Tag: fire

A Fiery Philosophy

I felt awakened from a stupor.

“What’s on fire?” He asked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know!?”I thought but gave no reply.

Taxicab privacy screen was locked in place; I have held myself at arm’s length even from my own family, situating interstates and time zones between us.

I was no longer a reactive object to be manipulated.

I granted myself distance and anonymity to write through my struggles.

After determining isolation wasn’t the answer, I succumbed to existentialism and got on with living.

I felt awakened from a stupor.

I put pen to paper, and the spark of inspiration ignited a flame within me.

Sirens blared as firetrucks scrambled, and the curious cabbie drove away from the burning apartment building.

“Where to, Miss?” the driver asked.

“Home,” I replied as if he knew where that was.

“My soul,” I said, “that is what is on fire.”

I smiled at the reflection in the window and admired the blazing trail left in my wake.

– Written for YeahWrite.me Weekly Fiction|Poetry Writing Challenge 261 Question Prompt “What’s on fire?” and Prompt Up previous line combo for fiction. WC 157

In Light of His Consummation

He clambered toward the ocean with one fiery tentacle torch to light the way.

“We all know he’s going to set himself on fire one day.”

“At least, he’s ambitious.”

Leroy had a dangerous fascination with land life, specifically fire.

We tried to warn him that it wasn’t safe, but he took to the surface nightly and made his way onto the pier.

He found items the humans left behind such as tour flyers, food containers, and plastic bags. He hoarded them away, buried in the sand near the rocks below the dock, except for the silly little top hat he insisted on wearing.

Leroy continued to scour for the one last thing he needed to perform his amazing feat. Finally, one evening he found a matchbook. He called us all to the surface to witness his debut.

The Fantastic Leroy Sea Keeper of the Flame was about to create fire like no other sea creature had done before him.

He piled high all the flammable objects he had collected into a large mountain. Then with everyone watching, he struck a match.

We were in awe of the spark. He tossed it onto the pile, and it began to burn. Leroy was so excited and overwhelmed; the flames we saw reflecting in his large eyes mesmerized him. He didn’t seem to notice the fire slowly crawling toward him or hear our shouts of concern.

When the fire reached his outstretched tentacle, he jumped high into the air causing his top hat to tumble into the inferno.

He clambered toward the ocean with one fiery tentacle torch to light the way.

The water doused his singed pride and he sunk into the deep blue.

The next evening we returned. Sadly, The Fantastic Leroy Sea Keeper of the Flame sacrificed his favorite spot to the out-of-control pyre.

Leroy never ventured to the surface again.

– Written for Cracked Flash: Year 1, Week 36, though I missed the deadline. First sentence prompt was “We all know he’s going to set himself on fire one day,” and Photo Prompt combo. WC 300

In Light of His Consummation

The Shinigami

I catch sight of the grotesque apple-stuffed smile of a roasted pig.

I hear waves crash beyond my sight. The clouds briefly hide the moonlight darkening my view. I turn toward the luau.

The flickering firelight dances with shadows and illuminates the feast. I catch sight of the grotesque apple-stuffed smile of a roasted pig. It looks guilty. I watch tourists help themselves to the fare.

A familiar, soothing breeze gently envelops me. I hear my name inside my mind, inaudible, it chills and comforts. The hairs on my arms stand up though my body relaxes.

Swirling shadows merge. A dark, faceless being reaches out a shadowy limb and takes my hand. The Shinigami, my love, pulls me deeper into itself.

– Written for Microcosms (11) though I missed the deadline. Prompts were Shinigami/Luau/Romance. WC 109. Photo from Pixabay.com.

The_Shinigami

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