He was alone in his kitchen, and everything was on fire. He was completely encircled by it; there was nowhere for him to run. He watched, feeling strangely removed from his body, as the room he’d carefully made for himself—the place he’d come to think of as a haven, a sanctuary—was engulfed in flame. He thought of the houseplants downstairs, and a pang of heartache struck him, thinking of their lush leaves curling and brittle, blackened by the heat.