The countdown before the colorful, fiery wisps were released into the sky began..
Everyone chanted "3,2,1!"
But nothing came.. Silence. As we overlooked the lake, we noticed something significant that hadn't caught our eye at first, the little platform that was peppered with the pyrotechnics was no longer illuminated, but cloaked in darkness, as if someone had extinguished the light...
Suddenly, two red dots appeared out of the shadows, then another pair, then another until it seemed there were 30 pairs. Even from the distance I could sense the glittering malice radiating from those pupils, emptying my pockets with close, precise observation, calculating its next move.
Then, the lights on the platform flickered again, then again, and then finally, showed a sight that couldn't easily be unseen... On the deck, lay the pyrotechnic operator, sawed in two, split right at the torso, surrounded in a thick pool of blood. But the things that were gathered on the deck frightened us the most.
These... things, we realized, were capable of amazing feats, making the impossible-- possible. Which wasn't exactly the best news for us at the time. These crusaders rode in the night, cloaked in shadows, sliced the operator in half with the prowess of a ninja, and the part I most regret, were the fireworks. They hadn't gone off for a reason, they were still there. They all were pointed towards an individual member of the audience who had come to watch the beautiful show that was to be bursting with color, which would represent our country's freedom.
When the first went off, it was only to easy for chaos to spread like wildfire, kids were trampled, picnics were ruined, blood-curdling screams filled the air. Fear, I realized, was one of the best weapons, because it reveals our true identity, are we selfless? Are we heroic? Or are we downright cowardly? Mostly-- it comes to the 3rd choice, sadly enough.
As I ran frantically through the crowd, pulling my date with me, I heard an explosion 3 feet to the left of where I stood about a second ago... There stood a burning crater, the smell of sulphur burrowing it's way into my nostrils, we had fared way better than others in the crowd, some ran around like walking birthday candles, practically clothed in flame. Many fell to their knees in the fetal position, waiting for the Angel of Death to carry them away.
Then, the assault ended! They had ran out of fireworks! Finally! I pulled Laura in for a tight embrace, tears of relief rolling down my eyes, when suddenly, I heard a whirring noise, as the sound a dentist drill would make, right behind me, slowly getting louder and louder until I evaded by quickly rolling to the right.
And there it was-- it was beautifully crafted, metal plating, mechanical eyes, perfectly carved teeth, jetpacks holstered to it's feet and back. Whatever this was... There was alot of work put into it. Alot of work-- also meant less chance of failure-- higher quality. And this thing was staring at me with a whirring saw aimed right at my chest.
