Electrocution

One of my fears is electrocution. It ranks somewhere near death by fire. I thought I might experience both of these last night when the cord to a light that is connected directly to my inverter batteries began smoking....and melting ..... and letting off sparks.

This is what happened:
1. It was raining.
2. I tried to close the window.
3. The cord that is looped through the window and the fer forge had been rubbed to the bare wire over the past ??? years.
4. The bare wire connected with the metal window frame and the fer forge causing smoke and sparks.
5. I freak out.
6. I rip the light off the cord so it is no longer connected.
7. The smoke and sparks continue.
8. I turn off the invertor and search for the handy magnetic flashlight my friend Bridget gave me.
9. I run around my house frantically searching for something to touch the cord to move it away from the metal.
10. I can't find anything suitable in my state of panic, so I move the cord with my hand. I am not dead.
11. Smoke subsides but there are still sparks.
12. I call my neighbor Tim. He is at the Vervloets, so I end up talking to Stephan, a mechanical wizard.
13. He tells me I have to disconnect the wire from the invertor batteries.
14. I unpadlock the fer forge door to go outside, but can't find the key for the lock on the battery cage.
15. I find it. I stand in rainwater as I unlock the cage and listen to Stephan tell me what I'm supposed to do.
16. I don't understand what he's saying except, "Don't touch one one of the two connections because it will shock you", and "You must disconnect it or the short will drain the batteries".
17. Tim is coming home, so he will come disconnect it.
18. Thirty minutes later he arrives (its still raining).
19. He looks everything over and yanks the wires off the battery with a few, "Are you sure this is the right one?" questions.
20. The situation is resolved. The invertor works. I am not electrocuted, nor did I die by fire.

I'm adding 'must know about electrical stuff' to my list of qualifications for a good husband.