gray smoke

my landlord Frank left his tools in the yard. i dragged the orange cord through the damp autumn grass. the plastic sleeve was brittle and cracked. it peeled back to show braided metal fibers. i plugged it into the porch outlet. i wondered how much voltage leaks straight into the wet soil. probably enough to fry a worm. i picked up the heavy electric saw and pulled the trigger. the blade didn't move. there was just a tiny puff of gray smoke where the wire sat in the mud.