Why, oh why did I ever leave my office? I found myself thinking.

Even at eight o'clock that morning I had known the danger I faced when I got out of bed and found my room already heated beyond comfort. When I walked out the door to go to work the sun was already beating down pitilessly, laughing at the puny humans it planned to fry later in the afternoon. Overcome by fear at the sun's malevolence, I had rushed to the office as quickly as I could, breathing in the cool air with a sigh of relief as soon as I walked in the door.

Duty, however, would not let me stay in my place of safety. Later that afternoon I was forced to venture out to photograph a house, one of our new listings. The house I went to was surrounded by trees, shrouded in the darkness cast by their mighty shadows, and I was safe from the sun's wrath. All went well until I got back in my car to return to the office. That was when the sun really started to wage war on my poor little car.

So I sat in the parking lot with the car running for several long minutes when I pulled back into the parking lot, mustering the courage to turn off the car and kill the AC. Finally, hand trembling, I turned the key. Instantly the heat beat down on me, filling the car. The sun was laughing, savoring it's impending victory. Sucking in a last breath of cool air, I opened the car door.

The heat struck me like a blow, and I gasped. The air was so hot I didn't know how I would be able to breathe! Stumbling out of my car I slammed the door without looking back, keeping my eyes fixed on my final destination, the front door of my office building.

Then I remembered. The photography equipment.

Groaning, I staggered around to the other side of my car and opened the door. The last vestiges of cool air escaped the car as I gathered the two large bags containing the camera equipment and a tripod. Again closing the door I took several forced steps forward before raising my eyes to my goal. The heat was punishing, and I felt my knees weakening. The equpiment was too much - I would never be able to make it to the office carrying all of this in the heat!

Stubbornly I took several more steps. Sweat ran into my eyes, blinding me, but still I struggled on. It wasn't too much longer before I colapsed to the ground, the heat surrounding me like an evil blanket of death, suffocating me. The pavement of the parking lot was like molten lava against my skin, and I opened my mouth to cry out for help, but the only sound that escaped me was a small whimper. I looked back to the car - temporary safety available with only the turn of a key - but it was too far away. I had come too far to turn back now.

Grimly, I turned back to the office building and worked myself to my knees. Despite the firey pain from the black pavement below and the scorching heat from the ball of fire above, I forced myself to climb to my feet. It took even more of an effort to reach down and retreive my equipment, but I would leave nothing behind to suffer in the sun. Filled with renewed purpose, I ground my teeth and bravely marched onward.

After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the office door. Falling against it wth a sigh of relief, I was greeted by a man from the office next to mine. He offered me some support, eyes wide.

"I watched the whole thing," he said, obviously awed. "I can't believe you made it! That sun..."

I ignored him. He had watched, and hadn't had the decency to grow a spine and come out to help me. He hadn't even opened the door. I kept my eyes fixed ahead, taking in huge breaths of cool air. When I reached my office, the frigid air wrapped itself comfortingly around me, and I felt the sweat cool on my brow. Feeling my strength returning, I put away the cameras and went to my desk. I brought up the internet, and checked the most important thing in the world.

I moaned in disbelief.

A high of 95 degrees tomorrow, the forecast promised. Even worse than today.

I fainted.