Chapter 1

I can’t believe this, I’ve done it again. Everything around me is slowly catching on fire. Why can’t I learn to control myself?

I accidentally set my shed on fire and the flames have started spreading to the evergreen trees that are surrounding it. This could be really bad.

All my paintings are in that shed. There is no way I can save them, and they are going to be lost in the fire.

The fire crackles and roars around me, and I can feel the heat burning hot. It hasn’t rained in at least a week, and the forest is very dry.

I begin choking on the smoke. I look up and the smoke in the sky is black and thick. The smell of burnt pine is making it hard to breathe.

Panic is setting in as I realize I have no way to put the fire out. Anytime trouble starts I have a hard time focusing and I can’t think. Come on Clara you have to do something. I look around me, I can feel my heart racing faster than the speed of light. I see through the sweat dripping in my eyes, my gardenhose in the lake I can use to put to try putting out the fire.

Surprisingly, I hear fire sirens in the distance. I am in the middle of nowhere on highway 17 and thought for sure I was on my own. Someone must have seen all the smoke and called the fire department when they were driving by. I am not sure how I am going to explain this to them, but I am glad to have the help.

I grab the hose and start spraying the shed. The water coming from my small hose is barely making a dent in the fire that is beginning to consume everything around me.

It doesn’t take long for the fire to spread to all the trees that are surrounding my shed. This fire has gotten out of control and if I don’t do something fast the whole forest might burn down.

Just in time, a small truck with sirens pulls down my long dirt driveway and parks. A tall man in fire gear jumps out and runs over. He looks alone. If it’s just him we are likely  doomed.

“Is there any water on this property?” He asked without hesitation.

“Yes, the lakes right over here” I said pointing to the lake behind my small wood Bunkie.

The firefighter quickly runs to the truck, pulls out a large hose, and brings one end and a large pump over to the water. He places the hose in the water and turns the machine on. I can tell he’s done this probably dozens of times.

Once the hose is in the water he sprinted back to the truck and begins to turn the nozzles. Water starts pouring out of the hose. He runs over to the fire and pointed the stream of water at the base of the trees that are blazing with fire.

I help him with my small hose and together we attempt to put the fire out. After what feels like an eternity the flames are under control, and it finally it looks like everything might be okay. The air is Smokey.

Together we put the last of the fire that I started out, I breathe a sigh of relief. This is the second time I have almost burned a forest down.

The firefighter puts the hose down and walks over to where I am standing and asks, “What exactly happened?”

I can’t tell him the truth. I try to form a lie on the spot. I am not a great liar and what can I even say?

“I was working in my shed and the something electrical caught fire.” I lied; it was the best I could do under pressure “it happened so fast. I am so glad you got here when you did.”

He squints his eyes while he’s listening to my fabricated story, I am not sure if he believed me or not.

“Interesting” he said finally. “You need to be more careful out here you could have burned the whole forest down.”

“Thank you for coming when you did” I said, “I thought I was all alone out here.”

“What are you even doing out here?” He asked, “you are in the middle of nowhere. You’re lucky I have a small camp near by with a small fire equipment.”

He takes off his helmet and I see his face for the first time. The man that saved me is quite handsome. He has dirty blonde hair and the greenest eyes I have ever seen. His eyes look soft like he’s holding onto something deep in his heart.

“I am Ben” he holds out his gloved hand.

“My name is Clara” I said shaking his wet glove. “What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“I own a small property down the highway and luckily I saw all the smoke and came over” he begins “I am a volunteer firefighter out here. But it has been a while since I put out a fire.”

“Well, I am lucky to have you out here.” I said. A man in a uniform is sexy, but a firefighter who just saved my cabin from flames has given me a feeling in my stomach I’ve never felt before.

A tree beside us bursts back into flames and Ben runs to get the hose to put it out.

Oh no not again.