Flexing My Writing Muscles...

 I'm sure you all remember English class in high school. The days where you had to write in a journal for the first 15-20 minutes of class.

No? Just my high school? Okie dokie...

Anyway, one of my classes, the teacher posted writing prompts on the board. The one that caught my attention was "Describe a forest fire". So I did. And today I'm going to do it again.

Describe a forest fire:

The first thing you noticed was the smell of smoke. Like a campfire, but on a much larger scale. If it was just a mild odor, it would bring memories of camping on a lake or beach, in a forest or maybe just in your backyard. However, when it was so much that it made the air hazy, casting an odd color to the quality, it sent warning signals.

Depending on your view, you could see the flames licking up the trees; the leaves swirling in the waves of heat that rose from the ground, making it seem the trees are in a panic. Flocks of birds rise high into the sky, trying to stay ahead of the flames and smoke, some dropping from their flight from either sheer exhaustion or overwhelmed by the toxic air.

Animals of all kinds flee the flames that crackle at their heels, chasing them from their homes, from the lush feeding grounds and cool streams. Some made it out unscathed, others were either scorched or  devoured by the hungry fire.

Hours, maybe days, would go by before the fire was extinguished, either by human aid or just Mother Nature, casting a cooling rain down on the ravaged land. Smoke could still be seen curling up into the sky and the scent of it went back to campfire status, but the images of the charred trees and animals assured that the memory of the inferno would remain embedded in our minds. Never trust fire, never let it gain control. While fire will ravage and burn, it makes room for new growth, but at a very high cost. Always respect fire.

Okay, there we go. I'm not looking for critics, but they are welcome. I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things. Thanks!