Sometimes it seemed like cleaning up after a fire was the most annoying part of it all. There were toasted chunks of synthetic fiber among little piles of ash. Charlie tried to sweep it all up and told herself that she would find a blanket made of fabric that wouldn’t smell so foul if it ignited in her slumber. It aggravated her that she had to worry about things like that.
Charlie certainly wasn’t expecting the sound of someone banging on her apartment door. She jumped slightly at the loud noise, taking a few steps closer to the door to peer out the peephole and see who was causing the commotion.
“I’m fine!” She raised her voice so that the figure outside could hear her, but her statement didn’t seem to satisfy him. With a roll of her eyes, Charlie opened the door a crack.
“I’m fine.” She repeated. “The fire is out and everything. It’s okay.” Charlie poked her head out from behind the door.