In the city of Sandalwood, lives the top of the top. The wealthy and respected move in and strive to be heard of, to be apart of a community for the elite. Lawns are kept mowed, streets are kept swept, and you always looked your best. If you didn’t obey the standards, people were picked out like weeds, thrown to the neighboring towns surrounding the momentous Sandalwood, which were all dull and mediocre in comparison.
           The oldest resident to ever live in Sandalwood was the famed Thompson's, an old couple living there 40 years deemed royalty to all that stared up at their huge golden victorian. The mansion was by far the most beautiful with their green gardens and huge water fountain, sitting on top of a hill overlooking the whole city. Walking past the mansion, the air seemed to thicken almost as though you had to be a certain breed to breath it.
           All over people spent their whole savings just to keep up with the Thompson’s purchases. If the Thompson’s installed a pool, so did everyone else. When the Thompson’s bought the last 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Green Super Snake, a spree of vintage cars were bought throughout the city. Residents that couldn’t afford the cars got a letter from Major Patrick,

Dear Sandalwood resident,
           As Major of Sandalwood, voted this year's richest city in America, it is important for our title to remain the same. In order to stay a citizen of Sandalwood you have to keep up with the automobiles being used throughout the city. If you can not obliged to this within 3 weeks, your residence to this city will be revoked and you will be asked to move within 3 months.

          Thank you,
     Major Clark Patrick

            Half of the city had to move out because not all of them were rich enough to afford such cars. Quickly though those people were replaced with new wannabes. Only this time they had the right car in their driveways.

           One Sunday morning, heads turned and whispers rose at the the trucks moving in and out of the Thompson’s long driveway. Neighbors bunched together to figure out the mystery of the trucks.
           “Maybe their family is moving in with them.” offered Mr. Campbell, president of the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world.
           “Not likely; they never had kids.” challenged Juliene Park, the creator of the optic laser.
            “Looks like they are bringing statues into their house,” Jacklyn Newberry, the secretary of the city muttered.
            “No, no they’re lamps!” Mr. Campbell noticed.
            “Lamps! Why there has to be hundreds of them!” Juliene astounded.
            There were hundreds of stubby, tall, wide, antique, modern, crazy lamps. Lamps on lamps, lamps galore. Men and women were running in and out of the golden mansion with lamps in their hands. Of all different colors and patterns.
           Slowly the trucks descended down the driveway and the victorian became brighter and brighter with every lamp put in. By the end of the day the Thompsons house glowed golden inside and out with power, with wealth, with light. Everyone came out of their houses to stare at the giant firefly of a mansion, shining over the city with power.
           Early the next day there was a traffic of vintage cars lined up two blocks at the two department stores and one furniture store in the city. There was a crazy whirlwind of customers running into the stores. All fighting over the inventory of lamps the few stores had. Soon the talk of the town was what kind of lamp you had, how many lamps, how old your lamp was, where did your lamp come from. By the end of the month more and more houses were getting brighter and brighter with the more lamps installed. People bragged on how bright yellow their mansions shined at night. It was embarrassing to not have your house be noticeably bright. The brighter the better, the more money the grander, the more lamps the cooler. It was a competition throughout the city. Lamps were shipped from all around the world to show off to neighbors, people drove miles and miles just to buy more lamps. Department stores and furniture stores surrounding the area all were sold out of any light fixtures you could buy. But no one could get their house as bright as the Thompsons.
           As more and more people got more lamps the city of Sandalwood began to glow bright yellow to all the neighboring towns. Like the sun to all the planets. Not all the towns though were as invested in the magnificent glow as the citizens of Sandalwood. There were complaints made of how people had to wear sunglasses all night just to go to bed. And how much power Sandalwood was sucking up. Along with the lack of supplies for lights for anyone not in Sandalwood. Not to mention the price of supplies went up because of the high demand.
           Months went by and still Sandalwood remained to be a shining star, glowing brighter and brighter with every lamp purchased. All the neighboring towns started to rally together to protest against the obnoxiously bright lamps. For weeks they would march into the city and demand to stop the purchasing of more lamps. But the high and mighty Sandalwood officials heard nothing of it and shooed them off. Eventually making the rallies die down and cease. The “kings” and “queens” of Sandalwood weren’t going to take orders from the “peasants”.
           Later in the week shortly after the rallies stopped, in the middle of the night the house closest to the border of Sandalwood, the connecting house with the city and the first neighboring town Lackinlust, lost power. It flickered on and off until it finally blacked out. When the power came back on the wires got overwhelmed from all the electricity the mansion was using that a spark started. The spark made more sparks and soon the wire exploded in flame. The wire was burned off the house and burned it's way to Lackinlust.
           The fire spread stealthy, using the wire lines to the surrounding towns as a guide. As soon as it hit the first house in the closest town, Lackinlust, the fire roared and crackled. Tearing down everything in it's way and burning it to ashes. The fire went from one town to the next the whole night through, until it reached the final town and faded off in the rain that started.
           As the sun started to peek up from the horizon it looked over the scene, and shone the smoldering remains of houses, parks, schools, and cars from the once towns that stood there. The wind picked up and blew the ashes away. To show in the distance that the glowing city of Sandalwood remained untouched. When the residents of Sandalwood got up that morning, and started their daily routines. The news of the fire broadcasted throughout the day. Showing the disaster the neighboring towns had endured. Many families were now homeless and lost everything they had. Including the people that lost their lives from the flames. Yet, the people in Sandalwood went on with their day not paying attention to the disasters right outside. And the disasters caused by their obsession.
           Day and day went on and Sandalwood kept it's glow and structure. All around the once gleaming city beckoning over mall towns, was now a lone metropolis. The citizens in their own world not caring about the treeless landscape beyond them, but keeping their glow bright.
           At least until the Thompson’s change their minds...