Fire Down Below

The fire had burned for forty years now. Under the ground like an angry god. When it snowed it would melt within seconds of hitting the hot ground. She had lived in the town all of her life. She had married here, had her children here and buried them all here. When they came to move her she refused. The town was toxic they said, but she did not care. Every thing she loved was here in this fire drenched town. It took many years to move everyone out and when just a few were left they sent in the mean ones. The ones who would force the last ones out. When the man came to her door ready to force her to move she felt no remorse when she bashed in his head with her frying pan. She knew she was headed for hell, but no one was going to make her leave the only home she had ever known. She figured what the heck she had lived in this burning, godforsaken town, forgotten by the world for more then 40 years and she guessed that the real version of hell could not be much hotter, so she buried the man in her garden and waited to die, grateful for just a few more days at home.