The people sleep in a silent city
He drinks in the view and marvels—
Hands firm on the steering wheel—
At the stillness and the serenity
Of this once-bustling town

His only companion is the Night
Who envelops him in a
Cold, close embrace

Something catches his eye
And amidst a moment’s neglect
He loses control of the car
He cannot tame the vehicle
Back into submission

He sits back and—
Prepared to meet Death’s cold
Stare—he accepts his fate

The fire engulfs his entire body
He cannot think, he cannot see
His body nothing but flame
His vision nothing but a blur


He feels the scalding pain that
The flames will etch
Into his skin for the rest of his life

Consciousness fails him,
He cannot fight back, and—
With silent and hopeless resignation—
He closes his eyes
Until the pain fades

Darkness.