FIRE and VILLAGERS
A curious mellow tone filled the air, a mournful note that tugged at the heartstrings.
"Those were the days..."
---~~~o~~~---
"Eeeek!" a young girl in the village shrieks. Her mother grabs her hand and leads her to rush towards their safe room, seeking refuge from the impending danger. Another high-pitched scream pierces through the village, causing the young girl to clasp her mother's hand tightly.
The moon shines like crimson blood, casting eerie shades of black and red across the land.
"Quickly, my child. Make haste. It's back again," the mother cries out as they descend into their underground sanctuary.
They shut the wooden door above them, making their way down the sturdy staircase to the cramped room below that gave them cramps all over.
Fear grips them tightly as they huddle together.
Have you ever been locked in a dark cabinet or room, alone, with an overwhelming desire to scream for help? To destroy the door if only you had the strength to do so? This is their reality. They must remain silent, even closing their noses to stifle their breath.
"GRRR..." a deafening guttural growl echoes from above, causing them to freeze in terror.
They hear footsteps upstairs, not like the discreet steps of a burglar, but big thumping heavy steps that shatter objects. It's like the sound of a construction site, tremors abound. The wrecker beast above keeps on growling and crashing.
They could hear that everything above them is crisping and flickering. The same sound that your mother makes when she's cooking tuyo or dried fish or deep-fried chicken. But there are no tender smiles, no satisfaction of appetite. It's like sprinkling water on hot oil, that's the sound! But it's as if you're doing it as many times as you like.
"All will be well, my dear," the mother whispered and reassures her child with a tight embrace, "Trust in him who's up there. He will come to our rescue" ...
---~~~o~~~---
"Fear not, my people! Take up your courage, for that will be our strongest defense!" says the chief of the village, "Think of your family, your children, your home, and everything you hold dear! Do it for them! Charge! "... That scene probably is the most likely scenario you would want to imagine in such a desperate time. But it's sad to be the bearer of bad news, 'cause that's not the case here. In that sense, it's absurd.
There were no leaders, no order, no rules, and no laws in that tragic moment... just chaos and confusion. Deceived by the rampage, each of the villagers is just fighting for their own. There was no cooperation, no heroism, no sense of justice, and nothing left but the desire to live and lust to survive.
Imagine being caught in the middle of a riot in your barangay or class. What would you do in that situation?
---~~~o~~~---
Cries and shrieks echo from every direction as darkness descends upon the village. Young and old alike are caught in the grip of fear.
"What are you doing in our village? My home, my livestock, all but burned!" an old villager shouts at the trespasser, his entire body trembling, not of old age but of fear, "What bad deed have we done to you to deserve this atrocious judgment?" he continues, his voice rising with anger and despair.
The wrecker, thankfully, seems not to have noticed the elder's shouting, too busy with its deeds. It rages on like an unstoppable train, forcing everyone in its path to flee as quickly as they can. It wreaks havoc like a wrecking ball, reducing everything in its wake to shambles.
Meanwhile, other villagers are frantically trying to save what little they can, gathering their loved ones and precious possessions and fleeing to safety. But the wrecker's relentless advance leaves them little time to act, and many are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the fear in their hearts.
---~~~o~~~---
"Fire! Fire! Fire everywhere! Hurry, get some buckets, everyone! The fire is spreading fast!" cried a pregnant villager.
"It's no use, my dear," his husband hugged her tight by the shoulder, "Everything is lost. We didn't call that evil beast by the name, FIRE, for nothing. For that is what it is, an untamable, cataclysmic, all-consuming fire."
"But our home, our living, our beautiful house we just started to build," his pregnant wife sobbed, her face wet with tears. The couple watched in anguish as their house and livelihood were reduced to ashes before their very eyes.
"No, my dear. Our home is here with us," the man placed his gentle hand on his wife's tummy and kissed her forehead.
The dark crimson clouds of that night cried out its rain in the village as it reflects the burning walls and trees. Even that was not much of a help to extinguish the flames' wrath.
