The Stranger Story - Tragic Events Unfold

Anna returned home feeling terrible and went straight to bed, indicating her illness.

Peter visited Anna in the evening but found her bedridden, showing her severe condition.
Anna's mother informed Peter that she would see him the next day, implying Anna's worsening state.
The following day, Anna remained in bed, and despite the doctor's visit, her health deteriorated, leading to her unfortunate demise.

The Stranger Story - Tragic Events Unfold.

Let's finish our story.

Sequence 15.

Tragic Events Unfold

When Anna got home, she felt terrible and went to bed.

In the evening, Peter came to see her, but Anna was ill in bed.  I'll come and see Anna tomorrow, Peter told Anna's mother.  Again, Anna did not sleep all night. The next day, Sunday 31st October, was a terrible day for Wood End.

Anna stayed in bed.  She had a fever and her mother phoned the doctor.  The doctor came immediately.  Anna's very ill, said the doctor to Anna's mother.  I'm worried.  I don't know what's wrong with her. I'll come back again tonight.

That afternoon, Peter came to Anna's house.  He tried to speak to Anna, but she was too ill.  He sat quietly beside her bed.  At about seven o'clock, Peter heard shouting in the street. 

He went to the window and looked outside.

People were running and shouting,  Fire!  Fire!  Fire!  There's a fire at the corner shop!  Peter ran out of Anna's house and into the street.  There was a big fire on the corner.  The shop was in flames. Nobody could see Dave Slayton.

His car's here, said Mr. Hart.  Dave must be inside.  Then the villagers saw him.  He was standing at an upstairs window.  Jump, Dave!  They shouted, jump!  Save yourself!  But Dave did not move. He was standing at the window, and he was laughing.

Some of the women in the street started screaming.  Mr. Hart tried to run into the shop,  but the others pulled him back.  Flames were leaping up from the shop.  The flames reached Dave Slayton. The villagers saw that he was still laughing.

That was the last time they saw him.  The flames hid him completely.  No one was able to save him, and no one ever saw him again. 

Peter went back to Anna's house. The doctor was in the kitchen, talking to Anna's mother.

Suddenly there was a scream. They ran upstairs to Anna's room.

Anna was dead.

Difficult words.

Excruciating: Extremely painful or agonizing.
Esoteric: Intended for or understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge or interest.
Ubiquitous: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
Quandary: A state of uncertainty or perplexity, especially regarding what course of action to take.
Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short time; fleeting.
Serendipity: The occurrence of fortunate events by chance.
Melancholy: A feeling of deep sadness or sorrow.
Resilience: The ability to recover quickly from difficulties or adversity.
Prolific: Producing many works, results, or offspring.
Ineffable: Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.