He held his breath as he ignited the fire, watching it burn before realizing that he was too close. As the flames grew higher, flickering erratically, the man backed away.

He knew that he should be ashamed of himself for starting a fire in the old barn, but the luminance of the flames consumed him. It caught his sight, held his senses hostage.

He was unable to move as the fire burned closer to a pile of moldy hay against the wall. He watched the dry straw catch the edges of the flickering flames and draw it closer. He watched as the fire raged through the pile of straw, heading towards the wall.

At the sound of the fire engines approaching, the man came to his senses. He ripped his gaze away from the flames and cast his eyes around in search of an exit.

When the firefighters arrived moments later, they found a burning hoodie that had fallen under the open window.