There is a prologue: http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/topic37037.html

The moment Xylon and Lioz heard the sound, they both jumped up, their blood curdled. They raced out of the house, and into the lime-green avenue. but once outside, they were greeted by the same sight that had always been there. The normal houses, built in perfect rows, each with it own perfect garden. They looked around. Nothing was missing. Nothing different. Xylon left out a breath that he hadn't even intended to hold.

"Everything is fine." Xylon muttered. Most of the other neighbors had also heard the noise, and had, just like Xylon and Lioz, run out of their homes.They turned around, about to go back in, when they heard the baker's wife, call out.

"What's that?" Xylon turned. In front of her door, the baker and his wife were standing, and pointing in a northwards direction. There, far away, was a column of smoke.

Now, practically the entire town was standing in the avenue, staring at the column. No-one said anything. No-one needed to. Everyday something strange happened, and obviously, this was the strange event for that day. Xylon stood at the front of the crowd. He was disappointed. The one day that they had had a slight hope for nothing strange happening.

"Well..." Xylon heard a unfamiliar voice speaking. "We should go and see what it is, shouldn't we?" Everyone turned to the new speaker. There, in the middle of the crowd, stood a small boy, round about five years old.

"He's right." Lioz said, and started walking towards the smoke. A few people followed him immediately. Xylon hesitated. Did he really want to see what this thing was? What could make such a loud noise?

"Come on Xylon." Lioz said confidently. Xylon ignored his sense, and followed.

After walking for a while, most of the crowd who had decided to follow Lioz had turned back. The smoke column was getting closer now. Xylon had a mix of anticipation and fear. After walking for another few minutes, they could see what looked like a rock at the source of the smoke. When they reached it, they saw that it was indeed a rock. A rock that was steaming like a really big kettle. There were many murmurs of: 'What is it?' and 'Why is it steaming?' The ground around the rock was scorched black.

"Oh..." Lioz said.

"What was the point of walking almost five bloody miles?!" Burz, the butcher called out. The crowd nodded in agreement.

"To see a steaming rock?" He continued. "And now, our already troubled minds have to deal with why the rock is steaming!!" Xylon struggled to keep back his laugh.

"Already troubled minds?" Lioz asked. "the only mind that is troubled here, is yours! You don't even have to think of why the rock steams!"

"Yes! I don't have to think about it, but I have to think of why the flowers wilted!" Burz cried back.

"The flowers didn't wilt!"

"Mine did!" Burz called out.

"But that's cause you gave them to much water." Miss Purr, the gardener, told him wisely.

"He didn't give them water at all...I did." Prog, Burz's wife said.

"Well, It;s a women's work watering plants." Burz replied.

"It is not!" Xylon called out, joining the argument. "I water my plants every morning!"

"And me! And me!" Came the replies.

"Well then you're all women!" Burz called out.

"What did you call my friend?" Lioz asked.

"A woman!" Burz called out, then, Lioz hit him square in the nose.

Burz stumbled back a few steps, clutching his nose. But then he charged right into Lioz, punching, kicking and biting.

"Did you hit my friend?" Xylon asked, as he also hit Burz.

"Why is everyone hitting my poor cuddly bear?" Prog asked, slapping Xylon.

"Leave the men to do what they need to do." Miss Purr said. Prog slapped her.

"Why did you slap my wife?" Ballaz, Miss Purr's husband asked. he then walked over to Burz.

"Your wife slapped my wife." he said, and hit Burz. Soon, there was pretty much a brawl going on. No-one got out unscthed.

Halfway through the brawl, no-one noticedthe small crack appearing in the middle of the steaming rock.