Episode 338: Universal Passion

Terrastina ponders the boards, sticks, and branches in the backyard. Let’s build a bonfire, she says. Excellent idea, says Mazolli, let’s do it in that empty lot on the corner. They drag their yard debris down the road. Neighbors see them and add their wood and cardboard. In less than an hour they assemble a towering pile of flammable material. An animated group awaits the conflagration. Terrastina rolls up a section of newspaper, lights it with a match, and places it at the base of the pile. An ominous silence descends, brushed by the soft slither of the flames.