Red Hott

Everyone always tells me “NO! Don’t touch that, you’ll hurt yourself!” So, while walking away a thought crosses my mind “Would it really hurt?” Now I have to find out.

As I sneak out of the dim computer room, cautiously on tiptoes, I pause to take in the tantalizing aroma. The scent entices my taste buds, as I walk to the ‘forbidden’ room. Quickly glancing around the brightly-lit living room, for any sign of the evil guards. Seeing the coast is clear I continue my quest by walking down the forbidden room’s hallway, the tiles cold to my feet. A Sudden noise fills my ears, which stops me dead in my tracks. Soon I identify the noise as one of the guards rustling their newspaper. As suddenly as the noise started it stops, signaling the continuation of my quest for the truth.

Finally, I reach the forbidden object. Stopping in front of the thing, I was forbidden to touch, in the room I dare not be. Wet heat encases my hand, as I stare at the beauty of it. Slowly moving the smoldering liquid off the red-hot circle. The circle is beautiful and calls out to me. The cold air stinging my hand as it descends on the burner.

I am crossing the Rubicon! Slamming my hand down, the circle feels cool to the touch. Slowly a warm sensation is felt in the palm of my hand spreading towards my fingers. As the warmth hits my fingers, a new sensation is felt in the palm, a fiery one that hurts, almost burns. I cry out!

As I rip my hand away from the flaming surface, I hear the guards discarding their newspapers to the floor. I hear two sets of feet running down the hallway to my forbidden corridor. The guards reach me. One grabs my burning hand and looks at it, the molten red flesh, being enough to scare anyone, but not my guard. While the other turns on the cold water tap, and repeatedly asks me what happened. I cannot answer their questions… for all I feel is burning in my hand.

As the water makes contact with my hand there