Woggzeh's World

Let me tell you about something that has been playing on my mind for a while now, and last night I had a terrible nightmare about it too, it's set 21st September 1997, ten years ago. It's absolutely true too.

I had been practising my guitar, I remember this because I had learnt how to play 'fool on the hill' by the Beatles, it was probably the easiest song to learn in the book that I had, and I hadn't been playing guitar for long by then so I was looking for easy things to play, I had my tea then went out at about 6:30 to see if Rob Newburn was coming out, we played some football then at about 7:15 we decided to go to Spar, I knew that Lisa Brown would be working so we set off to see her, flirt and buy some sweets, I can even remember the conversation we had with her, she got in a bad mood so Rob and myself left not long after going to see her, walking along Skipton road we pass the esso station and notice some commotion on the forecourt, a woman was screaming at some bloke to stay back, she had something in her hand and she was piss wet through, head to toe, it was Rob that slowed down to see what was going on as this woman picked up a petrol pump and tried to douse herself with more petrol, only a trickle came out of the pump because the lady in the shop had turned them all off.
Realising that we weren't in a safe place, I suggested that we cross the road and sit on the wall where Norweb was and see how this turns out, we could hear her screaming but couldn't work out what she was saying, she had three men by this time trying to calm her down but she was keeping her distance and holding a lighter in her hand, she ran away from the men and was at the front of the forecourt by the road, it was then she flicked the lighter and was engulfed in a huge ball of flames, I remember the image so well, her arms shot up above her head and then she ran forwards a few steps, just a blazing fireball and then fell over, Rob and me stood up and didn't know what to do, I remember a man run across the road to help, it turned out that that man was an off duty fireman, although I don't know what he could have done to help, people were throwing their coats on the woman trying to extinguish the flames, I couldn't see properly because there is a wall in the way, then the fire engines turned up, We left the scene in absolute shock, I don't even know why we left, we just decided it was best to go.
I never had any nightmares about it, my parents were worried that I might be traumatised, but I was always fine, I didn't mind talking about the story and always managed to make a joke about it, which was my way of dealing with bad situations. I later found out that the woman died in Pinderfields hospital from her injuries, she never recovered from the coma, it was her second attempt at suicide and she was a regular in the priory unit, she was also a very nice woman who was an exceptional artist.
It's not until now, ten years on that I can admit, the whole incident scared the shit out of me, I am writing about this because I don't think I will ever forget that day and I don't think I ever should, it always saddens me a little bit when I think about it, it didn't traumatise me I carried on my normal life, I'm just amazed that it's been ten years that have gone by so fast.