A Crisis

“Ben! Don’t forget to unplug your e-scooter once it is fully charged! I’ll be back soon!” My mother nagged annoyingly before turning and closing the door with a resounding “clang!” It was the December holidays and I was at home in my bedroom playing computer games to kill time while my e-scooter charged up. My mother’s words went in one ear and came out the other as my eyes were fixated on the vibrant pixels that were moving at lightning speed across my screen.

“Let’s go! I broke the record!” I exclaimed deliriously, a humongous grin plastered on my face. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the rusty grandfather clock sitting nonchalantly beside my wardrobe. 

“Wow, it’s already 1pm?” I mused aloud. A sudden wave of tiredness threatened to overcome me as my eyebrows dropped and my shoulders slumped wearily. Yawning, I decided to take a sip of water before dozing off.

Without warning, a waft of smoky, acrid air made its way up my nostrils. “Ew! What’s that smell?” I shouted as I curiously sniffed the air. It suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten to unplug the e-scooter after it was fully charged! My eyes widened in horror as the already smoky air became thicker and my visibility began to decrease.

“Boom!” A powerful blast of hot air and smoke sent me reeling backwards. Choking on the increasing smoke in the air, I instinctively tried to retreat back into my room. However, the entire hallway was already bursting with smoke and I could barely see my hands. 

Finally, I caught a glimpse of this crisis’ culprit: my e-scooter. At that moment, a gigantic burst of crimson flames licked the walls and ceilings before uncontrollably exploding out of the room. 

My heart pounded like a drum, and I was frozen to the spot as fear flooded me. Beads of perspiration trickled down my cheeks as the monster of fire stormed my entire house.

Then, as if gripped by a sudden wave of self-preservation, I came to my senses. Finally willing my body to move, I dropped to all fours and desperately crawled towards the main entrance. Screams and sirens filled the air while the smoke encased me entirely. 

Making one final leap, I burst through my abode’s wooden doors and collapse heavily onto the cold, cement floor, gasping raggedly for air. This provided a brief respite though, as I watched helplessly while the beast engulfed my entire house. 

Through my hazy vision, I caught sight of a group of figures decked out in red and yellow, the tallest of them barking orders like a drill sergeant. Three men dashed into the house and began using hoses to douse the flames with cold water while two of them attended to me. Relief and astonishment flooded me as to how I was still alive, though my relief was quickly replaced by sorrow as I stared at the charred remains of my home.

I sincerely regretted my irresponsibility and felt extremely lucky to have escaped this crisis unscathed. I resolved to be more aware of my surroundings and hoped that a crisis like this will never repeat itself.