Short Tales

Bombera

Ya stole my book's comment virginity and I couldn't be any happier. Thank you, really.

The bottle went up, a streak of light following it. Its crash resonated throughout the quiet neighbourhood and the fire lit up the sky. It was done. The goddess was called and her host was present.

*

The truck's siren blared as its bright red body weaved through traffic. The house sent up a plume of black smoke that stood out strangely in the night sky, the fire underneath it illuminating its base. The instant their truck pulled up the scene, no time was wasted. The roof of the 3 story home was the starting point it seemed but the fire had slowly crept down, eating the home like a python with its fresh kill. The family was still trapped upstairs, the locks in the house most likely fused together. Hoses and axes were drawn to save the day. The fire flared again, writhing, breathing, daring the firefighters to enter and rescue the trapped family. They couldn't use the hose until the family was out because the water could cause everything to crash down on them, so they crashed into the house to brave the flame. They hacked down the door and jogged in, then evaluated the situation.

"Okay, Eran," one firefighter said through his radio, "Light work, right?"

"Sure, Mark," Eran replied, "Just like a dance. One-two-cha-cha-cha."

"Good, let's go."

They went up the weakened and semi-scorched stairs one at a time, then Eran left Mark on the second floor to sweep the third. A scream rang out above the crackling of the flames on the third floor.

"Eran, you hear that?!" Mark shouted into his radio.

"Yeah, I'm going to it now!"

Eran chopped into the door he thought the scream came from and it turned out that he'd guessed right. A girl--in her 20s at most--was curled up in a corner, cowering and surrounded by burnt bodies. Two adults, one kid. Another scream came, this one deeper in tone than the last.

Mark.

He ran over to the girl, but a sheet of fire shot up through the floorboards. Eran flew back, more out of shock than being pushed. The fire shifted and twisted, taking the form of a beautiful, tall woman. Eran found himself paralysed, though he wanted to be anywhere but there. The "woman" made from flame looked at Eran and the girl, then its "face" twisted into a smile. It split in two and flew at them both before they could even think of running.

*

Eran and Mark ran out of the house with Eran carrying the girl. The goddess had been born it seemed, with two very excellent guardians. In the lights of the night, there was a red glint in the eyes of the men that was visible from where our silent observer stood. He moved closer, pretending to be a concerned neighbour. As her herald, her harbinger, he had to see her open her eyes anew. His goddess' first look at her new world.

Her guardians lay her gently and cleared the area so their goddess could have space for her awakening. She coughed and flew forwards, sitting up. Her brilliant sanguine eyes sealed the bond her guardians and harbinger were forced into. La Bombera, Goddess of Flame.