DoFP Part 7, Yaron's Diary

+JMJ+

Icy Season Day 2

I was even more nervous for today. It is one thing to tell about death and orphans, but how does one turn the story around and make everyone laugh. Maybe all I had to do was make it sound so dumb that people had to laugh. Apparently this was the subject of great discussion in the hall as well as in my mind. I saw money change hands and knew that the bets were on. I hoped Eldark was not betting. He probably would bet that I would fail. Either way he would probably end up killing me. If I won and he lost a bet, he would kill me for making him lose money. But if I lost he would kill me, because he wanted too.

“Wake up!” a sharp voice yelled. Boots sat up rubbing his eyes and looked around. There was a girl with fire hair and orange eyes looking down at him.

“Who are you?” Boots whispered.

“People call me Spark.” the girl said with a toss of her flaming hair.

“My family just died!” Boots mumbled, his eyes following the flying sparks.

“But you will not let them die!” Spark cried, “Come on we can ask the ghost in the well how you can stop them from dying.”

“Can you do that?” Boots asked.

“Dunno!” Spark said as she began braiding her fiery locks, “You could always remove the stone and let them die proper like.”

“Never! It is my fault that the banshee decided to attack my house!” Boots said sharply.

“Nonsense, the only thing you did was being smart enough not to burn!” Spark argued.

“I wish I had burned!” Boots growled. Spark's fair flamed up and she licked her lips with a flickering tongue.

“Excellent idea, I believe I can arrange that.” she said. Spark grabbed Boots' feet.

“Ouch!” the boy howled as his feet began to smoke, “I do not want to die!”

“But you said you did.” Spark reminded him, “I was just trying to help.”

“I changed my mind.” Boots said, “Lets go see the ghost in the well.” He did not much want to see a ghost but it was better then letting a fiery girl roast him.

Spark brought the unhappy boy into a thick dark forest. The branches grew so close together that the rain could not penetrate the forest floor. So Boots had some relief from the pouring rain. Unfortunately Spark seemed to enjoy whipping her fire braid into the trees. Soon Boots began to wish for the cool refreshing rain. Rain was better then being sizzled alive.

“Spark, can you stop setting my hair on fire?” he asked politely.

“Oh look, there is the well.” Spark cried without answering Boots' question. Boots ran to the well and dived head first in. Soon he would be swimming in refreshing water. Suddenly he stopped falling and a terrible burning pain grabbed hold of his ankle.

“Ugh!” Boots bellowed. Spark hauled him out of the well.

“There is no account to be jumping in that well.” she said briskly, “It is drier then your house!” since Boots' house was nothing more then a pile of ashes, he could only assume she meant the well had no water in it at all.

“Alright, I will not jump in, but you have to stop burning me.” he squealed. Spark dropped him on his head and picked up a bucket. When Boots had got to his feet, she handed him the bucket. Now there was a rope attached to the handle at one end and a pulley at the other end.

“I will lower you into the well so you can hear the wise words of the ghost in the well.” Spark said. “Does that not sound like a lot of fun?”

“Actually no.” Boots retorted, “Why don't you climb into the well and I lower you down. I think it would be a lot more fun to use the pulley.”

“It is not my family who is dying.” Spark reminded him. Boots sulked a few minutes then he climbed into the well and let Spark lower him away.

“What do I ask the ghost?” Boots yelled up to Spark.

“I do not know, how about ask him what the meaning of life is.” Spark called back.

“I do not want to know the meaning of life.” Boots yelled, “I want to know how to save my family.”

“If you already know what you want to ask him, why did you ask me?” Spark cried indignantly, “I think you are mean.”

“But I thought I should-” Boots got no further, Spark was still talking.

“You only get to ask one question.” she cried, “I think you should ask-”

“If you want to know the meaning of life ask him yourself!” Boots barked.

“Uh- oh!” Spark said.

“Uh-oh yourself.” Boots snapped.

“Not good.” Spark cried, Fire! Help, Fire!”

“Fire, where?” Boots cried and looked up. The pulley was on fire. “Eeek!” Boots yelled, “Help!” he scrambled up the rope. For a brief minute he thought that he might be able to reach the top, then Boots dropped. “I am going to die!” Boots screamed as he plunged downwards, “I am going to be flattened like a pancake.” Splash, he plunged into the coldest water he had ever touched.

“Boots are you still alive?” Spark called downwards, “If not please tell me. I need to know! I do not want to inconvenience you so do not bother answering if you are still alive.” her voice faded away.

“I am alive!” Boots gasped and spat out some water.

“That is nice.” Spark said harshly, “Now get up. I told you only answer if you were dead, now you are just wasting breath. Now wake up!”

I stopped speaking and grinned at my audience. There was not a sound in the Hall. Everyone was watching me.

“Times up!” I said and strode out of the great hall without so much as a backwards glance.

To Be Continued