10 October 2012
The Burning
Golden flames lick ravenous at my face and singe my hair. I feel no pain but scream none the less to amuse the spectators, who have gathered in the surrounding snow banks, to cheer my demise. I know how long I have to stand here, but I still wish to leave as soon as possible, the on lookers will eventually lose interest and return to their dwellings to shelter from the bitter wind, but until then, I burn.
Sunrise is still several hours away, if the weather continues on like this I may be able to slip into the surrounding forest unnoticed before sunrise, before the villagers wake and find only chard wood in place of my bones.
The crowd has now dwindled to only a few lone figures in the ever increasing winds, the sky a blanket of grey, a foreboding of more snow to come. To them I am little more then a limp black silhouette in the surrounding attack of gold and yellow and orange, so I no longer feel the need to twist against my feeble restraints to keep up appearances, I let out one last smoke strangled gasp before slipping to my knees and remaining motionless. To them, I am dead.
I stay in the flames for little over another hour, almost enjoying the wispy feeling of the embers graceful dance on my bare skin. As expected the last villager hobbled home, as the first delicate snowflakes, escaped from their suspended prison and cascaded below to dwell among the living, it's a light dusting tonight, not strong enough to approach my fiery shell, but enough to grant me privacy from prying eyes.
I have always prided myself on my ability to recognise opportunities when they are presented to me, so I trust my judgement now, this is my chance.
Elemental • Opuss № I