Sam blankly stared at the man sitting on a stool opposite himself.

"What?" the man, who wore a red cap, checkered shirt, and blue jeans, asked. "Have something on my face?"

Sam jerked to attention as the disorientation passed. He felt the crackling fire between them without having to move.

"No," Sam replied. "I just got lost in thought and forgot what I was doing."

"Oh," the man said blowing smoke out of his mouth from the cigarette he smoked in the process. "You were just looking at me kind of funny. Like you were completely out of it and didn't know where you were."

Well, yeah, Sam thought, but I can't admit that.

Sam looked around as the man stuck the cigarette back in his mouth. While the man poked around the fire with a stick, Sam noticed a tent, a nearby truck, and fishing poles.

Didn't take a scientist with several different degrees to figure out what they were doing here in the forest.

"That was a big fish you almost caught this afternoon," the man said. "Would have tasted good right about now."

"Sorry," Sam said. "Maybe next time."

The man smirked. "Yeah. Maybe next time." He poked around a bit more and tossed the stick to the ground. "Well, I guess we should hit the sack. I'm beat."

The man stood, picked up a bucket, and dumped some water on the fire. He then tossed his cigarette down and started towards the tent.

Sam waited for a moment but then realized the man had no intention.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I just told you."

"I mean the cigarette," Sam explained. "It's still lit! That could have caused this whole place to go up!"

"Fine," the man replied. He walked back and poured the rest of the water from the bucket over it and squashed it with his shoe for good measure.

"Good eye," Al said from behind.

Sam jumped. Fortunately the man didn't see as he was walking back to the tent. Sam stood and turned to face Al and his extremely loud blue suit.

"What do you mean?" Sam whispered.

"That cigarette was why you're here," Al said. "It did start a forest fire that took out most of this forest as well as three firefighters in the process. Now those firefighters don't die and this place remains intact."

Al nodded to Sam. Sam disappeared yet again.