Apparition High School Part 3

My research says Ether was used as a solvent back in the day. After breakfast Mom drops me off at school “Pick you up at 1 then we will head too fantastic.” I waved and headed into the school campus but as I got to the door, I ran smack into a big pile of books and a girl. “Sorry I am new here and just got some books at the school library.” I look through her collection R.L. Stine, Gillian French, Stephanie Perkins. “You like horror I guess.” I help her up and she introduces herself “I’m Mai and Mom and dad say if I do my homework, I can read what I want.” I introduce myself “I’m Bea welcome to Ben Franklin.” Told her I was only a few weeks into school myself. We have our first three classes together we walk by Bryan, and I tease “Never mind that hall monitor he thinks he’s a cop” Bryan yell “Hey this is an honest job” we both giggle and get to health science.
               Mom and I drive down to Springfield and get to the Fantastic Caverns. It’s a cave underground that has a drive through tour. You can ride an open-air jeep or get pulled by a fun looking tractor. After the tour mom and I hit the gift shop and I picked up a fun magnet for Grandma Dee, then a batman keychain for Knight. “Let’s go to Steak and Shake your grandma is doing her knitting club tonight.” We get to Steak and Shake and mm Mint Chocolate Chip for me. Mom has the strawberry cheesecake shake and we split some chili cheese fries. It’s nice to be with Mom sometimes we don’t see each other for days. Bryan texted me later that night and says he found some info on ether.
               It was a solvent used to get rid of grease, wax and other stuck on things. They stopped using it because kids were sniffing it to get the contact high. I texted him back thanks for the info, see you Monday. Now I know that information so now I can text Cousin Brody he’s a volunteer firefighter in Walnut Grove and he can help with how fast and hot fire spreads. I know he’s on duty tonight so I shall text tomorrow. I want to sleep so no weird dreams please.
               “Good morning weirdo” I say over Facetime. He teases me and calls me Miss Cleo. “Well Miss Cleo how’s Grandma dee and your mom.” We chatted about family, and I asked him for info on fires and how fast and hot they burn. “Dose grandma still drive why don’t you come down here and I can show you, my treat for lunch at Bullseye after.” I ran and let Grandma Dee know the plan and she said sure. “Okay pyro see you later” he laughs, and we disconnect. After breakfast Grandma and I got in her big old Cadillac and headed down the road and over some hills and across the highway to Walnut Grove town just bigger than Morrisville at over 600. Pulling up to the fire station we see Brody, can’t miss his ginger hair.
               “Brody baby you have gotten to be such a strapping young man” Dee says with a smile. I hugged my cousin too and he gave us a tour of the fire station. “Overhear is the fire test area I can show you any fire and how hot and fast it can burn. “I give him the back story about the fire at Ben Franklin, so he finds some alcohol-based solvent and gets his gear on. Grandma and I stood back about 50 feet, and we saw yes that was hot and it burned quickly. I ask about fire traveling through pipes and he says yes if there is enough oxygen to carry the fire. Lunch was so good I had the French dip; grandma had some fried shrimp and Brody got a cobb salad.
               Once we all said goodbye and Brody was promised a peach cobbler Grandma and I headed back home. It started to rain once we got to our street. We pulled into the garage and Mom was home, so we all got to eat dinner as a family, mom made her Fritos chili pie. “Love this mom it's so good.” Grandma and I told her about Brody and his fire demonstration. “He’s going to try for the academy and be a professional.” I told Mom about seeing the fire article at school and how it burned the original school down. I left out my visions she did not need to know anyway. After I went to sleep here came the dreams again, and now I was standing in the boy’s bathroom. “Why was the Ether here” I asked the janitor whose name I saw was Jim. He looks at me and says “Its empty of Ether I put my used ashes in here I may sneak here for a smoke, but I got manners. I had already finished my pepe when I heard the rumbling from the floorboards, they were still using those mine tunnels even though they said they weren’t bums all of them it was all about money.” I see the floor shaking and smell smoke, maybe the fire started from the mine tunnels and not the janitor smoking.

End of Part 3