Dylan Frei turned the engine off of his 1960 Ford F-100 and took a deep breath. He knew he didn’t have many left. He removed a duffle bag from the bed and stuck his arms through the looped handles. He made his way to the fissure in the earth that was spewing thick black smoke. He took his last breath of the crisp autumn air and climbed in. The further into the mine the harder he had to will himself to go on. The heat from the fire was telling him to go back, but the guilt he felt was saying to go on.

What started out, as an ordinary trash disposal job became a town wide incident without anyone noticing for weeks. It was common practice in this part of the state to burn garbage rather than collect it in a landfill. Unfortunately Centralia, Pennsylvania used to be a coal-mining town and a lot of the coal was still underground.

After some time of crawling and stumbling through the fissure the fire had created Dylan reached the active fire itself. Lucky for him, if he could call being trapped with an active coal fire lucky, the chamber the flame was in was big enough for him to stand upright and move around. He dropped the duffle bag he was carrying and took an inventory of his supplies. Two full fire extinguishers and five asbestos blankets were all he had to save his town.

Dylan took a moment to adjust to the hell he created. He could barely breath from the fumes and felt like the heat was going to make his lungs collapse. He covered his mouth with a rag and took as deep a breath as he could manage.

Dylan surveyed the area as best as he could in such an extreme environment. He followed the flames path and found the heart of it. He rose to his feet, stumbling slightly his head was already getting light. He took one of the fire extinguishers, pulled the pin and screamed as he discharged the whole thing on the flaming coal. When the smoke cleared the primary flame in the room was reduced to a faint glowing ember.

Unsatisfied, he pulled the pin on the second fire extinguisher and sprayed the fire as well as sweeping the area around the flame. Again, he waited for the smoke to clear and almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

There was no more fire. The temperature was already noticeably dropping. What remained of the fearsome fire were a few hot spots he quickly covered with the flame retardant blankets. He took a few minutes to revel of his fallen foe. Though the air was still stifling he was too proud of his accomplishment. He didn’t even tell anyone he was coming down here for fear they would talk him out of it, “No one would be able to survive down there and if they could the flame is inextinguishable,” said his imaginary debate partner.

Well, Dylan will be pleased to tell his friends and colleagues that he did survive and he saved the town at the same time. After months of restless nights he was finally going to be at peace with himself. He had finally killed the beast that threatened his town, his home, and his life.

Dylan picked up the extinguishers and put them back into his bag. He took one more moment to marvel at his work, knowing he’ll probably never come back here again and anticipating no one will believe his story. It won’t matter deep down he’ll know what he accomplished here today and that will be enough.

He began working his way out of the cave, carrying the empty and much lighter fire extinguishers, when out of the corner if his eye he thought saw a something flickering in and out of existence. He hoped it was his mind playing tricks on him. He decided he couldn’t leave without at least confirming what he saw. The fissure he was crawling through was too narrow to turn around properly. He had to walk backwards to investigate the flames fate.

After several minutes of struggling he was back in the chamber and finally had room to move and investigate. He was relieved to see it was just one of blankets that was smoldering slightly. Without any fuss he walked over to the small fire and stomped it out. The faint light was replaced by smoke as the fire let out its dying breath.

Dylan decided to wait a few minutes before making his exit. The air was noxious but bearable. He looked at his wrist to see how long he had been waiting but realized he left his watch in the truck. Besides with the fire dead the mine was pitch black again. After waiting as long as he could he didn’t see any signs in life in the fire, he decided to try to leave.

No sooner than he turned his back on the blankets did he hear the whooshing sound a flame coming to life. He slowly turned around and saw several new hot spots burning through the blankets. He rushed over to stomp them out has he had done before but each one he snuffed out another one lit up. Dylan felt like he was playing a devilish carnival game but with his life on the line.

He frantically reached into his bag and pulled out both fire extinguishers hoping either still had some juice. He grabbed one and aimed at the nascent flames and squeezed the handle. A pathetic plume shot out and had no effect on the fire. He shoved it aside and prayed the other would be better. Once again he aimed the extinguisher at the fire and squeezed the handle. He was in luck the extinguisher had some fight left in it. The fire was out and Dylan sank to the floor in amazement.

He was panting, his heart was racing, but he was alive and the flame wasn’t. He let out a triumphant yell confident that was the end. Seconds after his triumphant cries died leaving the chamber quiet and serene, he heard the whooshing sound again. All of the blankets he laid out were completely aflame, the fire quickly spread around the chamber blocking Dylan’s escape.

“No, no, no, no, no, no!” He screamed.

Out of sheer desperation he threw the fire extinguishers into the flame, which of course did nothing. Surrounded by flames he was hesitant to keep his back to any one side for too long. Fearful the flame would leap out at him like a lion in the Sahara.

He knew the flame wasn’t sentient but he certainly didn’t trust it. After several revolutions the flame did not seem to be advancing. He felt comfortable facing the crack in the wall in which he crawled in through. He wondered if he could make it through the flames and escape. Would the flames follow him? Would the flames even let him pass through?

What did it matter? It was his only chance. He decided he had to take it. He swayed back and forth trying to find the courage to leap over the flames when he heard a loud bang. Before he could even react he felt burning hot shards of metal piercing his right leg. He knew it was probably the smoke but when he turned around he wouldn’t have been surprised to see the devils hand piercing his leg to drag him off to hell.

Instead he found the burning remains of the fire extinguisher he foolishly threw into the flame. He reached down and didn’t feel a supernatural hand squeezing on to him just the wet sticky sensation of his blood. His head was already light but now he could no longer stand. He sank to the floor, ready to give in. He stared at the flame; it’s only fair his was the first life it took.

His blood was pooling up on the floor and seeping towards the fire. He watched as the two met. No longer caring what happened. He wished he could have put out the fire and saved his town. Finally done something right, but he failed as usual. When the blood touched the flame the fire traveled up it like the trail of blood was a fuse, Dylan smirked; he didn’t even know that was possible. Then the fuse ran out Dylan instantly combusted into flame and no one from his town ever saw him again.