Animals Led Me to a Hero's Grave

After getting laid off, I returned home to my hometown in defeat.

Suddenly, I heard a strange voice in my mind.

Poor human. He was the first to rush into the fire and saved so many people, but he died the most horrible death. It's been seven years now, and his body is still buried under this pile of rubble.

I looked up in shock to see an old crow perched on the ruins next to a building, shaking its little head back and forth.

"That's right, that's right!" A calico cat was pawing through the rubble looking for mice.

"Because they never found his body, people thought he got scared and ran away from the fire. They've been cursing him as a coward, even throwing feces at his family's house. Good people really don't get good endings."

My whole body froze. I quickly dialed 91"Hello, police? I need to bring a hero home!"

1.

The officer responded quickly: "Are you reporting a missing elderly person?"

"No, not a missing persona firefighting hero!" I said urgently. "Seven years ago, during the South District explosion and fire, a firefighter died while rescuing people, but his remains are still buried under the rubble right now."

The officer's tone became serious: "You discovered his remains?"

"No, but I have eyewitnesses. The crow and the cat are animals that frequent the ruins, and they say the hero is still trapped underneath."

After a moment of silence, I could almost imagine his expression. "Ma'am, how long has it been since you were released from the psychiatric hospital?"

"You have to believe me, I'm not sick!"

I frantically explained with both hands and feet.

"I'm a survivor of the South District fire. After surviving, I gained the ability to understand what animals are thinking. It's just that my house burned down and I've been away at school all these years. I only came home today."

"The crow and the cat told me that the hero who died has been cursed all along, and people even threw feces at his family's house. I strongly suspect he might be Captain Lee, the 'deserter' who shocked the whole nation back then."

"It's highly possible that he didn't flee in cowardice but actually died on the front lines, which is why he was misunderstood. Please send someone to investigate, clear the hero's name, and bring him home."

The officer probably thought I was mentally unstable and hung up directly.

I didn't know if he would take me seriously.

The fire that year was very serious, with 231 casualties, including 36 firefighters. Most of the deaths were supposedly caused by Captain Lee fleeing in cowardice.

The whole country knew that Captain Lee was the only firefighter who became a deserter. Everyone despised and hated him, considering him a disgrace!

I used to think the same way.

After all, the bodies of all the firefighters who died were foundonly his body was never recovered. He must have run away.

But now, I clenched my fists, grabbed my grandfather's hoe, and returned to the ruins.

In the moonlight, the old crow watched me: "Is this human going to dig through the ruins? What does she want to do?"

"I want to bring the hero home," I raised the hoe and began digging. "Help me!"

Surprisingly, it actually understood my intention.

It called its friends, and soon a group of small animals gathered.

The calico cat used its paws to move broken bricks aside.

"The human wants to help the poor human go home! Everyone come help!"

A stray dog dug with its front legs: "Woof woof! For the hero! Dig dig dig!"

Several sparrows carried away small stones: "Be gentle! Don't wake the hero from his sleep~"

Even the usually aloof crow joined in, using its beak to peck at loose rubble.

At three in the morning, the shovel clanged against something hard.

I knelt down, shining my flashlight into the shallow pitinside was a charred leg bone.

"We found it!" The crow flapped its wings.

"It's the hero's bones!"

I immediately called the police again.

Soon, the ruins were completely sealed off with police tape.

When the complete charred skeleton was carefully extracted, everyone was shocked

The adult skeleton was curled up, and tightly protected in its embrace was the skeleton of an infant.

"An adult male, and the little girl in his armsboth died of asphyxiation." A cold female voice suddenly spoke, filled with regret and admiration.

"The deceased must have tried to use his own body to protect the child, hoping to give her a chance to survive. He just didn't expect... the child might have died even before him."

A female forensic examiner in a white coat was crouching by the pit taking notes, her eyes frighteningly calm.

Just then, I heard the voice of the calico cat at my feet.

"Oh, how pitiful. Her own husband is right in front of her, but this human can't even recognize him."

My heart skipped a beat, and I blurted out.

"This adult man is your husband!"

Dr. Hannah Sullivan, the forensic examiner, jerked her head up, her gaze cutting through me like a knife: "What did you say?"

"These remains belong to Captain Lee," I repeated with difficulty. "You and Captain Lee are married, right?"

Hannah pulled down her mask, revealing a pale face, her lips twisting into a sarcastic arc.

"Are you mocking me? The whole city knows my ex-husband was Liam Reed, but he was a deserter."

"Ma'am, he wasn't a deserterhe was a hero!" I urgently pointed at the animals around us. "They all saw it. If you just compare Captain Lee's DNA, you'll definitely be able to"

Before I could finish, Hannah cut me off sharply.

"Enough! Liam left his post without authorization before the second explosion, causing the water pressure to fail and triggering a bigger fire that killed 36 firefighters!"

"That's 36 lives, 36 broken families. He was too cowardly to take responsibility and fled abroad. How could such a coward possibly save people!"

Her eyes were full of disappointment and sarcasm. "Most importantly, there was an eyewitness to the fire who saw him run away with their own eyes."

