Spirits of Serenity. Davey struggled helplessly to escape. The walls of his outer suburb home burned furiously with a scorching flame. Brushing the wayward embers from his dark hair, he searched frantically for a route to safety, inhaling deeply, but unknowingly, poisonous smoke. He could just make out a dark shadow peering in through the window, just standing on the side-walk looking in. A loud ring could be heard over the crackling and snapping of the vulnerable wooden walls as he clutched at his chest, and fell heavily to the ground. Startled, he sat up quickly, his consciousness returning suddenly from the dream land. His breath was heavy, his brow, an ocean of cold sweat. He found himself in unfamiliar surroundings, much to his shock. It was night time. The glowing star light was nullified by the bright city lights. He had been sleeping on a hard wooden bench in the middle of a lonely, Melbourne outer city park. Newly planted gum trees were his companions. A mad rush of traffic flashed passed him noisily in the nearby street. "How did I get here?" Davey asked himself openly, rubbing his eyes. He noticed someone in the distance. An old man in rugged clothing rummaged through a bin in search of empty cans. A loud ring pounded suddenly at his brain. It was the call of the old city trams approaching the busy intersection. Something about the tram attracted Davey’s attention. Something very peculiar and mysterious. He looked away with slight confusion. The old man was gone. Unsteadily, Davey returned to his feet, grasping his aching back. A stiff breeze caught his loose clothing, brushing slightly over his short hair. It was nearly ten o’clock he found, looking at his watch. He slowly began heading home. The evening seemed bizarre. The tall buildings and speeding cars appeared blurry, but at the same time were very clear. The fresh, night air was moist, but was uncomfortably dry upon Davey’s skin. The odd, crooked, road-side gum tree stood tall above him, like Titans of creepy shadows and overpowering dominance. His head spun slightly as he walked. The loud ring of the tram’s call blared steadily passed him. He had only walked three blocks when he looked down uninterested at his watch. "Ten fifty-five?" Davey read the time. He scratched his rugged cheek in bewilderment. "Fifty-five minutes gone already. But it has only been three blocks." It was hard for Davey to believe, but sure enough, he turned to find unrecognisable streets and buildings he had apparently passed. The park was no where in sight. Dumbfounded, he continued toward home. The street lights flickered, buzzing randomly, creating dark shadows of human paranoia. Cautiously, Davey proceeded, the gleaming shadows lunging dreadfully at his nerves. He felt unsafe. Something struck him heavily from behind, sending him flying defencelessly into a nauseating pile of garbage nearby. "Oh, sorry Buddy," a voice apologised. A skinny, extended arm helped Davey back to his feet. "No problem." Davey replied, his heart fluttering furiously from fright. He was faced with a rather short man of very thin build and light complexion. A long, black coat covered his back whilst a very devious grin stretched across his rugged face. "But you should watch were your going next time. You could get yourself into trouble." "Aaah, whatta you talking about--trouble?" He reached inside his coat pocket for a cigarette. "Have a lighter?" "Sure." Davey rummaged inside his pockets for a heavy, gold coloured lighter. It glimmered attractively under what little light there was. "Keep it." The loud ring of the tram’s call sounded somewhere behind him. He turned. The call seemed louder and more sustained. He shook his head in pained bafflement, returning his attention to his previous engagement. The man was gone. Davey gazed into nothingness with wide, frightened eyes. Where had the man gone? Paranoid, he searched deep into the dark shadows. How could the man just disappear? It was now close to midnight. Drawing his eyes away from his watch, he broke into a sprint, heading quickly towards his outer-suburb home, his heart racing frantically. His surroundings blurred passed him, like the dust on the squall of an evening country storm. Davey kept an even pace, his legs pounding, driving his body speedily forward. The loud ring of the tram’s call blasted somewhere behind him. He bothered not to look. An overpowering wave of heat flexed its fiery arm as Davey rounded a corner close to home. The surrounding area was bathed in a bright, glowing orange, wavering and dancing playfully. His house had been set on fire. He was calm. A reflection of his previous nightmare had become reality. Catching his breath, he halted on the pavement just beyond his front gate. Smoke billowed silently into the still evening air, the crackling laughter of the devouring flames penetrated deep into Davey’s being. A sparkling object caught his eye by his feet. It was a lighter, golden in colour with a familiar texture. The source of the fire? Davey thought so. The light patter of receding foot steps could be heard somewhere down the street. A man erupted with a gruesome cackle, a devious grin smothering his face. It was the man he had bumped into from the street, running from the scene of the crime. Davey was overwhelmed with anger, but made no pursuit. Instead, his attention focused on a sudden movement in the house. A silhouette of a man was visible, clutching his throat with one hand, and bashing at the wall with the other. Davey gasped upon further inspection, his body becoming intensely numb. Peering deeper into the house, Davey recognised the silhouette as himself. "How could this be?" Davey asked himself, stumbling backward with terror. The loud ring of the tram’s call blared behind him. The vehicle came to a halt just outside the front of his house. Its doors opened wide with a groan. Davey approached it, a feeling of death increasing. A familiar face sat in the driving seat. It was the man from the park he had seen sifting through rubbish looking for empty cans. He stopped at the tram doors. "I’m...a ghost, right?" he asked the driver. The old man simply smiled. Taking one last glance at the flaming house, the wandering spirit boarded the tram, its doors slamming shut behind him, the loud roar of the trams call, bellowing deep into the night sky.