‘Ordeal by Fire. Play The Magic Flute continuously, be brave, walk forward steadily and you will endure. To end the ordeal, step leftwards and go th...ough the curtain.’ A door opened in front of us. Julia started forward playing Frére Jacques. A bright red light flashed to our right. We flinched left. The light was followed by a real sheet of flame to our right. Julia’s playing faltered. The flame swung nearer. I twisted Julia so that I was closer to the flames than she was. My jeans would stand. I had to leave the room again! Embarrassed at having to walk through my work with a semi! Just before I left, Mike told me he would see me on Saturday, he knew I was the duty manager that night and had to lock up; he would be in at the normal time.I knew something was going to happen I could just feel it, Locking the front doors on the Saturday, I left shutting up the sauna to the last minute, checking the changing room as normal but there was no one there, Looking around I couldn’t see. I just want to say that I have worked most of my life. First on our farm, and then when I was in high school. It was only last year and this year that I did not have to get a summer job. I have worked most of my life, and have what I think is a good work ethic," I said and left.That was the end of September, and as November started, my relationship with Melinda took a turn for the worse. It seems I had destroyed the peace of her home with my announcement to her work-a-holic father that I. ”“Once we’re married, everything will be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and I backed away from the doorway. I ducked into my room, and took deep breaths to regain control of myself. Tears ran down my cheeks like lava down a mountain, and I clenched my teeth in anguish. Hollis had given me a luggage set for our honeymoon, so I picked up the suitcase and dropped it on the bed.A few minutes later, I’d packed my belongings, and I peeked out the door. There was no one.