THE SECRET REVEALED

  Looking back now, I remember how it all started.  My brother and I saw our dad light his cigarette with this thing that made a spark.  It looked so cool at the time.  He would flick the lid, and poof, a flame would appear.  To us is it seemed like a magic trick.

      My brother and I met in my room one Saturday morning.  Finally we decided how neat it would be if we could do magic, too.  So one day we watched where our dad hid the thing called a "lighter".  He always told us never to touch it.  But we knew deep down that magicians never reveal their secrets.

     That afternoon, while dad was working, mom went to the neighbor's for tea.  I got my brother, Peter, and we snuck upstairs to find the lighter  Gently sliding the drawer open, we found what we were looking for.  Before we opened it, we just gazed at one another and thought, "WOW!  Magicians for once."

     We went into the living room and opened the curtains, so we could see the sun reflect off the silver casing.  Its radiating glare caused a flash in Peter's eyes, as he struck the knurled wheel against the flint.  As quick as a flash, the flame ignited.  With his eyes temporarily blinded, he clumsily dropped the lighter.

      As we stood in shock, the flames instantly engulfed the carpeted room.  Peter and I frantically screamed for help.  The flames spread around the room quickly.  Cascading up the walls, the curtains and furniture. We felt as if we were frozen in time, as we sensed iminent disaster.  I tried to shake my younger brother out of his state of shock.   He sat down and crouched in a ball and rocked back and forth. All of a suddentheflames encircled Peter. I helplessly screamed in fright, knowing he was impossible to reach from where I was.

     Realizing now that my brother was in perilous danger, I tried to reach through the flames.  The heat was too intense.  I ran to the sofa and grabbed a pillow that had not caught fire yet.  I crawled along the floor, where I knew the air would be better.  Using the pillow, I covered my mouth and tried to reach the front door; the flames were too high.  With all the strength that an 8 year old could muster, I hurled the lamp on the end table through the window.  The backdraft added more oxygen to the fire.  Now I had no choice.  Using the pillow as a shield, I ran through the flames.  I found my brother through the smoke.  Carrying him over my shoulders, I could sense he was lifeless.

     In the distance I heard the sirens coming.  The intense heat and flames were over-taking my lungs now. With my brother with me now, I propelled us through the glass-charred window. As we did this, an expplosion occured behind us, propelling us to land on the flower bed.

     As I lay there in the garden with my brother in my arms, I knew in my heart I died with my best friend.  But as we lay there together, we both knew in our hearts now, that the magician's secret was revealed.  Unfortunately, we found out that the secret revealed was...DON'T PLAY WITH FIRE, OR YOU WILL GET
BURNED.

Joe Henn
    

E-Mail  Me