---~~~o~~~---
In the midst of the hazy rain with zero visibility, we can still see the figure of FIRE emerging through the fiery surroundings, casting an ominous glow to the horizon.
"We need to run, now!" yelled one villager to another, his voice quivering with fear.
But it was too late, for they had already caught the attention of the trespasser. The beast turned its fiery gaze toward them, its red eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.
As they stared into its eyes, they felt as if they were being consumed by the flames. It was as if the beast could see right through them, into their very souls. If you have seen someone wear a dark contact lens which makes the eye core turn big and black, that gives an ominous cold dead of a stare, then imagine it in full red.
"It's like staring into the abyss," whispered another villager, his voice barely audible over the roar of the flames.
Try facing the mirror at night, turn off the lights, then place a flashlight under your chin. Look at the reflection on that mirror, then you'll see the kind of reflection FIRE shows.
FIRE stood as tall as two basketball rings joined together, with a massive wingspan that could cover an entire court. Its body was covered in scales, each one glistening in the flickering light. And its wings are bigger than its own body. But fortunately, the trespasser will never be seen flying up the sky, for its left-wing is crippled, all torn up at the bottom.
Now, don't be fooled. FIRE was no dragon (sorry for the dragon lovers). It just looks like one and feels like one. What really set it apart was its ability to conjure flames in both its hands and temple, burning everything it touched. Its scale-filled body is not on fire, but everything that it touches gets burned also. And it walks on its feet like a big obese man.
Some might say that it's a cool monster if it was only an action figure, but seeing it so real in front of you, that thought would never even cross your mind at all. The only things you'll feel are heat and fear...
---~~~o~~~---
At a distance, three friends were at the village's gates, contemplating their next move.
"Where are you going, bro? Let's go and save our village." says the first.
"Let's fight FIRE!" says the second.
"No! Come on, my bros, let's flee from this cursed village." the third pleaded, "My family is waiting ashore with a boat. We'll gladly take you with us."
The atmosphere was already cold due to the rain, yet warm because of the fires that gave more sorrow in the surrounding. Their grief was palpable.
After a few moments of silence, the second friend spoke, "I think this is where we will part ways, bro. Go to your family. They need you there."
The first friend added, "For so long, we've had no family. But this village accepted us when we were just nomads. You, my brother, accepted us when we were just nobodies. Here, we became best friends. The village now is our family."
The third friend was confused, but he soon realized that he had to bid farewell to the two he holds dear. "We've been friends for as long as I can remember, my brothers. Those years were full of memories," he said with sadness.
He then turned his back and said, "And it will forever be in my memories. Goodbye, my dear friends." He ran away, unable to wipe the tears falling down his cheeks, leaving his two friends behind.
The two also turned their back and whispered, "Thank you for everything, our dear friend."
Through that stormy night and drizzling rain, we can still clearly see all three friends were filled with tears as they went their separate ways.
FIRE caused so much physical and emotional pain to the villagers. Some had already fled and decided not to return, but most of them still wanted to stay, for the village was their home. Leaving the place of one's birth, the place where one grew up and called home, was an incredibly difficult thing to do. There's no place like home...
---~~~o~~~---
Amidst the scene of carnage, two shadows huddled together behind a wrecked centennial tree known as Centree.
"We got separated from your mother and sister," a father said to his teenage son, his voice filled with desperation. "I am the only one who can save our family now, and the only way to do that is to fight FIRE."...
---~~~o~~~--- ---~~~o~~~--- ---~~~o~~~---
THE PSALMIST sings,
~~~
"Aghast, a fiery village
Behold, sounds, deafening growls n' cries
Devouring all the joys, 'twas fierce
A painting of so many aches and loss
Drawing reds, 'twas a flaming feat
~~~
In that end,
Fire razed and it's done
Scorchin' singeing sizzler
It created something gruesome
~~~
In the background,
At the Village,
Reflects He's image
And the Father says,
"Now, it's its ending,
We'll make something awesome"