Moon Over Seaville: Episode 1: From The Other Side Of The Moon

By Dr. Leighton J. Reynolds

Arson is a very difficult crime to track because it is done in secret, there are usually no witnesses, and the evidence has almost always been burned up. Approximately 15 % of arson cases are committed by a serial arsonist. During a recent October, just north of Los Angeles, The City of Seaville, California has been experiencing the work of a se

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Vine Press
• Release date: Oct 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781953699251

Dr. Leighton J. Reynolds

Leighton J Reynolds has a multidisciplinary doctorate in Psychoanalytic Studies (Psychoanalysis, Neuroscience, and Psychology), and he is a Certified Psychoanalyst. He lives and works in Southern California in the heart of wildfire country.

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Introduction

Episode One

I began writing this novel series in March of 2008 in response to the wildfire crisis in Southern California that I was witnessing first-hand. At that time, I had the idea that if I wrote/created a story (fiction) about the problems of wildfires worldwide, I could draw in a much larger audience than if I wrote something non-fictional. This is still my idea with this re-publication. Based on my own wildfire experiences (I felt like I was living in Hell on one particular day in October of 2007). Gaining interviews with several arson investigators in the greater Los Angeles area. Researching the science of wildfires. And using a dose of the freedom fiction writing that gives authors the space to create. This novel was first published as From The Other Side Of The Moon (2010). From The Other Side Of The Moon is now Episode One in this re-designed series Moon Over Seaville: The Story of a Wildfire.

As I re-read this novel for the re-publication as Moon Over Seaville, I concluded that this story stands. Unfortunately, what has changed are the power, frequency, and destruction of wildfires worldwide. Tuning into the news everyday (this is September of 2020, early in what has traditionally been wildfire season in California) it is very apparent that it is known worldwide that the West Coast of the US is burning up in an unprecedented manner! Sadly, we have made no progress in addressing the problem of wildfires since I began writing in 2008. In fact, the situation is far worse. The Air Quality Index in Salem, Oregon two days ago was 383 (considered Airpocalypse) compared to a AQI of 53 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Every year the wildfire situation in the Western US has gotten worse with no solution on the horizon.

What is driving these extreme wildfires in the Western United States? To begin with, there is more heat on the planet as a result of carbon emissions. Carbon emissions trap heat on the planet causing a rise in temperature worldwide. Secondly, this heat creates extremes of weather conditions and rapidly dries out the surface of the planet making the wildfires burn hotter and faster. These wildfires are now moving at incredible speeds covering 14-15 miles in one hour! Thirdly, there are changes in the various micro-climates on the planet, they are heating up and changing the biological makeup of these specific areas.

Looking further into these extremes, the wildfires in the Western United States are generating towering explosions of plumes (fire, smoke, and heat) that develop above these intense blazes. These plumes of fire, smoke, and heat can reach a height of 55,000 feet, becomes embedded in thunderstorms, causing lightning strikes and possible tornadoes. This does not bode well for our future on Planet Earth!

One of the issues being debated about these wildfires is the role of arson in starting these blazes. Note this statement from the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s Office regarding the Almeda Fire in Ashland, OR: Every fire is investigated for the possibility of arson so that we can either determine it is or rule it out. And this statement from the Ashland, OR Police Department: We are treating this fire as suspicious. (For arson.) This taken from the Reuters Headline (September 10th, 2020): Arson Probe Opened Into Deadly Oregon Wildfire—Police Chief.

Moon Over Seaville is based on the premise that arson is more often the cause of wildfires worldwide than the general public is aware of. And who are these suspects? My research pointed me in the direction that most (if not all) serial arsonists are the victims of sexual abuse. By setting fires they get rid of this tension much as a serial killer gets rid of their rageful tensions through killing. But the problem here is that a wildfire can be so much more devasting and deadly!

It is my hope, as it was in 2008 when I started writing, that this story (4 Episodes) will create a greater interest in the problems of wildfires worldwide and motivate all of us to action. Our planet is on fire as never before, we are destroying the very climate that supports us on Planet Earth, and we need to find a better way ahead ASAP. So read on. There are many surprises ahead! And a lot of useful information embedded in the story that I hope will help readers explore the deeper issues behind these extreme events now multiplying on our planet.

A final note. As I am writing this Introduction outside a Starbucks in Santa Clarita, CA (no one is allowed to sit inside because of the Covid-19 Pandemic) there is gray and white ash drifting quietly over my table and onto my computer screen. I am approximately 20 away from an active wildfire (The Bobcat Fire), of which there are over 50 active wildfires in California right now, yet the visible evidence of a huge wildfire is right in front of me!

