The Wave of Flame and Smoke
I woke to the sulfuric smell of fire. As I sat up quickly I inhaled, smoke and ash filling my lungs. Coughing and spluttering, I packed up my sleeping bag, swung it over my shoulder and hastily started out for a run away from the forest fire. All I could see was a haze of smoke, the toxic air and feeling the burning heat of the fire stinging my eyes and making them water. The fire was getting closer now. I could feel the intense heat of the flames and hear the crackling sound it made as it burned its path through the forest. Breathing was getting harder; every breath stinging my throat and lungs. I needed a miracle, I wasn’t sure how much further I could go before the fire consumed me
That was when I saw it. My miracle, a small stream up ahead. Not much, but it would save me from the fire, using all the energy I had left I rushed towards the body of water and crawled into a nearby rock opening.
It was quiet there, just the occasional ‘drip drop’ of water dripping off the stalactites coming down from the cave roof. I put my palm against one of the walls, cold and damp. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, I was safe here for now.
I don’t remember falling to the ground. All I remember was feeling light and faint, oxygen deprived from all the smog and hearing a thud on the cold wet floor.
Light beamed in on my face causing me to be temporarily blinded, my head throbbed as I tried to remember the events of last night, the fire, the stream, and me gracefully passing out on the floor of the cave. I looked at my wrist for the time, 6:55 am. Once the electromagnetic pulse hit all the phones died, causing people to result to using devices that didn’t require batteries or signal.
I crawled outside in search for water and gasped at the aftermath of last night’s fire, blackened trees and smoke still rising from...
