The dry doghouse caught and held the flame from my lighter. It began slowly, like the fire was blinking it’s little eyes at the new world around it and deciding where to go next.

But when it decided, it grew very hungry, very fast! Maybe the old dog hair, and maybe the old wood were tasty. I’ll have to remember that the next time I needed tinder.

“Charlie, Hide!” Wendy hissed. She was already behind the brush. I ducked beside her before anyone noticed the flames.

It was a string fire, small, yet robust. The roofing smoked heavily, but the flames curled around the eaves in triumphant fingers of orange and yellow. I just watched as it danced lower down the walls of the house, and finally engulfed the whole thing. The doghouse was only a black shadow inside the whirling kaleidoscope of red-orange.

“Charlie, it’s beautiful!” whispered Wendy.
“Mhm,” was all I managed, entranced.
Then Wendy kissed my cheek.
I snapped to attention and looked at her. She leaned in for a second on my lips, but I leaned back.
“Hey!