A Firework Did This

Kristie Young loved taking part in the celebrations, until the night that changed her life forever

- Saskia Murphy And Lucy Bryant

Stopping at the firework shop, I looked at all the boxes packed with Catherine wheels, sparklers and rockets. It was 2015, and I was on my way to my friend’s house, where she’d arranged a small gathering. Having always adored fireworks and seeing the bright, colourful explosions lighting up the sky, I couldn’t wait to get there. So, I bought a box full of fountain fireworks and took them with me to the party. Looking back, there aren’t enough words to describe just how much I regret that decision now...

As a child, I remember my dad taking me and my three sisters to firework displays. I couldn’t wait for it to get dark so I could watch the explosion of colours and point out my favourite firework. I loved being outdoors with the smell of bonfires, and as the years passed, nothing changed.

In 2000, when I was 20, I got a job as a supervisor at a local auto-parts factory, and spent my days off kayaking, camping or at music festivals with friends.

Eventually I moved out into an apartment with my flatmate, 25 miles from my family home in Edmonton, Kentucky. I still made sure I saw them as often as I could. Every year, I looked forward to Independence Day, when my family and friends got together.

So on 4 July 2015, when an old friend invited me to a party he was hosting, I jumped at the chance. ‘Fireworks?’ I asked with a grin, knowing full well that there would be a brilliant display.