10

CHASE

There’s something about fire. The way it ignites from the smallest spark, bursting into creation. The way it destroys. The way it can be contained one minute and uncontrollable the next, raging and spreading as it scorches the earth. Sometimes that’s how I feel, on the verge of cascading over a barrier into something I can’t come back from. Raging and burning until there’s nothing left but ash.

The boys and I dug this firepit years ago, seeking a place to hang out away from the ever-watchful eyes of our parents. We thought it was some clever fucking secret, but after coming home reeking of bonfire smoke, my dad figured out pretty quickly what we’d done. He didn’t take it away from us, though. Instead, he came out and helped us dig it deeper, drilling the rules of fire safety into our heads until he was satisfied we weren’t going to burn the damn forest down. From then on, it became our spot; our own little dominion right near the edge of our pack’s territory.

At first, we were