Forest fires are new to him, but distraught little girls are not. Orcelito opens his arms to catch her in a hug. Her fright is understandable but concerning nonetheless; he hides his own alarm as he pats her back.

“I don’t think that was thunder.” He coughs after speaking. There’s a dry, ashy taste in the back of his throat. This heat and darkness… this is like fire… but fire shouldn’t be sustainable around the Tree!

He covers his mouth with his hand, muffling his words. “I’ll check the balcony. But first we need to open the front door and close the windows.” The first order of business is to get his younger roommates to safety. Then he’ll focus on finding the source of the smoke.