25 - Flame

25 - Flame

The first thing I notice is the smell,

putrid, foul smelling

Like leather in a factory.

The smoke rises up

The grey fumes building up around me.

The flames burst into light of oranges, yellows and reds,

my eyes stunned by its brightness.

I cough vigorously,

the dark foggy smoke bunches up inside my throat,

making it difficult to even breathe.

The colours, they dance in front of me,

like ballerinas at a concert.

I can feel myself drifting,

Once I could distinguish features,

now only bouncing flames.

I am overwhelmed by the sound,

crackling under foot, just like leaves in autumn.

Crack, pop!

The wood I had been resting on breaks into two halves,

I struggle on my hands and knees,

My face at smoke level.

The roaring fire echoes all around,

All I see now is foggy oranges appearing as flames to me.

I crouch under cracking wood,

the structure isn’t going to hold for much longer,

but I keep trailing onwards.

Smoke trapped inside my lungs,

My eyelids beginning to feel heavy

trying not to close them as I scurry taking every step.

I see open fields,

the skies ahead, even though things have turned to night.

I misplace my palm where the smoke lays,

I fall straight ahead,

toppling over on my back,

now stuck in a situation

I don’t know exactly how I’m trapped,

but something is blocking my way out,

I push,

With the power I have,

It may just be enough.

BANG.

My entrance suddenly turns dark.

I try to move, but it is near impossible.

I feel the weight of legs on my back.

A horse. A horse that had tumbled right on to me.

I take a deep breath in,

I won’t let the smoke reach my organs,

My back cracks under the pressure,

the horse above is still alive..

but not for long,

and neither will I.