"If Liam dares to show his face, he won't die by my hand, but someone will definitely tear him apart!"

Hearing this, I stood frozen in place like I'd been struck by lightning.

There was actually an eyewitness to the fire who saw Captain Lee flee.

Could the information the animals conveyed have been wrong?

The body was taken back to the police station, and I had no authority to inquire further.

But I was worried that the deceased really was Captain Lee. For several days, I visited old residents near the ruins and animal witnesses.

The old residents hated Captain Lee to the bone, so I didn't dare to push them. But from the animal witnesses, I pieced together a rough version of the truth.

This made me even more sad and distressed.

That afternoon, I found the hero's daughter, Lily Reed, at the gate of East Elementary School.

I wanted to bring the child to do a DNA match with the deceased.

Lily was holding hands with a man wearing glasses, smiling sweetly.

The guard dog at the school gate complained in a low voice.

"Glasses Man is the worst! Last time I was sleeping and he kicked me hard! All our friends around here have been bullied by him!"

"Liam was so good. He'd pat our heads and give us food and water. We all liked him. Too bad we'll never see him again."

I frowned and walked forward, looking at the young girl.

"You're Lily, right? I'm your father's friend."

The girl looked at me timidly, and Kevin Harrison immediately pulled her protectively behind him.

"I know all of Liam's friends. Who are you?"

I stared into his eyes. "Someone I met on the day of the fire seven years ago. A few days ago, we dug up unidentified remains from under the fire ruins. Do you know about this?"

"He's a deserter, so you must be the same kind of trash if you met him that day! Get away from us!" Kevin's face suddenly darkened, and he pulled Lily away quickly.

I didn't chase them. Instead, the next day, with the help of the guard dog, I snuck into the school.

By the playground, Lily sat alone on a swing.

She hung her head. "My dad is a deserter. That's what all my classmates say. They all hate me and won't play with me."

I crouched down, looking directly into her eyes.

"Lily, do you believe I can understand what small animals say?"

"The swallows under the eaves remember that your dad left water for them on the windowsill every spring. The stray cats on the street corner remember that he always kept cat food in his pockets. Even the guard dog next to the fire station says Captain Lee was the bravest person it ever met."

The little girl's eyes slowly brightened.

"All the animals say your dad wasn't a deserter, but a real hero. To rescue the children in the nursery, he rushed into the terrible fire without hesitation. It's just that... he didn't make it out in the end."

"I knew Daddy wasn't bad!" The little girl looked up with teary eyes and grabbed my sleeve.

"When Daddy came home before, he'd always pat my head and say, 'Don't worry, Daddy's a fire captain. The fire will go around me.'"

"He saved so many, so many people. He never ran away. He couldn't be a deserter. But nobody believes me..."

Those words were like a key, suddenly unlocking my sealed memories.

Seven years ago, I was trapped at home. The fire was too fierce to escape. When I thought I was going to die, an orange figure broke through the wall of flames, and powerful arms lifted me up.

"Don't be scared, little girl!" A steady voice came from behind the face mask.

When he handed my dying body to the team members waiting outside, I desperately clutched his sleeve, which was blistered from the fire.

"Sir, it's too dangerous inside. Please don't go back in."

He patted my head. "Don't worry. I'm the fire captain. The fire will go around me."

So the person who saved me was Captain Lee.

I crouched down, trembling all over, and hugged this child who had lost her father seven years ago, choking up.

"I promise you, I'll make sure your dad comes home with dignity, and let everyone knowhe was a real hero!"

Just then, sparrows perched on the swing frame chirped away.

"I remember now! Captain Lee was already safe that day, but he rushed back in when he heard crying from the nursery!"

The old crow on the wall flapped its wings.

"That's right! Before the second explosion, Captain Lee even pushed Glasses Man out the window!"

I jerked my head up: "The man with glasses?"

The calico cat emerged from the bushes, gracefully swishing its tail.

"That's the uncle who picked her up from school yesterday. He looked so pathetic thenhis pants were torn by an iron hook. The hero even tied his own safety rope to him and rescued him."

In other words, he owed his life to Captain Lee, and clearly knew Captain Lee was still rescuing people before he died, yet he called Captain Lee a deserter.

I was so angry my teeth itched.

I got a hair sample from the little girl and was about to take it to the hospital myself for DNA comparison when the officer who took my first call found me instead.

He hadn't believed there were remains under the ruins before, but now that they'd been dug up, he looked at me with new respect.

"Although the claim about understanding animal voices is too absurd to believe, it's possible the remains belong to Captain Lee. I'll apply with the captain in charge of the skeletal case to match the DNA. At the earliest, we should have results tomorrow."

The next day, before the results came in, news arrived that Kevin was proposing to the forensic examiner.

Sparrows hopped around on the windowsill.

"The hero is so pitiful. He's been dead for so many years, and no one believed he was good. Now his wife is being deceived by a bad man. She's getting all dressed up to meet him..."

Kevin was proposing to the hero's wife on the very day of the hero's death anniversary?

