FIRE!

I live in a hostel.

I live in a hostel with a fire alarm.

I live in a hostel with a fire alarm that goes off once a week for 10 seconds to ensure that it is working.

It happens every Friday, between 10 and 11am.

This same fire alarm went off at 12:23pm today.

There is no other way to explain my response for the initial 2 minutes other than the fire alarm was so loud, I couldn't think properly. My thought process was as follows:

1) *After what must have had been about 20seconds* When is that noisy thing going to be shut off?

2) *After another "little while", I picked up the clock on my desk* Sheesh, it's not even 10-11am. They should learn to tell time.

3) *After yet another "little while"* IT'S NOT EVEN FRIDAY TODAY! What's wrong with these people?!

Then, like *magic*, it dawned on me that this was REAL.

It was no test for the silly alarm.

Well done!

When I finally rushed out of the building, there was nobody else though. I was the first one... Followed by the other residents of the block slowly streaming out... Everybody else probably went through the same thought process.. Good. I feel less stupid already.

Thankfully for all of us, it was a false alarm. It was just the guy from the flat below who burnt his toast and set off the alarm.