P2 Fire

Everywhere was as quiet as a graveyard. Tom was alone at home because his parents were out for a wedding dinner. The boy was feeling bored. He entered the kitchen and spotted a match box and candles. A mischevious idea struck him like a lightning bolt. He decided to light the candle. Perhaps he could toast some marshmallows as well.

However, the match burnt his finger and he accidentally dropped the lit matchstick into the waste paper basket. There were some tossed newspapers inside and smoke rose from the basket and it burst into flames. Tom felt shocked and terrified, feeling helpless. What should he do?

Overwhelmed by fear, he ran to the door and screamed for help. Mr Tan, his neighbour, heard his cries and hurried over. However, the door was locked and there was no way Mr Tan could enter without the key. The quick-thinking Mr Tan called '995' and Tom's parents and instructed Tom to be calm and crouch low. In a flash of time, the siren wailed down the street. The fire engine had arrived! The firemen sprang into action. They ran to Tom's unit. They broke open the door and used their hoses to put out the fire. Luckily, it was doused in no time. However, the whole kitchen was already burnt down.

Tom felt sorry for his mischief. He knew he had to face the music from his parents when they returned. He vowed never to do it again.