Author, Leighton J Reynolds (Sept. 2020)

Santa Clarita, CA 9/21/2020

Chapter One

MONDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 23rd

RED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM

NFDRS: VERY HIGH

In the space of only two hours everything changed. And everything was much more than Dr. Roger Sterling could ever have imagined. Unaware of any of these changes, Roger was making his usual drive back from the gym where he worked out every noon hour. It was an October afternoon and he was traveling on The Old Road as it meandered its way north out of the City of Seaville, California. The weather forecast was listed as scattered smoke, the result of three wildfires burning in the Seaville Valley. Breathing was difficult, but as Roger had noted, wildfires had become so commonplace in the community every fall that business just proceeded as usual. Very few people paid much attention to the warnings from the National Weather Service. He had also noted that Southern Californians did not appreciate any interruptions in their routine. So life was moving along fairly oblivious to the scattered smoke, a sun that was tinted an orange color, very dry air, and gray ash falling in different places throughout the valley. In keeping with Nature’s wildfire routine, there would soon be a sunset that covered the Western sky in bright strands of orange, blue, black and a faint yellow.

It usually took Roger about two hours to make the round trip from his home office to the gym, and then back home to meet with his patients in the afternoon. Working out everyday helped him keep his own sanity, while he was responsible for helping his patients find, and keep theirs. As he approached the intersection where he turned left off of The Old Road onto Canyon Drive and headed up the long hill towards his home, he was surprised to find his street totally blockaded with police cars and fire vehicles. He slowed his SUV and surveyed the two blocks ahead: it looked like a lot of angry people milling around who obviously just wanted to be able to drive home, and they couldn’t. It didn’t take him long to put this scene together with his knowledge of the wildfire burning just West of his home. This probably means that our neighborhood has been evacuated. What happened? I thought that wildfire was under control as of this morning?

Roger turned off his radio and looked more closely at the intersection up ahead. Incredibly, a fire engine, the big hook and ladder type, was lying on its side sprawled across the entire street. In an instant, he figured out what had happened. He saw the crushed black BMW lying on its side resting in the far corner of the intersection. It’s that jerk who is always racing up behind people, and then blasting his horn when they don’t get out of the way. Roger considered betting money in Las Vegas that the black BMW had attempted to race the fire engine through the intersection resulting in the huge crash. What an idiot!

For a few moments there on The Old Road, time felt like it was slowing down. He surveyed the two blocks ahead of him again, this time more methodically. The lights from a large group of patrol cars and fire vehicles were flashing orange, blue and the new soft, red color. Someone was making an announcement from a loudspeaker. He could hear the noise but not the specifics of the voice. Some people were honking their horns. They’re probably all panicking now because they can’t get home. This is a big mess.

Then time reversed itself. Instead of slowing down, it suddenly lurched forward and went into overdrive. His cell phone rang. It was his nine-year old son, Brad. Dad, we’re in big trouble. We meant himself, his five-year-old sister Abby, and Mrs. Andrews, their nanny. It was fall break in California and the kids were home from school. Mrs. Andrews had recently become the kid’s new nanny. She came every day while he went to the gym, and then she stayed into the evening while he saw his patients. He wondered why Brad was making this call, and not Mrs. Andrews.

What happened? he asked, while his mind was considering a thousand different possibilities.

I don’t think Mrs. Andrews is breathing, Brad responded.

Where is she? Roger felt his pulse begin accelerating, and he was instantly worried.

She’s lying on the garage floor. The police came by twice and told us to evacuate because the fires were headed our way. Mrs. Andrews was taking us through the garage on the way to her car when she just fell over. Roger could hear Abby in the background sobbing. The kids were probably terrified, especially, Abby.

Roger knew from his conversation with Chief Bradford, just yesterday, that there were three wildfires in the Seaville Valley right now. There was one on the East side of the valley that had been burning with very little containment since last Thursday. There was another wildfire about five miles to the west of their house that had been burning since Saturday morning, with about fifty-percent containment. And a third wildfire south of the city, started just yesterday morning under suspicious circumstances. This morning he and several of his neighbors had climbed up the highest hill in their neighborhood to survey the fire. It looked to be about 5 miles away, give or take some distance. They had all noticed the small, single engine plane that was monitoring the scattered fire spots to the west of their development. A second plane carried a huge bucket that dumped water on the fires, left to get more water from a nearby lake, and then flew back over the fires once again. It was like a quiet rhythm happening over the landscape. Nothing then had appeared to be too close, or too dangerous. If you lived in Southern California for any length of time, especially in the more rural areas, wildfires were a regular occurrence. When the Santa Ana winds began blowing every fall you could expect a wildfire or two or three, with some years worse than other years. As a solution, perhaps not a conscious one, most folks had come to rely on the brilliant work of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, because they always got the job done. So why be worried about a few wildfires scattered around the valley? You were in good hands.

Satisfied that their neighborhood was in no immediate danger Roger and his neighbors had climbed back down the hill and gone back to living their lives. Obviously, the in no immediate danger status had changed dramatically. Thoughts of danger that was deadly began to settle into his mind. This is not good.

Turning back to the situation on the other end of the phone, Roger quickly realized that he needed to begin giving the kids some instructions that would help them focus and cope. Brad, put Abby on the phone, and check for a pulse in Mrs. Andrews neck the way I showed you. Then tell me what you find.

Okay, Dad. Brad sounded pretty numb. It was probably how he was coping.

He could hear Brad talking to his sister, and then she came on the phone.

Daddy, Mrs. Andrews fell down and now she won’t talk.

