4:00AM, I’m about two minutes away from being asleep. Outside my window, I hear “BOOM!” and am startled awake. I bolt up, thinking “My god what was that!” Then, I’m treated to yet another “Boom!” and decided I’d better go check outside. I notice a plume of what looks like smoke coming from my neighboor three doors down. “Surely this is a hypnogogic illusion,” my rational mind says and I bolt to the kitchen to check again. Sure enough, I see a plume of smoke.
“Mom!” I cry, for I’m a loser and still live with my mother, “I think the neighboors’ house is on fire! Call 911!” She does, and as it turns out several other neighboors had noticed the gunshot-like booms going off and informed the authorities more promptly.
Nobody was harmed, not even their dog. The fire appears to have started in their garage, and quickly spread to the attic and roof. Thankfully the fire dept. is only five minutes down the road. Now all that’s left is to decide whether I should try to go back to sleep or just forget about sleeping tonight.