I watched from the diner with my friends. The news showed a massive wildfire had broken out in the forest outside of town. Firefighters were sent to control the blaze, but it didn't look like it was doing much good. The anchors talked about potential hazards associated with the fire, poor air quality being their primary concern, which was great since I have asthma already. People living near the woods were instructed to stay elsewhere for the night since the firefighters didn't know if they could contain the flames. The images looked like one of those outrageous natural disaster movies. Still, they are more reasonable than I thought. Sally, one of my friends from work, startles us all by packing her things. She was rushing to leave, but I did not see the urgency. 

"Sally, what's wrong," Hannah asked, watching her like me. 

"my son, I left him at home. We live on the edge of town. He won't know, oh god, my son," and Sally was out of there, her mother's instinct carrying her forward and away from us. 

"I forgot she lived at the edge of town," Hannah mumbled, "shoot, she forgot to pay for her food." 

"I'll cover here, don't worry," I said, turning to stare at the news again.

"I need to go home to check on my husband. Check our insurance. The fire probably won't make it into town, but you can never be too careful. Do you need a ride? I know you walk here." 

"no, I'm going to try to get my last lung full of fresh air before the ash starts falling." I waved her off as she kissed my cheek and went to leave. I stayed a few more minutes before I left as well. 

The world outside didn't seem like a natural disaster was happening; the skies were clear, and the air was fresh. Thinking of the catastrophe, I feel bad for those living in the woods. There is a close, almost separate community of people out there. 

At the school, the kids from out there tend to stick together and not mix well with people from the town. There are very few times someone from town becomes acquainted with people from the woods, and from what I heard, most of the time, that person moves out there in the end. Maybe they were always meant to be woods people, and that's why they got along. 

When I was little, I used to play in the woods, but one day, I saw a wolf. I high-tailed it out of the woods so fast my mama said there were skid marks, and I never returned. To this day, I swear there was blood in its muzzle and hate in its eyes. I was afraid of all dogs and wolves for years, but I have worked through that and can play with dogs and cuddle with the fluff balls. The fear only creeps in when I hear them snarl. 

I don't personally own a dog; I'm more of a cat person. They are adorable and fluffy little serial killers; my cat will climb onto my lap after he finishes eating and request exactly three rubs, and then he will attack my hand. But he never breaks the skin. That is how cats play. I walk into my apartment in town, feed Baby Blue, my cat, and plop on the couch to watch the news on the fire. Tonight is going to be a long one.