The blaze climbed higher, engulfing the house in minutes. I watched as the flames grew hot enough to blow out the glass in the windows and doors. The fire crackled and snapped, eating away at the wood with greedy intensity. High-pitched squeals rang out as it melted everything it touched. Liquified substances dripped into the inferno, hissing on contact like angry snakes.
Somewhere deep inside the house I grew up in, something exploded. The echo ripped through the air, shaking the ground beneath my feet and pushing the flames higher with a sudden rush of heat and sound.
I took a step closer. Glass crunched beneath my boots, the shards glittering in the glow. Glancing down, I spotted a half-charred photo beneath the remains of a broken frame. Black crusted the edges, leaving only a warped
