On November 7th, 2024, I headed home for lunch as I always did. I would use my hour lunch to take a break and clear my head by playing a little bit of Baldurs Gate 3 and hanging out with my kitty of 14 years, Lily. When I was normally greeted by happy meows and chirps from my cat Lily, instead I was greeted by fire trucks, police tape, and my entire life in ash. Turns out, the night before, shortly after saying goodbye to my kitty and giving her treats and pets, I left for my girlfriend’s house (also named Lily, I call them my bouqet) the ex of the tennant above me decided to get revenge on him by pushing in my window ac unit, dumping gas all over my couch and my thousands of magic the gathering cards on the coffee table, and igniting the life I had just began building with the love of my life and the kitten that helped me get through so much since my early teens.
I wasn’t able to get closer than 5 feet from the front door as it was an active crime scene with the ohio fire marshal conducting his investigation. The first thing I asked was what about my cat? Please tell me she survived. She had not, luckily not touch by the flame, but taken by the smoke. I was her person, the only one she ever really bonded with, and I will never be able to forgive the guilt of not being there for her final moments. Lily was a 1 year old cranky old lady. One of those cats that you know will live to 20 out of sheer spite for the world. She came alive when she became a one animal house cat, I was even able to hold her without losing copious amounts of blood. She was my light, she was my little girl, and she was adopted so fast by my girlfriend Lily. Every time I snuggled with them, or human Lily annoyed cat Lily with love, I could not believe how much it made my heart soar. Now, my little girl is a box of ash and bag of hair on my shelf, her paw print receiving a place of reverence on the christmas tree this year. These things provide none of the warmth and love of my old kitten, but I swear I still feel her hop up on the bed as I’m waking up, ready for treats and love and to yell at me as I leave for work.
While things are ultimately replaceable, everything I had was lost in the fire. Cherished bits and bobs that wove a tapestry of some of my best times and memories. Two of my grandpa’s hats next to the signed album of my favorite band who I met while wearing his “super grandpa” hat which had the band laughing and striking up conversation with me. The teal Gameboy color my grandparents gave me and one of the only things I had of them. All of my magic the gathering and DND materials that I used to take my friends to far off worlds and wage epic battles together. My 3d printers that I used to literally shape the world around me. T shirts and clothes from countless trips made by myself or others. Things that I was able to look at and have them take me back to some happy time or joyous memory.
I had never met the person before, she was apparently my upstairs neighbors ex and they had gotten into a fight earlier that day. She had been creeping in the bushes, possibly for hours, smoking from the meth pipe she left behind, waiting for an opportunity. I left the house around 9:30, and the first reports of the fire came in around 1030. She says she yelled that she was gonna burn the place down before doing it, but I think that is just to avoid attempted murder charges. She was caught the next day and is now going through the legal process. She had just had a baby a few months before this, and honestly, I think the best case scenario is that that child grows up without the influence of this evil woman.
So, Courtney Coony, the woman I had never met but took everything from me, let’s not meet.
submitted by /u/aDMhasnoname9
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