Fire Starter

I had to get out, they were all around me by this point. Darkened corridors in every which direction. Doesn’t matter I’ve checked them all, at least that is the version I continue trying to convince myself. For the sake of the others, I agreed I would get out of this deathly, dark, prison. But I can’t. There’s nowhere left to go, this path has led me to corners, to walls, to no escape. All these straight lines become corners. The voices are beaming in the distance ever coming closer. I’m done for.

12 HOURS EARLIER

Trying to feel my fingers or even my arms felt like agony and equally would be displayed through my expression. Any onlooker would surely have realised the level of my exhaustion. Here I lay on the cold floor in the darkened room. Gloom and sorrow laid there beside me, at least I had company. Slowly forming the realisation no matter how much I longed to move if someone came in, I would not be able to defend myself. Then a voice came through I could feel some aspect of me lighting up, but it wasn’t enough to activate any alertness.

“Sparky! Are you ok? What have they done to you? Did you try to escape again?”

There was nothing within me even able to gesture anything to the Old Fella, I wanted to just nod but nothing could move. Breathing became difficult that’s when the numbness began tickling through the senses slowly spreading across my body. I was a goner.

Darkness came to greet me. There were tunnels all around, which direction shall I go? Up, down, left, right, north, west. A familiarity hit of being here before. Either this was deja’vu or a dream. It must have been the prison cells. Wandering around checking each corridor, never finding an escape only others like me; sapped of all energy hoping to escape to a new life. At this point, I was sure it was a dream although I couldn’t be certain. What if I hadn’t passed out and was again trying to find an escape? They would find me again. And, my energy would be taken from me, and I’d be here. Why am I so desperate to escape? Why do they need my energy? What are they using it for?

Suddenly the beating of my heart grew faster and faster, causing a flow over effect through my veins and into my soul. I felt alive! I felt purpose and drive. Immediately I awoke and found myself standing ready to go. What is this new energy? How come the Old Fella was still in my quarters? I looked at him questioningly.

“Finally, you are awake. I needed to ask you questions to see if you were listening or gone.”

“What type of questions were you asking?” I asked.

“The ones to see if you are awake.”

“Then they have certainly woken me. I’m ready to go and have no idea where. This time they will not take my energy!” My enthusiasm shot out and I surprised myself.

“For the rest of our sakes, please Sparky, you need to get out of here and find a way for us to join you. But at least save yourself.”

The energy within was raring to go. There was no time to answer the Old Fella. This task of getting out was finally going to happen. Somehow and this new energy would help lead the way! Without a moment to waste or spare I left. Getting out of my quarters was the easy part. It was the tunnelling of the other corridors evermore feeling relentless and unending.

In the distance, I could hear the murmurs of the ones who wanted to steal my energy. We never really knew how to explain them, they were just these strange murmuring creatures. I guess we are all creatures come to think of it. But they are faceless, deathly and beyond suffocating. Seeking out the energy contained within my friends and me. I don’t even know how long we’ve been trapped in this prison but this time there was a difference. I had a difference within me. Not sure how it will play out, but this time I know, I can feel it. Was I on a suicide mission?

This energy feels different. No matter how many corridors I check, there continues to be a renewing purposeful energy. It was like pressing on to new limits and places I hadn’t been before. Yet they yielded the same results as every other time. Walls and paths like edges closing into corners. Edges, edges, edges, corners, corners, corners.

The walls were rough and textured almost wooden-like. Very natural, a dark type of wood with rugged edging. In fact, I never realised before the floor and ceiling were the same. Everything was dark I could only barely see in front. This energy inside felt warm like a timid light shining to give some awareness of what may be ahead. The energy felt like my fuel source, hopefully, it doesn’t burn up. So far so good, though fear snuck inside questioning and wrestling in my mind the amount of energy I may have remaining. Am I going in the right direction? With the fear taking over I also heard the distant murmurs. Am I being tracked, followed, hunted? If I’m going to do something with this energy, I best find an escape and do it now, else it will be back to the quarters, or worse.

In this twisting, winding maze, was there really anywhere left to go, that I hadn’t been prior? I stopped to check the surroundings with calmness and clarity. Then I saw a strange light on the path ahead. It was paler in colour than the passing wooden features. The glimmer came from the tiniest hole in the sidewall. Peering through to find more rugged, brown, wooden rooftops. I pushed against the wall to see a bit further. A cracking noise started. That’s odd I haven’t heard that before. More cracking and ripping and tearing. What is that noise? In the same moment I look over to see the torn edge along the wall panel, suddenly the wall is crashing out almost cascading with the rooftops.

I cling to the piece of wall trying to see where it and I will land. It bashes against the other side of the exposed corridor wall, and I thump into it. Not even a moment to catch my breath right before my eyes is a huge cloudy faceless murmur. There were no words left to describe what I saw only that its strange gas like arms began to stretch from its being toward me. I could feel part of my energy get sucked away to it. If I was going to escape this prison it needed to happen right now! Lacking a route, the only thing I could think of was to go back into those relentless corridors. I slipped in running as fast as I could. The noises and voices were following me. I glanced back to see the huge murmur breaking itself down into smaller ones to chase me.

At this point I knew I had to get out, they were all around me. The darkened corridors in every which direction. Some familiar some unknown, picking at random whatever corridor opening, hoping it would yield a different result for once. I needed to get out, I’ve been down this corridor before. I see another opening and slide into it. Convincing myself I’ve been down the other options I saw available. For the sake of the others, I agreed at least I wanted to agree to the Old Fella that I would get us out of here.

I had a purpose; I had this energy in me and now everything was under threat. The corridor led me to a corner, again. Blast! What am I going to do? There’s no escape I should have known straight lines always lead to corners. I could hear the voices booming in the distance ever coming closer. I’m done for. Looking at the floor, then the walls thinking about how easily the wall gave in when I leant on it before. These corridors must be flimsy. What if all edges don’t lead to a corner? What if some edges could bend?

The murmurs had almost caught up. Feeling the heat and pressure of the situation was too much, I searched within to find that warm purposeful energy, my fuel source. It was still there. And down the darkened corridor I knew the murmurs would be watching me if they had faces. I jumped as hard as I could onto the floor. At first, nothing but I had already decided to continue jumping until something happened. Cracking and snapping began and soon a hole formed in the ground. Pretty stupid idea for all I know there could be a huge murmur waiting for me, but at the same risk what if I was to land in a corridor I’d never been?

Falling through, for a moment I felt at peace; just taking in the feel of the freefall, as if there was nothing to catch me. I focused on the warm energy reminding myself of the unspoken agreement to the others and at that moment, I finally caught a breath of fresh oxygen. It was the last ingredient. As I breathed in the oxygen, I could feel it reacting with the energy fuel source and the heat. My purpose became alive, as did I. A chain reaction had occurred all over my body. Looking down to see my arms and legs on fire. I am the fire.

I hit the roof of a corridor and within seconds my flames engulfed the roof. The flames spread so quickly as far as I looked out beyond, there the flames greeted my vision. More and more corridors were set alight with the occasional pop of explosion and a new fire breaking out. My passion, my fuel, my energy, my flames had found the others, my others, my kindred flame brethren, and they were now on fire as well. I saved our race.

I looked up to see the murmurs. I could see them now the were only clouds of gas. I believe humans have referred to them as carbon dioxide. A disgusting chemical they breathe out of their bodies. Unfortunately, those humans like us flame brethren, both require oxygen for survival. The pockets of carbon dioxide wore out from the overexposing heat of my brethren breathing in new life. Our war is finally over. Our freedom is now. But a new threat was already being established. Will a new war start between us and humanity?