Roger envisioned that Mrs. Andrews probably had a heart attack. But what good would it do to share this complicated and scary idea with a five-year old. There was silence while he was trying to figure out exactly what to say to Abby. He guessed that Abby was also attempting to process this complex turn of events. First, Mrs. Andrews was awake, walking around talking to the kids as usual, and then she was lying motionless on the garage floor. What does Mrs. Andrews probably had a heart attack mean to a five-year old?" It’s probably way too confusing for her to understand, especially under these circumstances.

Daddy, Daddy, where are you? He could hear the panic in her voice increasing.

Abby, I need you to do something for me: open the door on the side of the garage and see where the fire is. We need to know exactly how close it is to the house. He was hoping to find something for Abby to focus on that would help halt her panic.

Daddy, where are you? Abby was almost screaming into the phone. Roger realized that he wasn’t reassuring his daughter at all.

Abby, I’m at the bottom of the hill and I’m coming up to get you right now.

Oh.

There was a long pause.

Roger found himself starting to panic. His kids were alone in the house without an adult, their neighborhood had just been evacuated, and he was worried that Mrs. Andrews was dead, which was why she wasn’t moving. Finally, making everything far worse, there was a wildfire bearing down on their home. How the hell did this happen? Knowing that there was a wildfire nearby should have been cause enough for him to take the kids with him to the gym. They always enjoyed hanging out at the Kids Club there. He should have been with them, no excuses. Hadn’t he promised Jill that no matter what, he would be there to take care of them? Now there was the strong possibility that they were in grave danger. How could I have slipped up this badly? Damn it! This is the second time this week that I have screwed up taking care of the kids. Didn’t my lack of attention to detail lead to Abby sustaining a concussion? And when are we all going to realize that a wildfire is always on the edge of being out of control? Abby’s voice snapped him to, and he realized that blaming himself was absolutely not going to help anything.

Daddy, are you there?

She’s terrified.

Abby, I’m here. Right now I need you to follow my instructions, and report back to me. I know this is hard. There was a pause and he could hear Abby’s anxious breathing.

Abby, we’re going to make it through this. Go ahead and check to see where the fire is on our back property, then come back and tell me what you see. But first, give the phone to Brad. He was trying very hard to sound calm and reassuring while every bit of his being was fighting his own panic.

Abby didn’t utter another word, and then Brad came on the phone. Dad, there’s no pulse. I checked twice. What should I do?

I don’t think that there is much you can do for her right now, Brad. Roger considered having Brad call 911. But what good would that do? No one is getting through the intersection right now, not even emergency vehicles.

Okay, Dad. Dad……

Brad, I’m on my way. I don’t exactly know how I’m getting to the house just yet, but I’m coming to get you and Abby. Keep the house phone right next to you at all times. Stay in the garage and find the nearest garden hose close to the side garage door. Turn it on, and start hosing down the inside of the garage.

Mrs. Andrews was seventy-six years old, and she absolutely loved and adored the kids. The panic of having to evacuate the house may have done her in. Whatever, the kids were without their nanny and on their own. It had to be really scary for them. How would I have coped with this at age five, or age nine?

Recognizing that his mind was running all over the place, Roger worked to stay connected with his son. Brad, at some point you know my cell phone won’t get any reception on the way up the hill. Just know that your Dad is coming to get you. I’ll stay on my cell phone with you as long as I can. Then he paused for a moment reflecting on the dangers his children were facing, and the increasing urgency he felt. In a split second, he realized that he had already concluded that the kids were safer in the garage than they would be walking away from the house. Who knew what might happen if they were wandering through the neighborhood attempting to get away from the wildfire. Roger, I sure hope you’re right about this strategy. Because if you’re not……… He returned his focus to the kids. One more thing Brad, keep your eyes and ears open for a police car, or a fire truck, that may still be patrolling our neighborhood. Flag it down and get in with your sister.

But, Dad, what will happen to you?’ I’ll meet you as you’re coming down."

Brad didn’t seem too convinced about this plan. Dad, I’m scared.

I am too, Brad. So we are really going to have to be very careful with everything we are doing from now on. And I mean really careful!

While he was talking to Brad, Roger was glancing at the crowd of people, cars, trucks, police cars, and fire vehicles jammed into the intersection about two blocks ahead. Would he be able to convince an officer to let him through? Would he even be able to get to an officer through the crowd of panicked and very scared residents? Was someone going to be able to move the fire engine and the BMW out of the intersection? He weighed his options. Could Brad drive the Mustang down? It’s a stick shift. I doubt that he could even get the Mustang out of the garage. How much time do I really have? His mind was spinning, again, as he searched for some kind of direction. Stop panicking, Roger! That won’t help anything. For a second, he thought it would make him feel a lot better if he could just punch the driver of the BMW and let out his mounting frustrations. No, pull yourself together and make it fast!

His mind was so focused internally that he didn’t notice the impending second crash. An ambulance had just whizzed by him only to run into a car that was pulling out of line to make a U-turn back toward the city. Over the years Roger had noticed the increasing disregard people had for the rules of the road. When you hear