Free Point of No Return by Paul McCusker Page A

that part of the park saw fewer people come through. It was a perfect meeting place for a group of kids.
    By the time Jimmy got there, Tony, Brad, and a few of their other friends were gathered in the center of the gazebo. “Tim’s not here yet,” Tony explained when Jimmy joined them.
    â€œWhat’s he got?” Jimmy asked as he dropped his schoolbooks onto one of the benches that lined the gazebo.
    â€œYou’ll see,” Tony said.
    â€œThere he is!” Gary Holman said, pointing.
    They turned to look. Tim ran toward them, all smiles as he carried a brown bag. He took the stairs to the gazebo two at a time and was breathless when he reached the other boys. “Hi, guys,” he gasped.
    â€œDid you get them?” Tony asked.
    â€œYeah!” Tim said. “My dad almost caught me, though.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Jimmy asked.
    â€œHere.” Tim opened the bag for everyone to look. Inside were strings of firecrackers, a small rocket, matches, and a small can of lighter fluid.
    â€œGreat!” Tony said.
    â€œWhat’s the lighter fluid for?” Cory Sleazak asked.
    â€œOh, just in case it’s too windy to light the fuses,” Tim answered. “I figured it’ll help keep everything burning.”
    Tony took charge. “Gary, keep an eye out. We don’t wanna set these things off when somebody’s coming.”
    â€œWe’re setting them all off?” Jimmy asked.
    Tony smiled and said, “Yeah! Fourth of July at the beginning of October!”
    â€œThe noise’ll make people come running. We’ll get in trouble,” Jimmy said.
    Tony frowned at him. “Not if we light the fuse and run, you idiot. We’ll soak the long fuse in lighter fluid so it’ll burn while we run. Then we can watch the fireworks from the woods.” He turned to Tim and instructed, “Let’s get it going.”
    â€œI don’t think it’s a good idea,” Jimmy said, knowing full well that he would look like a party pooper.
    â€œQuit being a spoilsport!” Cory said. “Or should we call you Saint James ?”
    â€œShut up,” Tony snapped at Cory. “He’s not like that. Now come on, let’s put everything on the floor and get it ready.”
    Jimmy watched silently as Tony and Tim stretched the string of firecrackers along the wooden floor, paying careful attention to the fuse.
    â€œWhat should we do with the rocket?” Tim asked.
    â€œPut it at the end of the firecrackers so its fuse’ll catch when they go off,” Tony said.
    â€œLet’s point it toward the field,” Cory suggested.
    Tony grabbed the rocket. “Good idea!” he said. He positioned it so it would shoot through the opening between the banister and the roof. He tied the rocket fuse to the firecracker fuse so it would catch.
    â€œGet back. I’m gonna pour the lighter fluid on it now,” Tim said.
    Everyone took a few steps back. Tim poured the fluid onto the firecracker fuse.
    He laughed as he said, “I’m spilling it.”
    â€œPut some on the rocket fuse,” Tony told him. “Hurry or it’ll evaporate.”
    Tim laughed harder as he spilled more of the fluid. Finally he just turned the can upside down and poured it all over the firecrackers and rocket. “That’ll help it go up faster,” he said.
    Jimmy didn’t know a lot about lighter fluid, but something told him this was a bad idea. Even if it evaporated quickly in the cool breeze, it might make the fireworks explode faster than they wanted and hit them before they could run. Jimmy was about to protest when Tony lit a match.
    â€œRun!” he shouted and threw the match at the fuse. It caught immediately. The kids ran out of the gazebo and toward the woods about 25 yards away. Jimmy ducked behind a large tree with Tony and watched.
    From where they stood, Jimmy could see the smoke—more than there should’ve