NEWBORNcopyright2012 m.s.

The cries from the bedroom could be heard from any room in the apartment.

Those cries have been heard for two days straight with no breaks in between. It's been like that since my wife and son has come home from the hospital, she just giving birth to him.

I sit in my chair watching Matlock with the sound turned up loud to drown out those cries. It's not working. I've already screamed from this chair for that child to shut up until my voice was gone. I'm so hoarse, it hurts to swallow.

My neighbor, Sharon, pushed the front door open, and has been standing in front of me for thirty minutes talking to me. I just sob loudly, shake my head. She asked where my wife was. I point in the bedroom.

She starts for the bedroom, I stop her, hold her hand tightly. “Don't go in there,” I barely manage.

“I just want to help. Maybe talk to Debbie.”

“Please,” I begin to sob again. “Don't...I'm begging you....”

“Shhhh...” Sharon touched my face with a hand. “It's going to be all right.”

She left me, headed toward the bedroom. She turns the doorknob slowly, looks back at me, smiling consolingly. The door opened, and there was a blast of my baby's cries in stereo.

I waited a few seconds, bracing myself for Sharon 's screams.

I know what she's seen. Burned, charred dust that is the outline of a body that was once my wife, Debbie. I'm not sure what happened. I do know that I couldn't make myself get too close to the crib. Because from a distance, I could see my son was not present in his crib. No one was there. Nothing. Zilch. The crib was empty.

So I ran back in the living room, turned on the TV, hoping something would broadcast some sort of help, any kind of help, or understanding to the situation. It is a quest I am still on.

I heard it. Sounded like an electrical current running through wires. Sharon screamed one last time. Then a zap. The lights dimmed for second, the TV flickered off and on, Matlock was back on.

There is silence, except for the baby's cries.

I dare not go into the bedroom. Not on my life, will I ever go into that bedroom.......