Centralia was a real town in Pennsylvania that had a horrible accident.  A coal fire started, which sent up choking fumes and caused random sinkholes.  Everybody was ordered to evacuate, though a handful of people still live there.  You can learn more about it here.

Several things about Centralia seem poetic and inspirational to me.  The whole concept of a ghost town filled with abandoned buildings is rich with ideas.  There’s the theme of man-made structures slowly succumbing to nature.  Stories could be built around people evacuating.  Probably even more stories could be built around the few who stayed.  What made them stay, and how do they live?  The coal fire itself is interesting in a way as well.

Today’s post is a prompt.  Write something inspired by Centralia, Pennsylvania.  It doesn’t have to be actually set in the city; if the facts about Centralia give you an idea for a story set in another country or another planet, go for it.

If you write something based on this prompt, please let me know because I would love to read it! :)