking at the unfamiliar buildings outside the window, tears welled up in her eyes.
The half-hour drive felt excruciatingly long for her. As she glanced at the foreign scenery outside the window, tears of sorrow and helplessness rolled down her cheeks.
“Miss, there was an explosion at the laboratory. Are you a family member of one of the researchers?” The driver was a burly man with a kind demeanor. Noticing her distress, he asked with concern, “The explosion has stopped, but the scene is devastating. No one survived in the entire building; some were burned beyond recognition, and bodies are incomplete. Why are you here alone?”
Hearing this, Agnes’s heart wrenched violently! She slowly turned her gaze back to him, tears streaming down her face.
No one survived… So did he die too?
“Miss, my condolences,” the driver sighed, trying to comfort her. “Cherish those around you; fate is unpredictable.”
Agnes’s tears fell like broken beads; she couldn’t say anything and just kept crying uncontrollably. She was so heartbroken… Her heart felt as if it had turned to ashes.
Why didn’t she come to see him earlier? To say a proper goodbye…
The laboratory building hadn’t collapsed, but it was completely charred black. The white exterior walls no longer showed any trace of their original color, stained pitch-black by smoke; all windows were shattered. The scene was chaotic and tragic; rescue efforts were ongoing, with some smoke still lingering. Professionals were carrying out some belongings from inside, along with some charred bodies…
The atmosphere at the scene was extremely oppressive… There were sounds of mourning and cries of despair from some family members…
When the taxi arrived, Agnes almost couldn’t stand when she got out. She looked at the burnt-out laboratory building, more terrifying than in photos, with a police line set up not far away.
She slowly scanned her surroundings; she had only seen that photo taken by Lisa before. The building was now unrecognizable due to the fire damage-she couldn’t tell if this was where Tom had been.
She wanted to hold onto a sliver of hope, but his phone wouldn’t connect… Her premonition was so bad.
Was he resting at home or in the building when the explosion happened?
No one survived… Did he have any chance of being alive?
Two firefighters carried out a stretcher covered with a white cloth; a charred shoe protruded from it, clearly belonging to a victim.
Agnes wasn’t afraid; she bravely approached them and asked, “Excuse me, has the list of victims been released?”
Her phone was dead; she couldn’t check the news.
“Not yet; it’s still being compiled. The scene hasn’t been fully cleared-some people were blown into pieces and need DNA matching before we can release a list.”
Agnes watched them carry the stretcher away through tear-filled eyes.
Her large eyes were unfocused; her pale lips trembled like dry leaves in an autumn breeze…