How shameless!

My expression changed, and I immediately logged into a livestream platform and created a room.

After thinking for a moment about the stream title, I solemnly typed:

"Finding the Lost TruthThe Fire Captain Who Disappeared Seven Years Ago Was Not a Deserter, But a Hero!"

I pointed the camera at myself with the familiar ruins in the background.

Taking a deep breath, I began my story.

"Everyone, friends, seven years ago there was a fire captain named Liam who was labeled a 'deserter' who caused many deaths. Everyone wanted him punished."

"But recently, guided by animals, his remains were found in the ruins in a protective posture over a child."

"The facts prove he wasn't a deserter, but a hero who died seven years ago!"

"Today, I'm going to show you the truth that's been buried for seven years!"

The stream had just started with few viewers, and occasional mocking comments floated by: "Nice script, streamer," "Guided by animals? Escaped from a mental hospital?"

I ignored them and said to the camera: "Now, my guide is here."

As soon as I spoke, the old crow landed precisely in frame and flew off in a certain direction.

"Humans, look over here! Follow me, I'll take you to expose the villain's true face!"

Wow! This crow is possessed?

It's staged, right?

But it really seems to be leading the way!

People in the stream began discussing.

I followed the crow to the hotel where he was proposing.

Along the way, I kept relaying the "testimony" I heard from various animals in the livestream.

The swallows under the eaves chirped away.

"The smoke was so thick that day! The hero pushed Glasses Man out the window, but he couldn't get out himself!"

A stray dog barked to add: "After the hero left, the bad Glasses Man wasn't grateful. He kept saying the hero ran away. He's so bad, we should punish him~"

Through my narration, the livestream quickly gained popularity, and comments began discussing details from seven years ago. Some began to doubt, others expressed shock.

Just then, my phone suddenly rang.

I answered, and a male voice threatened in a low tone.

"Shut down the livestream immediately and stop your foolish behavior! Otherwise, watch out for you and your family!"

I put it on speakerphone directly, exposing his voice, and responded calmly.

"I'm just an unemployed person trying to bring a hero home. You're threatening meare you going to take away my unemployment benefits or smash my used smartphone?"

"A real hero has been buried in ruins for seven years, bearing false accusations. If I'm afraid of your threats, how can I face Captain Lee who rescued me?"

The streamer's got guts!

I feel like the streamer is telling the truth! Support the streamer investigating to the end!

This defiant attitude actually won more support.

However, within a few minutes, my livestream signal began fluctuating violently, the screen froze, and then went completely blackthe signal was forcibly cut.

My account was even banned.

"The bad guy is doing bad things!" the crow called out anxiously.

My heart sank.

"Human, take this!" Suddenly a little mouse dropped something and pushed it with its tiny paws.

"We found this in the little hole at the very bottom of the ruins. It's hard and not tasty, but it has the tall human's scent!"

It was a burned, warped wallet fragment with curled edges, almost carbonized.

I carefully opened it. Inside the plastic layers stuck together was a severely damaged ID card with blurred text!

Although the photo and most of the information were burned, Liam's name and the faintly visible ID number at the end were like a spark in the darkness, instantly igniting my hope!

"It's the hero's identification!" My voice trembled with excitement as I carefully stored this crucial evidence.

"Let's go to the venue!"

At the banquet hall entrance, security tried to stop me.

The crow suddenly let out a loud call, and several stray dogs cooperatively barked "woof woof." A group of animals cleared the way for me.

While the security was shocked, I pushed open the ajar door and burst in.

At that moment, Kevin was holding a diamond ring, kneeling on one knee before Hannah Sullivan, looking deeply affectionate.

"Hannah, let me take care of you and Lily..."

"Dr. Sullivan! You can't accept him!" I held up the damaged wallet, interrupting his proposal.

"This was found by mice in the deepest part of the ruins, near Captain Lee's remains! It's a fragment of his ID!"

"Your husband was never a deserter! He was a hero! Kevin, who said he was a deserter, has been lying all along!"

As my words fell, the whole venue was shocked, everyone looking at me in disbelief.

Hannah looked at what I was holding, her face turning deathly pale. "What?"

Kevin stood up abruptly, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Nonsense! You dare slander me with some trash you found somewhere. Liam was a deserterthat's established fact!"

I stared directly at him. "Captain Lee's remains have been found in the ruins, and animals saw him rescue you and give you his safety rope!"

"Animal testimony? Are you insane?" Kevin was beside himself with anger.

"That skeleton is just an unidentified body right now. Why should we believe it's Liam just because you say so? Besides, I saw him run away with my own eyes. He's a deserter!"

As the scene became extremely chaotic, several uniformed police officers strode in.

Leading them was the captain in charge of the skeletal case.

He looked serious, holding a document, and walked straight to Hannah Sullivan.

"Dr. Sullivan, we just received the latest identification report. We did a paternity test using your daughter's hair and the deceased from the ruins."

He announced clearly, word by word:

"The comparison results show a parent-child relationship. The skeleton in the ruins is Captain Liam himself!"