Peculiar Hot Mess

“By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire!” I exclaimed.

“Wow! Is that so? You must be kidding! Tell me the whole story from the start.” Mika, my best friend said with disbelief. She had just come back from the washroom when I was relaying my autumnal holiday story for the third time today.

“Okay, here I go again…”

" Ooof! " I groaned. I had fallen off my bed and that was because I had smelled bacon. Ah that smell. I sniffed around following the scent of the sizzling smell of bacon like as if I was in a trance. Imagining the thin flat pieces of red coloured meat, filled with veal and fats, layered over olive oil in the pan. Absolutely sinful. 

Expecting the hot, crispy bacon being grilled on the pan, I was met with disappointment as no one can be seen in the kitchen. Only the scent of pumpkin spice and cinnamon were lingering strongly in the kitchen. It seems that autumn is already here. 

I thought I had only dreamed about bacon "Mum? Dad? " 

I was met with silence before a scream filled the kitchen. They must be grilling bacon outside. I sniffed the air again to make sure that there was at least a slight whiff of bacon drifting in the air. They are definitely grilling bacon outside. I followed the salty scent of the bacon leaving traces of drool behind me. 

I opened the back door of my house. Expecting a cool breeze to hit me, I was met with a blazing red and orange sea. It was autumn and it wasn't a surprise to see such colours especially on a farm, but the surprising part was… The trees were on fire! Leaves of flames floated down off the trees. The apple orchard was a sea of flaming red. There were pigs and cows running around shrieking and squealing in fear. Some were even on fire. It was so hot out here that it feels like a barbecue pit. I stood there stunned by the sight. The fire made the farm look magnificent and enchanting. This would become a hot spot for tourists to visit if it were not for the shrieking, squealing and chaos. 

" Johnny…! " 

I looked towards the direction of the voice. My father, dressed in his blue polka dot pajamas, was holding a red pail, which I supposed was filled with water. He was chasing our beloved pet pig, Johnny, who was on fire squealing in pain as it ran around the field. 

Realising what situation the farm was in, I quickly picked up the green garden hose at the side of my house and turned on the tap. I joined my father in chasing after Johnny. With the hose in my hand, water was sprayed everywhere, most of the animals, including Johnny, were saved with only some burns on their body. However, some animals that had caught fire, had turned into roasted or charred meat. A pile of ashes laid on the ground near the barn where a stack of hay used to be.

"So that's where the scent of bacon came from." I said while heaving a sigh of relief that we had saved most of the animals. My mother was reigning in the animals to the safer part of the farm away from the fire. Sigh. I would be eating acorn salad and apple bread with my parents right now and carving pumpkins for Halloween if it were not for this.

 "Well, I guess this Autumn is gonna be special. Bacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner!"Maybe it will go well with some pumpkin based food. I do not usually cook. When I do, it always ends up black and bitter.

Autumn would be a very busy period for my family. We were mainly  in charge of preparing pumpkins and apples for the Halloween festival. I had joined the Seasonal Festival Committee five years ago, I was in charge of the activities and venue for the festival. Earlier this month, I had decided on having the festival held on my family farm.

The festival would consist of the usual activities such as: Apple Picking, Pumpkin Carving, Riddle Solving Competition, Best-dressed Competition and the usual Halloween activities. This year would be special compared to the previous few years. I'm inviting the town's people to bring their own cooked Autumnal food for an Autumnal Food Competition. I even engaged famous chefs from all over the country to become judges of this Competition.

I had looked forward to planning the festival. Many people had placed their trust in me in making this an enjoyable festival. If the farm turns out to be in bad shape after this incident, I may have to restart the whole planning again. Which would take forever to do and it may also inconvenient many people, breaking the trust between us. I hope that everything will turn out fine.

"I'm not sure if we can eat these, but if we are able to, I would sell them at the Halloween fair." My father said, as he filled up his red pail. "What a strange day! Trees burning, our animals on fire and turning into bacon. I think I'm dreaming."

"Yeah, me too..." I mumbled, as I watched my father walk into the flame-filled orchard in his blue polka dot pajamas.

I decided to get rid of the burning fields and blazing trees before any more harm can be made. Perspiration dripped down my forehead as I continued to spray at the trees and bushes. I would be enjoying some pumpkin pie on my favourite bale of hay where I always hung out whenever I was feeling depressed. Especially in autumn, I would spend my time kicking the crimson leaves, enjoying the cool weather alone with my thoughts. I put out the fire on the trees. Peculiarly none of the trees were charred black from the fire.  A slight breeze whisked past me, picking up a few reddish-orange leaves.

Seems like this autumn will be a peculiar hot mess.