In Which Everything's More Fun When You Add Explosions
Joe gasped, cutting Frankie off mid-sentence. and accelerated. Kevin scowled in confusion before he saw the plumes of smoke billowing out down the street.
"That's Macy's!" Frankie shrieked, tugging on Kevin's hand. Together they ran down towards it.
The door was open, and the thick clouds of roiling black smoke were billowing out into the street. "Joe!" Kevin yelled. "Macy!" He took two steps towards the door, then stopped, torn between going in to find them, and staying out here with Frankie.
The decision was taken from him as Joe and Macy staggered out of the cloud, coughing and spluttering. Kevin dragged them both to the far side of the street. Somebody brought over a bucket from the well, and Macy splashed her face as her heaving breaths slowly subsided.
"That wasn't a fire," Joe said, bending over at the middle as he spat the ash from his mouth.
Macy shook her head. "New recipe," she gasped. "Now I understand why they said a heavy earthen bowl inside a cauldron. If that was on the table, boom!"
Kevin looked at the apothecary, still standing as the smoke finally started to clear. "That was a mixture?"
Macy nodded. "Salt petre and charcoal and a few other things. I used a candle to see if it was mixing right and...." she flicked her fingers across the surface of the water in the bucket, sending a fine spray up at Joe. "Whoomp!"
"It was cool," Joe agreed grudging. "Smokey and flamey but cool."
Macy was scowling down into the bucket, looking at her reflection as the water settled smooth. "Hey, am I missing an eyebrow?"