SSO Winter Prompts 2020

31. Fireworks (Josh and Rebecca)

It was almost the new year and Rebecca had started to buy fireworks. She had seen some of Jorvik's firework displays and felt bad that she found them underwhelming. It was probably because she was from the US, in an area where neighbors regularly went out of state to buy mortar rounds in addition to all the professional shows that could be heard for miles.

So when Jorvik's professional shows had failed to make her feel the impact in her chest, she got a bit homesick. There were perfectly valid reasons for smaller and quieter fireworks, all the horses for one thing, and the environmental impact for another. They frightened animals, triggered ptsd, scared people, and released harmful chemicals into the air and rained down whatever broken bits remained.

But there was still something exciting that she loved about a good, loud, and bright fireworks show. Which is why, silly as it felt, she headed to Starshine Ranch. Hopefully one of the other Americans understood and knew what Jorvik fireworks show was the best to attend.

When she brought it up with Josh, explaining what she missed and was looking for, he hummed in agreement, biting back a smile.

"I don't know of any show..." he drawled, motioning for her to follow him to his room. At the door he glanced around warily, as though they were being watched, before he cracked the door open and ushered her inside, where numerous moving boxes still sat.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked, hand out.

"Uh, yeah, sure," she agreed, shaking his hand and watching him spin around and open a brown cardboard box. He beamed as he produced another box with a logo of a purple hooded figure.

"Holy- Phantom?" she exclaimed, stepping over and looking into the box before glancing at the other similar boxes around the room.

"I've been stocking up, but I don't know where to set them off," he admitted, an excited gleam in his eyes as she inspected the mortar rounds in awe.

"You mean set them off safely, or where you won't get arrested? This can't possibly be legal!" she laughed, watching as he opened more and more boxes, revealing more fireworks from various companies.

"Both? I thought down by the river, but I worried it was too close to the ranch. I'd hate to spook the livestock," he rubbed the back of his neck, the location was the one thing he hadn't figured out yet.

"What about on the river, or the bay?"

"I don't have a boat, and I don't really want to be on a little boat with the fireworks going off."

"Smart, but I was thinking on ice? Or maybe a barge?" she hoped she could call in a favor and make one of those two things possible.

"The ice doesn't reach that far, and where would I get a barge? I don't know any sailors with a free barge!"

"I might. Just in case, look for shoes you can walk on ice in," she patted him on the shoulder as she spun around to leave, "I'll be back soon!"

After talking to Mrs. Holdsworth and Pi there was a new section of ice extending into the bay, created to last all night. Josh couldn't get an explanation except for magic, which was the truth, but decided not to complain when the ice proved thick enough to support horses. The boxes were moved out onto the ice and opened, friends slowly gathering and advised to stay by the shore rather than go out onto the ice, most horses left at nearby stables.

"Josh, I just want to say, if we get arrested it was totally worth it," Rebecca stuck out her hand, just the two of them out on the ice with the largest fireworks.

"Ditto. Let's blow stuff up!" he declared, shaking her hand.

"Here's to being stupid to end an awful year!" she clicked the lighter and lit the fuse, the two of them running a safe distance away.

"So we're going to fire roman candles at each other, right?" Josh asked as they stopped and turned around to watch the first box.

"Duh, I said 'being stupid'," she laughed, a quiet descending over them. Back on shore, the gathered friends wondered if the two Americans on the ice had done anything, confused why they had run and stopped. A high pitched whistle and shooting dot zipped high into the sky and exploded, another following half a second after, and another and another.

"Now those're some fireworks!" Carl exclaimed with a laugh, surprised to feel the boom in his chest, the others cheering or oohing and awing at the display.

The fireworks kept going, Rebecca and Josh setting off more rounds for everyone to enjoy. They alternated the mortars for sparklers, smoke bombs, and smaller fireworks, the friends laughing and running through the smoke and playing with sparklers and roman candles. Together, they bid the old year farewell and welcomed in the new year with fun, light, and a great deal of noise.