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The smoke was too much that my eyes were blurred. I ran to see if I could get help from anywhere but I seemed no one had the time as everyone was looking fir a way out. I couldn’t bear it anymore, I was running out of time, and I needed help. As soon I sighted a water can, I grabbed it, drank it, and washed my face. It didn’t occur to me if the water was clean or not, I needed it more than any other thing now.

While on the run to get out from that horrible village, I was knocked down by a bicycle which I believe was also running out of time. Just then, my mum unlocked the gate, and everybody was out in no time. But I realised I was dreaming this whole time. I held my heart in relief that it wasn’t real, I knew I wasn’t going to survive that torment anyways. As I rested my head back on my pillow to gain some stamina, I perceived something hot and terrible.

I hurried out to get my beans from fire. I remember boiling my beans when I decided to go to my room to get my slippers. When I got there, I decided to read this pamphlet that was on my bed which was just a three-minutes read. But no, I dozed off in the process. No way!

Without wasting time, I rushed to the kitchen, only to see that my pot was set ablaze. The whole kitchen was covered in smoke, and I was choking badly. I grasped for breath but the situation was getting worse. I looked for my phone to call my mum who had gone to the market, but I left it in my room. I had no other option than to become a firefighter in my kitchen.

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I reached for our water jar and began to pour on the gas cooker. It escalated when the fire began to spread widely from the cooker to the cans, to the cupboards and the dishes. I became afraid. I was out of thoughts that’d help.

My mum had rented a bungalow recently which made us lonely in the compound. No one could hear me. Soon, I could not hear myself. My lips were moving but I was going slowly. I began to crawl on the floor. The fire won’t stop spreading, and it immediately occurred to me that consistent pouring of water made it terrible.

I stopped and decided to go get my phone to get help. As I crawled to the door, it was locked. I remember vividly that I didn’t close this door when I came in. Could it be that the fire had yanked the door to its frame while I was in? I struggled, screamed, wailed, but all to no avail. I fiddled with the keys to get me out, again and again. It’s either the lock had become too hardened, or my hands were too weak to project they keys in the right direction.

Kpom! An additional fire outbreak happened when the fire got to our kerosene container. I closed my eyes tight and laid just at the door. I knew this was my end, and my foolishness had caught up with me, not even a second chance to correct my mistake. I heard something hard on my head, my mum had rushed in with keys in her hand. That’s how I passed out.

“Ndi, can you hear me?” I heard a voice calling my name, slowly I opened my eyes to see my mum crying and trying to resuscitate me. Again, she got another full bucket of water to pour on me, but I raised my hand to stop her, it was too late as the bucket was now on my head.
“Noooo!” I screamed,
“Why are you shouting?” Another voice asked.
“What?” I asked opening my eyes. “It’s not real?”
“What’s not real?” Mum asked.

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“The fire, the house is not set ablaze.” I responded. My mum looked confused. I was confused as well. I rushed to the kitchen to see if everything was in good shape. Guess what? I slept off on the couch when I was trying to cook beans, but my mum took it up, and the beans was already ready to dish out. “Ha!” I exhaled holding my heart. My mum’s spare key to the kitchen’s lock had brought me back two times to the actual world. “From now on, every lock in the house would have to face me, because we’ve become adversaries already” I mumbled to myself.
Would like to invite @ukpono, @bela90 and @mariagood to participate in this contest.