Out of breath, Haley reached the intersection just as the railroad crossing arms were coming down. Frantically, she looked left then right before darting in front of a bright yellow freight train.

"But won't it hurt?" She asked her dad tentatively, hovering her hand over the hot coals. "Only for a minute," he winked. "Once you're on the other side you'll be glad you did it. It's a rite of passage in the Scrampus family."