Smoke tingles my nose from miles away.
Somewhere, a structure is burning.
I soar over darkened streets, heading east till I spot flames licking the sky. Alight in the yard. Barely a minute to spare.
As I flex my flame-retardant body, preparing to burst through the door, the metal numbers glowing red above it seize my attention: 131313.
Those cursed digits (triplicated!) freeze my blood.
You’re a hero. Be the hero.
While I stand there trying to work through my phobia, the roof collapses.
“Can’t save ’em all,” I mutter.
Scrunching my nose, I flee the stench of fresh-burning flesh.
A native Floridian, C. L. Sidell grew up playing with toads in the rain and indulging in speculative fiction. Dead Fox Publishing recently released Repetition, her debut novel.
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