Escaping A Natural Disaster [FICTOID]

The lava would not stop.

It flowed in an ever widening circle from the huge crack in the quarry just outside the city, burning out first farms then homes then small businesses and finally the suburbs before moving into the city itself. 

A handful of people took refuge in the museum, surrounded by lava:  An epicurean, a philatelist, a solar panel installer, a child with a coloring book.

“Trapped!” said the epicurean.  “There’s no escape!”

“Isn’t there some way of stopping it?” asked the philatelist, tearing himself away from the museum’s exquisite stamp collection.

“It’s not like software you can escape with a force quit command,” said the solar panel installer.

“This is a senseless way to die,” said the epicurean.  “Par broiled by molten rock!”

“Does the museum have a balloon?” the child asked, coloring in a balloon in a cartoon mouse’s hand.

The adults looked at each other and blinked -- then dashed to the museum’s aeronautics wing.

There, indeed, a vintage hot air balloon sat on display.

Working quickly, they smashed the skylight, ignited broken furniture from the pioneer exhibit to inflate the balloon, and made good their escape.

“Saved!” cried the epicurean with great relish.  “And all thanks to a well read little child.”

“Thank goodness for literary programs,” said the philatelist, pockets bulging with stolen stamps.

No one will ever know, they told themselves.  And if they do find out, I’ll hire a lawyer to exonerate me.

© Buzz Dixon