Small Town USA Worst Case Scenario

"Come on Mary," he yelled, pushing her along while holding the children, "We've gotta get out of here, it's a chemical spill!"

The smell was stronger now, but the breeze pushed aside the smoke enough for Jeremiah to pause for a second to look back at the tracks and see the bright orange light of a fire out of control. By the streetlights, he could see a yellow haze hanging ominously just above the ground and creeping up the road like some eerie creature from hell.

He knew that smell: sulfur aerosol formed when sulfuric acid and caustic soda mixed. He often endured the acrid fumes before he put on the heavy gas mask and suit during maintenance at the chemical plant. On hot summer days, the heat was so intense inside the gear that he took off the mask for a moment and held his breath.

Suddenly he realized that this was just what they talked about at the last safety meeting: the Worst Case Scenario. He looked up and saw fire trucks around the tracks spraying water on the fire in an attempt to stop the spreading flames. Jeremiah gasped as he realized what was coming. "God, not water! Don't let them! Run Louise!" he yelled desperately, but his now-hoarse voice could barely be heard above the screams of people, sirens, and cars.

Fire trucks sped by, followed by police cars with flashing lights as Jeremiah tried several times to get the pickup truck started. The entire population of the town - now crowded around Main Street - was trying to get away from the suffocating fumes.