[ WP ] Write the story of a forest fire from a camper 's perspective .

My idea of a perfect evening was falling asleep in front of the TV with an empty bag of chips in my lap. I 
 
 was kept up all night by the buzzing and stinging mosquitoes. After trying and failing miserably to pitch 
 
 a tent, my full of herself cousin did it herself in a minute; People looked at me as if I was subhuman. 
 
 Most of my family was composed of boy scouts and morning people who never stopped going on and on 
 
 about the wonders of camping and how I should join them and that it was great for the soul. Whenever 
 
 they went on a tangent, I would smile and nod, glancing at an exit all the while. It was September, but 
 
 they had insisted that I come with them. This was the first time I had relented. All they ’ d given me was a 
 
 smile that was too wide and a kit that was too big. I just wished the fan blew faster. 
 
 - 
 
 
 John was woken by hurried speaking and a tense atmosphere in the air. Confused, he looked out of his 
 
 tent to see two of the senior camp counselors speaking in hushed voices while a bunch of teenagers in 
 
 pajamas rubbed their eyes or looked around nervously. As he regained more of his senses, he was sure 
 
 he could smell something thick in the air, like when he went to his dear mother who always put her 
 
 pancakes on the stove a little bit too long, forcing him to politely refuse the blackened crust that might 
 
 have once been batter. As his eyes adjusted to the moonlight, he realized that he was hot, too hot to 
 
 be comfortable even though he was outside his tent with a mild breeze blowing, and then he saw the 
 
 smoke stack that indicated a blazing inferno that was headed right for them. 
 
 - 
 
 
 “ You there in the black shirt! Get everyone up and packing. ” Zach said. Giving out orders, he felt like he 
 
 was back at school on the field, hashing out plans with his team just before they went for the big match. 
 
 He could feel a shadow of the adrenaline, his blood thumping as he was carried on his back, the cheers 
 
 of the crowd reaching a crescendo. He ran his hand over his head before jamming it into his pockets. 
 
 “ Okay, what ’ s the plan, big guy? ” 
 
 That voice, that slightly sarcastic tone that gave away the smirk beneath, he turned around to see Kelly, 
 
 with none of the smirk he had come to associate her with. Looking at her, with her glasses that were 
 
 always just a little crooked and her red hair in a mess, one could be forgiven for mistaking her as just 
 
 a nerdy girl. Zach had experience dealing with all sorts of people, and in her green eyes he saw a look 
 
 that he ’ d only seen on the crazy or the really angry guys on his team, the ones who took the game too 
 
 seriously. When she ’ d gone against one of his best quarterbacks and come away with barely a scratch 
 
 while the poor guy ended up in a hospital for harassing one of her lady friends, she ’ d earned his respect. 
 
 Nodding, he took his hands out of his pockets, one of them coming out with a Smartphone. 
 
 “ I ’ ve called the fire department; the plan is to get as far away from that until the authorities arrive. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s stupid. You can ’ t outrun fire ” She said, snatching the phone from him. 
 
 Mildly annoyed at his phone being taken, he said in the most cocky voice he could muster at this 
 
 hour, ” Well how would you know ” 
 
 She shot him a look, and for a brief second he felt like he had when he first applied at the team, making 
 
 a wisecrack at the star player ’ s expense. He ’ d looked like he ’ d gut him when the coach wasn ’ t looking 
 
 and leave him in a locker. He reminded himself he was a foot taller than her, but he still couldn ’ t shake 
 
 off the feeling that he ’ d nearly done something he would regret. She looked down at the phone. 
 
 “ I found out the hard way. It ’ s how I lost Rover ” 
 
 There was a moment of awkward silence, with only the sound of flames flickering in the distance. During 
 
 the long nights when both of them couldn ’ t sleep they ’ d cuddle under the stars, a million times brighter 
 
 than they were in the big city, recounting stories from their life. It was the only time he ’ d seen Kelly with 
 
 her defenses truly down. She ’ d had the most beautiful smile on her face when she talked about her old 
 
 dog and their adventures in the woods, about the times they ’ d play all sort of games, conversations 
 
 where he couldn ’ t speak but listened, understood. The times he ’ d saved her from drowning, and the 
 
 time she ’ d saved him from the streets, taking him in. For the first and last time in the while he ’ d known 
 
 her, she ’ d cried when said that she still wanted to play with him, and how she ’ d never hear his bark 
 
 or hold him again. She ’ d been inconsolable, but he ’ d still tried. Contrary to what critics might say, he 
 
 wasn ’ t so dense that he ’ d ask her how it had happened. Ever since that day he thought he ’ d noticed 
 
 something different about the way she walked, as if a great load had been lifted off of her, but he could 
 
 never quite get his finger on it. 
 
