The Game

Hearts On Fire Tonight

Chapter 5- Hearts On Fire Tonight

"So there we were, freezing to death in a cave, the snow still falling down the mountain and trapping us inside." Mr. Johansen's face was decorated by the fire, light dancing in his eyes as he told his story. Instead of zoning out like the many times before, I let myself be enthralled by the story, and join in with the others. "Hypothermia had set in to my left leg and the children were starving..."

 "What did you do?" Jessie asked, her chin resting on her knees.

 Mr. Johansen smirked, and I had to bite back a smile. After all the time I had known him, he still had that same familiar persona every time he told a story. "Well, I-"

 "Cried like a baby?" Samuel finished. "That's what I would have done."

  "Oh, please, Sammy. Give him some credit. He slapped himself for being so stupid as to get into the mess in the first place." I said. "And then he cried like a baby." The group's laughter echoed through the trees, bringing a wider smile to my face. Everyone was watching with the upmost amazement, with Mikey taking pictures of the warm, comfortable scene, and Anthony, hilariously, was taking notes of the story.

 Nate and Greg sat on the ground across the fire, and, unlike me, they looked completely bored with the hiking instructor's story. Greg's eyes reflected the flames of red and orange, tipped with blue, almost as if they were alive inside of him and the fire was borne within the blonde-haired boy. Nate, his right leg folded to his chest, looked paler than usual. He looked unreal, like at any moment he would collide with the moonlight and fade away entirely. Blue eyes dim and hair as dark as night, he also seemed sad. Not that I cared at all, but a deep unhappiness appeared behind his eyes and on his sharp features, revealing regret and guilt. And that, for some reason, affected me.

Why I cared that either boys looked upset I had no clue, but both did. I was very intrigued to know what was wrong, and that upset me. As the group continued to listen to Mr. Johansen, I let my eyes stay locked to Nate, and when his eyes met mine through the fire, I was unable to tear away from his gaze. Everything else melted away and the world revolved around his eyes, his face, his lips, the way he stared at me with such intensity. Nothing else existed.

If I had not been so enamored by him I would stop to wonder why someone as stunning as him would take the time to even spare a glance at a girl like me, but he was and I felt honored. The longer I stared the colder I got, until I could not feel the heat of the fire and the moon's cold tendrils wrapped around me, incasing me in what must only be Nate.

My ears began to ring, but still I could hear a voice saying, "The patrol came around three hours later and I.... Wow, the fire's mighty hot now, yea?" People spoke their agreement, yet I still felt cold. "Let's all scoot back, everyone."

I saw Jesse and Mikey, who had been sitting on either side of me, move back, until they were only a few feet away from the edge of the tree line, where the light of the fire could not reach. I stayed in my spot, not being able to move thanks to Nate's hard stare.

"Should I continue the story or...." Suddenly, Nate's gaze broke with mine and the fire blazed over the treetops. Blue whips reached into the sky, tickling the stars, and I screamed, feeling the heat hit my face for the first time.

"What's going on?" Allison cried out, and the fire expanded, forcing me back. I watched as the fire grew taller and taller, impossibly so. It was incredible and terrifying at the same time. Everyone's eyes were wide with fear, and they were all talking as one, asking how we should put out the fire, what we should do, how it was doing this. The words filled my mind as I wondered if Nate and Greg had been smart enough to move back.

In the next second the fire stopped, like a giant had doused it with his thumb and forefinger. It was like it had never been there at all.

It was dead silent.

No one spoke, or breathed loud enough to hear, even the forest life had ceased all moving and noises. I looked at Mr. Johansen, waiting for him to say something reassuring, but his eyes were filled with fear and stared straight ahead.

When I believed that we would be stuck in this silence for eternity, a quiet whisper began from behind my ear, "Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies." My breath hitched in my throat, but still I made no noise, the only thing audible was the voice, raspy and low, behind me, repeating, "Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies. Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies."

Tears streamed down Allison's face, as beside her, Samuel slowly reached into his pocket, and, with wide eyes, pulled out a handful of flowers. Posies, no doubt.

I wanted to scream and cry and run, but all of those things required me to move, and that was something I was incapable of doing. The voice singing the verse was suffocating me. The silence and darkness fighting side by side to keep me frozen in my spot.

Just as I thought I could not become any more terrified, I felt myself begin to spin. The trees started to zip past me, and the night sky was a swirl of black and scattered white orbs. I heard screams echoing through the air, but could not tell if they were mine or someone else's. The singing continued, crescendoing until it was the only thought in my mind. 

"Ring around the Rosie's, pocket full of posies"  

Suddenly, the fire roared back in full force, restored to the sky-reaching blaze it had been before. This time I was sure that the blood-curdling scream came from me. It was my imagination for sure, or the fact that I was still spinning like a supersonic merry-go-round, that I saw figures in the flames. Joyously they danced and leapt amongst the blues and oranges and reds. They were cheerful and celebrating, while I was horrified and spinning wildly around their party.

As the same song was repeated again by that same raspy voice, something different happened. It continued to the next line.  "Ashes, ashes." It sang. 

"Ashes, ashes." sang those in the fire, mocking me and cackling about my situation.

"Ashes, ashes." They chorused in my head until it commanded my entire being. "Ashes, ashes!"

There was nothing but the spinning, and the singing, and the scattered yelps. I felt nothing, and could do nothing but fear.

Until "We all fall down" rang through the air, and everything went black.

 Light fell on my eyelids, springing my eyes wide open. Before I could even take a breath I was sat up, glancing widely around the campsite. Others were in the same state as me, waking up and becoming alert immediately. I watched as one by one panic set into their eyes, memories of the night coming back to them. No one spoke, every single person hoping that it was just a dream. At least, that was what I was doing, but yet I could not make myself believe that it was.

 Nate rose to his feet, glanced down at Greg, then opened his mouth to speak, "I think we should-"

 "Help! Help!" A voice screamed as Mikey broke through the tree-line, his hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat and his camera was missing from the strap around his neck. When he realized that we were awake he stumbled to a halt and looked to Nate, knowing he was the one with the authority. "You need to help." He gasped.

 "What's happened?" Greg said, jumping up beside Nate before he could get a word out.

 It was just when I realized something was missing from the scene that Mikey gulped and said, "It's Mr. Johansen. He... he tried to kill me."

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully this made up for it. If it didn't... oh well. I'm going to try and get on a schedule with this though. I should be posting every Sunday from now on. Remember to vote and comment!!!