I stood there for a moment in shock and then did the only logical thing I could think of: I ran for the hose. Have you ever tried to put out a chemical fire? If you have, you know that water is just about the last thing you should put on it. All it does is spread the fire around. So there I was, spraying water like a madman, spreading the fire across the backyard. I imagine my mom sitting with her back to the window, watching television, as her son and the voice in his head burn down Southern California. Amazingly, I did not burn down the state, or even the yard. After a good soak by California's youngest amateur firefighter, the blaze was out. I turned off the hose, breathing hard, and thanked God I'd averted disaster. As the sound of my heartbeat faded from my ears, it was replaced by a tiny, distant, terrifying sound. It was the popping crackle of something on fire. |
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