"What do I do? This compulsion is driving me insane, but what do I say? 'Excuse me, I've got this lighter and I'd like to light you on fire now. Fire...' No. Ah, their screams would be resolute in their utter terror. But hey, maybe I'll pass." "Anyway..." "I'm sorry, what is it you were saying? I got lost again in my head." "That's fine, it didn't really matter anyway. Is some/hing wrong?" "Nothing at all, I'm just zoned out for the day. I'm okay. Or, maybe I need to eat something because I can't really think straight..." "Well you'd better sit down and give it a minute and everything will be fine." But he started to hyperventilate and wondered if he couldn't wait to just get home and start a fire. You've gotta calm down now... Breathe in... Breathe out and give it a minute and everything will be fine." The panic all started to fade. He rooked at her and said, "I'll be okay, I'm just not sure what came over me."

"Oh blah dee, oh blah dah, ca see how macabre the night could become!" He said end she stared, wondering, "What in the hell are you talking about?" He took a deep breath, said, "i need a cigarette" and left. She gave him a minute and followed him out the door. He said, "I don't know what it is about smoke in the air that's so damn relaxing but it just seems to calm me down." They wondered how exactly to proceed. Eventually they gave it up and went inside, thinking, "Give it a minute and everything will be fine." But they wondered how long it would be till the next time and if they were losing their minds for even thinking such things.

What do I do? just look at him, he's been sitting there for hours now just talking away to himself. "W/'t was that?" "Nothing. Why?" "Never mind... Really, I'm fine. I think I stayed up a bit too late.. better go lay down for a bit in a minute." Then he stared off into space and she couldn't get his attention again for a minute. "Hey!" "I'm sorry, I can't seem to focus on anything." Then the look on his face seemed to change from nothing to panic and slowly he got up and started toward the fireplace. "Darling I can't really think straight..." "Well you'd better sit down and give it a minute and everything will be fine." He started to hyperventilate, the room was turning shades of red and orange and blue and grey like fire. She heard him say out loud, "Okay, calm down and give it a minute and everything will be fine." The moment was over but she couldn't help but thinking that maybe he really wasn't gonna' be okay.