Draft

A small malnourished indian boy is severely ill and is having a nightmare of being burned in a fire. Floating above him is what seems to be a sentient flame that has caused the fire.

The flame is hungry, constantly, and moans in its hunger pains as it burns the boy slowly as if eating him.

Through much struggle the boy looks at the flame and speaks, "Why are you hungry?"

The flame replies, "Because there is nothing to eat."

The boy takes a ragged breath and speaks again, "You are like me. Maybe, when I am better we can go find food together."

The flame stays silent for a moment and then speaks, "You agree to help me?"

The boy is unable to speak and nods before going unconscious.

As the boy is unconscious his body in reality begins to catch fire and burns for a moment before going out as his mother walks in. It is late at night and you can clearly see the outside through the broken stucco walls.

"Your kindness got you ill. How foolish I was for not stopping you. I hope your good will can save you, and that you will learn from this." With that she touches his head to kiss him on the forehead but it burns her hand and she abruptly pulls back.

Quickly she rises and walks away from her child into another room, feeling terribly ill. She starts to look like she is being covered in flames as she starts screaming and the fire spreads from her to the building, then to other buildings, and the whole slum is alight in a blaze.

At this point the older version of the boy wakes up from his nightmare. Flames had been seeping from his body while he slept, scorching the earth around him, where he had placed stones to keep the fire from spreading to anything else. He was sleeping inside some sort of sandstone cave, his packs on the other side of the stone ring, but still with fire scars.

He started to sit-up and pack things as he spoke, "Ada we will be getting food soon." His words came out like he was telling someone to prepare to leave.

He then pulls out a map and follows a road to mark his travel. His exact destination was unknown, but it was clear he was trying to make it to Nepal.

"We should be there by now..." He said holding one pen in his mouth while writing on the map with the other, trying to figure out what went wrong.

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.04.2016

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Widmung:
"A glass raised to those starving for something this system can't feed." - Drig Dramel