 “ Um. Uh. Sorry. I ’ m so sorry I didn ’ t kno- ” 
 
 She cut him off not with words, but with shoving the phone in his hands. Mercifully she didn ’ t comment 
 
 on his horrible apology, choosing to focus on the situation in hand while he swore at himself in the most 
 
 colorful ways, certain that he ’ d cringe to this moment for years to come. 
 
 “ It ’ s a map, I ’ ve marked a path through a nearby stream, and we should be safe on the other side. ” 
 
 “ We ’ ll never get there in time ” 
 
 “ Not if we start now ” 
 
 - 
 
 “ Hey, Guys! *huff* wait up! ” 
 
 
 *My body isn ’ t designed for this* 
 
 
 Every morning, any observers would be alerted of my awakening by a groan and a shifting of position, 
 
 where I would lay for another half hour before groaning again, louder this time. The bed was a trap. I ’ d 
 
 stagger like a zombie into the bathroom, past my spotless toothbrush and straight to the shower. The 
 
 shower was another trap. I ’ d stand there for a long time, with hot, cleansing water running down my 
 
 body, sitting when I got too tired to stand. Sometimes I would think of life, death, the Universe, God, 
 
 heaven and hell, the human endeavor, the meaning of life; War, disease, famine, technology. Other times, I would cup my hands trying to get as much water as I could into them so I could make a big splash. By the time my breakfast pizza had arrived and I ’ d gotten dressed, it was already afternoon. 
 
 “ Well, awful weather we ’ re having ” I heard a voice next to me where I was sure there was no 
 
 one. I wasn ’ t really surprised. My cousin had a habit of sneaking up on people, and in that he had no 
 
 rival. He had light, silent footsteps, a thin inconspicuous frame and an eye for places where he might 
 
 catch someone off guard. He fed off of attention, I didn ’ t give him any. 
 
 “ Well, you look like you could use some help ” He chuckled to himself, like it was the funniest 
 
 thing in the world. He had an annoying habit of starting every sentence with “ well ”, and that got on my 
 
 nerves. I gave him an annoyed look, “ **Well**, if you ’ re offering, now is as good a time as any ” 
 
 He smiled, and I anything that got even more on my nerves. Here we were, in a life and death 
 
 scenario and all he could do was make light of it. I guess comedy really is a coping mechanism for some 
 
 people. Whenever he smiled, I noticed this glint in his expression. Any teacher worth her salt would 
 
 instantly identify him as a troublemaker, and they ’ d be right; Fred was the most infamous prankster in 
 
 the county. He was n't a bad kid, but he was a naughty one, the mischievous one. 
 
 He lifted my too-heavy kit with deceptive strength for someone his size, and walked at twice the 
 
 speed I had. “ Well, see you on the other side! ” 
 
 I was soon left behind. 
 
 Hiking through the woods, hearing the crackling of fire, inhaling the smoke and feeling the 
 
 sweltering heat, anyone would be tired. By the time the stream was in sight, I was exhausted. All the 
 
 others were already on the side while I trailed behind them. I was so relieved that I was finally going to 
 
 be able to rest that my legs gave way before I allowed them to. I stumbled, and then fell face first into 
 
 the mud. The knock to my head made my vision swim, making me lose further control of my body. I 
 
 tried to stand, failing to find traction in the mud. The fire was dangerously close. It would be so nice to 
 
 just lay there, sleep, and maybe take a little nap... 
 
 A was woken from the haze by screams. My own. The fire had reached me, and it was hungry. 
 
 How was I supposed to fight against this, a force of nature, an element? It surrounded me, and I could 
 
 hear words in the crackling, mocking me, judging me. Memories came flooding back, the sniggers, the 
 
 bullying, the jokes, the contempt, the disappointment, and the failures. I coughed harder than all my 
 
 previous bouts combined, my vision became flame and all I felt was pain. 
 
 - 
 
 “ Any casualties ” The paramedic who had come shortly after the fireman said. 
 
 “ Err, one. Smoke inhalation, second degree burns. Couldn ’ t get clear of the fire fast enough ” 
 
 The paramedic nodded with a demeanor that suggested that he dealt with this every day. 
 
 “ Any first aid administered? ” He said in a deep, clear voice. 
 
 “ We doused him with cold water... ” John replied. 
 
 “ Very good, we ’ ll take it from here ”
