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For Eddie Turner, life began with adversity and misfortune. He had been born prematurely, weighing only four pounds at birth, and the first three years of his life were spent in and out of the hospital. As a result, his physical development was abnormally slow, and he remained quite sickly. It has been said that children can be extremely cruel, and as Eddie grew, so did his low self esteem. The other children in Eddie's neighborhood would taunt and mock him with persistent criticism, and his mother's overprotectiveness and coddling, only served to contribute to his weaknesses.
During the summer, whenever he and the other children were at the community pool, Eddie was made to stay in the shallow end. Or if he went to the fair, Eddie was allowed only, to ride on the Ferris wheel. When the other guys his age were dating, Eddie was shunned by the girls in his school. After all, there weren't many girls who wanted to date a guy from the chess club, and labelled "Eddie Spaghetti" because he was so skinny. When war broke out the year of their high school graduation, all the guys enlisted in a branch of service, all of them that is, except for Eddie. He was turned down for military service because of his eyesight and his weight. The week before they were to leave for boot camp, they held a huge rally on the school's football field, a rally to which, Eddie did not attend.
Eddie watched, as the guys boarded the train that would carry them off to war, and heard the send-off cheers of the well meaning onlookers, and he sunk even deeper into his depression. As news from the front reached home, Eddie was often scorned by the parents who's sons were at war. Many wanted to know why their sons were fighting and dying in war, while he was safe at home. The only riposte Eddie could summon was to hang his head. When the war was finally over, and the boys were coming home, Eddie was not at the station to greet them. He watched from the roof of his little apartment building, wishing that he could have been getting off that train, and be those returning heroes. Eddie turned from the view and went back down to his apartment, turned on his black and white T.V., and watched the parade from his sullen room.
On the evening of the fire, Eddie was walking home from the book store he worked at. He heard the sirens wailing and wondered where they were heading, Eddie quickened his pace. When he rounded the corner, he saw the blaze. John Lipton's house was on fire! John had been the Capitan of the high school football team, had made sergeant during the war, and the one who had given Eddie his hated nickname. John was screaming frantically for his wife, and the firefighters were trying to calm him down, as his wife appeared from around the back of the burning house. She was screaming hysterically that their little boy was still in the inferno. John begged the firefighters restraining him, to let him go, but it was far too dangerous to go inside. Suddenly, someone screamed out that they had seen someone darting into the raging fire.
Presently, a figured appeared, looming in the doorway of the burning home. The unknown image was carrying a small, bundled object. The figured staggered out of the building a few feet, then collapsed on the ground. Firefighters rushed to the collapsed body of Eddie Turner. He had gone into the inferno, found the little boy hiding under his bed, wrapped him in a blanket, and found his way out of the burning hell. Except for a little smoke, and a slight burn to his foot, the little boy was fine. John and his wife clutched him tightly in their arms, as the paramedics tried desperately to revive Eddie, but there was nothing they could do. He'd suffered far too many burns, and inhaled far too much smoke. The paramedic pulled a sheet over Eddie s lifeless body. The community coward was dead.
During the summer, whenever he and the other children were at the community pool, Eddie was made to stay in the shallow end. Or if he went to the fair, Eddie was allowed only, to ride on the Ferris wheel. When the other guys his age were dating, Eddie was shunned by the girls in his school. After all, there weren't many girls who wanted to date a guy from the chess club, and labelled "Eddie Spaghetti" because he was so skinny. When war broke out the year of their high school graduation, all the guys enlisted in a branch of service, all of them that is, except for Eddie. He was turned down for military service because of his eyesight and his weight. The week before they were to leave for boot camp, they held a huge rally on the school's football field, a rally to which, Eddie did not attend.
Eddie watched, as the guys boarded the train that would carry them off to war, and heard the send-off cheers of the well meaning onlookers, and he sunk even deeper into his depression. As news from the front reached home, Eddie was often scorned by the parents who's sons were at war. Many wanted to know why their sons were fighting and dying in war, while he was safe at home. The only riposte Eddie could summon was to hang his head. When the war was finally over, and the boys were coming home, Eddie was not at the station to greet them. He watched from the roof of his little apartment building, wishing that he could have been getting off that train, and be those returning heroes. Eddie turned from the view and went back down to his apartment, turned on his black and white T.V., and watched the parade from his sullen room.
On the evening of the fire, Eddie was walking home from the book store he worked at. He heard the sirens wailing and wondered where they were heading, Eddie quickened his pace. When he rounded the corner, he saw the blaze. John Lipton's house was on fire! John had been the Capitan of the high school football team, had made sergeant during the war, and the one who had given Eddie his hated nickname. John was screaming frantically for his wife, and the firefighters were trying to calm him down, as his wife appeared from around the back of the burning house. She was screaming hysterically that their little boy was still in the inferno. John begged the firefighters restraining him, to let him go, but it was far too dangerous to go inside. Suddenly, someone screamed out that they had seen someone darting into the raging fire.
Presently, a figured appeared, looming in the doorway of the burning home. The unknown image was carrying a small, bundled object. The figured staggered out of the building a few feet, then collapsed on the ground. Firefighters rushed to the collapsed body of Eddie Turner. He had gone into the inferno, found the little boy hiding under his bed, wrapped him in a blanket, and found his way out of the burning hell. Except for a little smoke, and a slight burn to his foot, the little boy was fine. John and his wife clutched him tightly in their arms, as the paramedics tried desperately to revive Eddie, but there was nothing they could do. He'd suffered far too many burns, and inhaled far too much smoke. The paramedic pulled a sheet over Eddie s lifeless body. The community coward was dead.
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