The World We've Set On Fire ■ Wattys 2016

Campfire

When I was sure that general Naomi was asleep in her camp, I went to the forest. I wasn't the only one. I was joined by Heidi, a girl named Dalmatian who had spots tattooed all over herself and another named Pixie. We reached the camp where a fire was lit and men sat on the logs. Space was made for us. Pixie sat with her brother, Dalmatian with her husband and I sat with Hammad.

"How're yeh, Dal?"

"Am fine." She popped a caramel into her mouth.

"Take one, gal." A guy offered me the basket. I took one.

"Thank you." I mumbled.

He laughed. "Call me Al, will ya? Name's Albert."

"Thank you, Al."

"Very good. You was a good student in yer school."

"I guess." I smiled.

A bearded man named Maze said, bitterly. "These days, children get killed in school."

I reddened in shame. No one realized. "How sad."

"Sad indeed." Agreed Maze. "I wonder how they do it."

"I know right." Said Barrow. "People with hearts can't bomb children in school."

"Or shoot them." Added Drake.

"They might be tricked or brain washed." Hammad said, for my sake. "They might not be blood thirsty, heartless terrorists."

"Once you kill little children, you become a terrorist." Al shrugged.

There was silence. Then, Pixie's brother Phoenix said, "Stop talking about such stuff, boys. You're disturbing the girl." He pointed at me and everyone looked at my tear stained face.

"Yeah, lighten the mood." Drake agreed, softly.

"Someone should sing!" Suggested Dal's husband.

Dal volunteered and started singing a song. She had a sweet and lovely voice.

"I  know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they see
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream."

She hummed a tube and continued.

"But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they see
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream."

We all were clapping. Her husband kissed her forehead. She smiled. Despite all her tattoos and piercings, she was pretty sweet.

"It's a very old song." She smiled. "Hundreds of years old... what year is it?"

"December 2212." Said Al.

"Then, it's more than three hundred sixty years old."

"I have a song... almost two hundred years old." I mumbled.

"We love old songs!" Maze  encouraged me.

"My grandmother used to sing it to me... it's called 'The Call'."

"Bring it on!" Phoenix smiled.

"It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry
I'll come back when you call me
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye

Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget
Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
'Til they're before your eyes
You'll come back when they call you
No need to say goodbye
You'll come back when they call you
No need to say goodbye."

"Dear Lord, it brings tears into my eyes." Joked Hammad, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes. We laughed.

"I've heard it before." Maze smiled. "My wife sang it to my daughter once. She said she'd heard it in a very old movie."

"You had a daughter?" Al asked.

"Yes, I did." Maze smiled. "She was killed a few days ago in her school in Ohio by a Greek colonel named Gael Lennsher. That's why I've come here, to kill her. Unfortunately, I got stuck in this camp. But when I see her, I'll avenge my family."

"Where's your wife?" I heard Hammad ask.

"Died of sorrow, didn't she?" Maze grunted.

I stood up and slowly walked away.

Sam Claflin as Al.

Alexandra Daddario as Pixie.

Courtney Eaton as Dal (without the tattoos.)