Meet Bonfire
by Dean Browell

Last summer Tiffany Samson rode in the backseat of her parent's car on their way to her grandma's house and saw something strange.

She held two dolls in the air and imagined they were meeting for the first time when she heard something outside the car.   It was an ambulance siren, coming from behind her!

The car slowed down and so did all the cars around her.   It was as if they were all waiting in a big line.  

Tiffany sat up to peak out of the window.  

Tiffany's Mom slowed down the car while her dad turned around and explained, "I think there may be a problem up ahead."

He was right!   Peaking just over her Mommy's seat and the dashboard Tiffany could see a long line of cars.   Far, far in the distance she could see that a large tree had fallen in the middle of the road.

Suddenly the ambulance passed by them!   The swirl of red and white lights made Tiffany's eyes grow wide and the loud noise of the siren hurt her ears a little.   But for all the surprise it made Tiffany feel better to know they were there.

The ambulance would help people who were hurt- but who would move the tree?

Tiffany stared out of her car window and noticed the car in the lane beside them.   It was a red car with a Louisiana license plate.   As all the cars stopped in their line, she could see that it was a car with a family in it like hers.   This car had a Mommy and Daddy in the front seat like hers, but they had two children in the backseat, one boy and one girl.   It looked like the little boy and girl were her age too!   The little girl waved to Tiffany, and Tiffany waved back.

While she watched the kids in the car she almost didn't notice that the Mommy of that car opened her door and got out!   "Why would she get out of the car?" Tiffany thought.   Tiffany noticed that she had taken her shoes off too and was stepping barefoot onto the pavement.

Just then, something amazing happened!   The Mommy, a very pretty woman with skin that was a caramel color like Tiffany's and wearing jeans and a pretty red blouse, waved her arms open wide and jumped up in the air- only to have fire spill off from her feet and arms!   She began to fly up into the air, just above the line of cars with a stream of fire following her!

Tiffany's parents were shocked too!   They pointed and their mouths dropped open when they saw her soaring.   Tiffany heard her mother gasp, "It's Bonfire!"

Everyone around them in the line of cars seemed excited to see her too.   They watched as the fire flew to where the tree had fallen and for a moment no one could see what was happening.

Unexpectedly, the tree began to split! Tiffany realized that Bonfire must have cut the tree in half!   The fallen tree began to pull apart and within a few minutes cars began to slowly move again.

Bonfire began to fly back to her car and Tiffany turned to look at the proud family waiting for her inside.

Tiffany waved to the kids in the other car and other little girl and her brother waved back.   Even their daddy waved!   Tiffany watched the woman land near the car, dust herself off and put her shoes back on just in time.   Their cars started to move again and she quickly climbed inside and put on her safety belt.

Tiffany was so glad to have seen a super-hero in person, but what made Tiffany the happiest was that the fiery woman had a family, and she had kids just like Tiffany!

When the traffic cleared up and Tiffany and her parents were back on their way, Tiffany couldn't stop looking out the window...

"Grandma will never believe this!"   She thought to herself.

"I met a super hero!"