Inferno

Inferno

Sometimes, fire may seem beautiful; wild blossoms of light, dancing on the wick of a candle.  There are other times though, when fire becomes one of the darkest things one might encounter.  A place such as the inside of a burning home is one of the most terrifying places in all existence.
Looking in all directions, there is no escape from this inferno.  As the burning vines of flame grow over the rooms, my hope of escaping from this disturbing garden is quickly wallowed along with them.  Questions of my family’s fate run through my head: “Did they get out?”, “Are they okay?”, and “What if they…”.  Suddenly, my thoughts are broken by the crash of a falling board from the floor above.  The air is thick, almost not breathable.  Its taste is revolting.  Bits of dust and ash blanket my tongue and attack my lungs.  The coughing that ensues is painful; each forceful outward breath is like a razor digging into my throat.  Smokey, rotting stenches reek in every direction from the ignited building.  Looking for an escape, I realize what I once saw as normal everyday objects are being destroyed.  Everything looks spawned out of a horror film.  So awful, it seems unreal.  Cabinets are hanging from their hinges.  The pieces of furniture look like huge torches.  Photographs of my friends become distorted and discolored.  Their faces seem scared--no, not scared, horrified.  They seem to pose as a foreshadowing of my own fate that is most likely to ensue.  The incessant roar of the fire grows louder, piercing my ears more with every second.  Hidden in the sound, screeching and popping of familiar objects being choked by the flames can be heard.  I can see the world outside through a single pane of glass; there is a feeling of separation from all peace and normalcy.  There is no escape from this inferno. 
One tends to avoid thinking of what scares him most, out of fear.  Choking in inhumane heat, with death hanging over one’s head like a guillotine, frightens most people.  No matter how grotesque it sounds, it’s a reality.  The most horrifying experience known to man is being trapped within a burning home.