And now for something completely different. Monty Python

"Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances." Unknown

You Only Live Once

The Phantom aka Chet Kelly tried to maintain his glee at striking at his favorite pigeon, John Gage. He took a lot of joy in keeping Gage guessing and amusing the rest of the A-shift to break the tension.

He had set it up perfectly and tried to stay calm. The Phantom was always calm before striking, it threw his pigeon off. Oh, it was going to be glorious, he had decided to switch gears since water was so boring. Chet had gone to his favorite joke store and had found a new device with bigger power. Bigger was always better. It was a prank to end all pranks, the mother of all pranks.

Chet peeled the potatoes and waited, he was long on patience and then he realized his fatal error. The squad was on a run, Mike and Marco were hanging hose and of course Cap was in his office. There would be no one to see the prank in all its glory. But he would know, yes he would know.

Then he heard the sweetest sound, the bay doors opening and the squad coming back home. Home, yes sweet home, Kelly grinned and then started to whistle. He heard the back door open, Mike and Marco came in, and yes it would be perfect the whole crew could watch his masterpiece as his favorite pigeon got it.

"Hey Roy," Gage's voice echoed in the bay. "Man am I starved."

"You and me both junior," Roy's voice reverberated.

"I got some food in my locker," Johnny volunteered.

Yes there was a God.

"Hey Gage," Stanley's voice interrupted his reverie.

"You do your assigned task before eating," Hank chided him. "All the rest of the guys did theirs."

"Uh, sure Cap. Um, right away," Johnny's voice came closer as he went to the closet.

"Here pal let me help you," Stanley's voice was even with Gage.

Then he heard it, the ping pong balls, the water, the chocolate syrup the whole shebang, and then he froze.

"KELLY!" Cap's voice rang true in the bay.

"CHET YOU GET YOUR ASS IN HERE NOW OR I WON'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE!"

Chet put down the potato and tired to look as remorseful as possible.

"Uh, yah Cap," Chet tried not to laugh as he looked at his superior covered in chocolate sauce, feathers and sequins. He looked to see the paramedics holding it together.

"You! You! Clean this up and you have permanent latrine duty for the rest of your firefighter life," Stanley stomped to the showers, leaving a trail of chocolate, feathers and sequins.

"I just don't believe you Chet," Gage shook his head. "I just don't believe you."

"Hey John you only live once and you got to make the most of it," Chet shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess," Johnny turned to Roy as they both busted up laughing.