6

Tim arrived back at his parents’ house shortly before five. The sky had grown overcast, reflecting the gloom within him. He could hear voices in the backyard, and so he circled back around the house to see what was going on; both Steven and Susan were bent over a jet black propane grill murmuring to each other.

As Tim drew nearer, his mother looked up and smiled.

“I thought we would do some grilling tonight. Tim? Are you alright?”

Tim saw her high spirits fade quickly and he felt terrible. Mustering all of his scant good cheer, he forced a smile and assured her that he was fine.

“It’s been ages since your mother and I have used this thing. There’s something wrong with the connection to the—“

Flames erupted from the...

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