I've never ascended stairs so quickly

… nothing like watching TV in the basement and seeing flickering red and orange light against the house next door to find yourself flying up the stairs of your house, nostrils flaring for any hint of smoke or flame and swooping to your children’s doors to find … the retreating caution lights of a passing street cleaner, halfway down the block and carefully avoiding all the parked cars.

My heart is still beating somewhere between _allegro _and vivace.