It was just an ordinary day for the family of 4.4 (one didn’t quite make it, but that’s irrelevant to this story) who were just finishing off a dinner of pan-fried pork chops in the kitchen/dining room area in the back of the dilapidated house they lived in. The two brothers were annoying each other as usual and the father was incessantly egging them on, despite pleas from the mother to just “shut-up and finish eating.” At that point, the younger of the two pushed his plate of mashed, half eaten ‘glop’ away and hastily made his way across the off-centered floor of the play room and up to the closed door that led into the destination of his quest, the living room. However, there was a slight pause, followed by hysterical screaming as he came bolting back into the dining area and grabbed his mother’s chair, nearly knocking her to the floor!
“Mommy!” he said excitedly, “There’s a chocolate bar burning on the light bulb in the living room!”
“What!?” exclaimed the confused mother.
“Just hurry!”
So, off she and the child rushed as they made their way through the toxic cyanuric fumes back into the living room to examine this rather odd occurrence; they were followed by the other family members who were just as concerned, especially considering the rather peculiar odor in the air. Upon close examination, it became apparent to the parent (snicker-snicker) that it was indeed not a chocolate bar at all, but the smoldering remains of what appeared to be a plastic toy puppy. Everyone was able to get a good look at it just before the youngest brother rushed back in with a watering can and proceeded to pour out the contents onto the much over-heated toy. This, of course, shorted out the socket and burst the light bulb into tiny, black charred bits and made a grand mess of broken glass cemented onto everything within a yard of the lamp.
As a further consequence to add to the delightful fun of that memorable evening, the entire house was filled with the putrid, black smoke of burning plastic (which, by the way, can still be smelled today if one were to put his or her nose up close to any wall or window in that room and breathe upon it for a spell.) Obviously, this smoke was no good to have around, as it could cause severe cases of possible death, or just a really bad cough. Windows were thrown open all over. The chilly winter air entered, without haste, into the abode and chilled them all down to their bones, yet, seemed not to have much of an effect on clearing the smoke out. This action, of course, was the father’s bright idea – forgetting that hot, smoky air rises and cold sinks. The smoke was well above the bottom of the windowsill where it was cracked open.
Needless to say, it was all the older brother’s fault. So, he walked silently up to his room grinning stupidly, fell asleep, and turned up the next morning dead from cyanide poisoning (just kidding.) Actually, he dreamed of scissors cutting off the top of a mountain and the lava flowing down, destroying all in its path, until it reached the feet of (and I, the elder brother, could still smell it!)