The Hourglass

Chapter IV.

In the right time and place, one may observe how beautiful the flames were as they danced to a music only they could hear. Alas, I was then reeled back to my reality where I was forced to move closer towards the raging fire. It wasn't the time nor place for such mediative contemplation. I was close enough now where I felt the embers from the fire licked my face, as the flames popped in response to more fuel being added. Sweat trickled down my face as I struggled to breathe with the immense heat right in front of me. No, I can't die from this! Not like this!

Jasmin: No, please! You can't do this! 

Man: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Now, throw her in!

Before they could manage to push me, a loud gunshot rung out. One of the men that held me by my arm released his grip. A geyser of blood erupted from his right eye socket and was dead before his body had made contact with the floor.

I'm going to have nightmares!

Priest: What? No- the witch must burn!

The priest immediately moved forward and tried to grab hold of me, only to be felled by another gunshot where it struck him in his throat. He collapsed to the ground, blood sprawled everywhere on the floor as he coughed up blood. The other man who held me released his tightening grip and turned to flee as the man whom I recognised, Aurelio Fairburn entered the fray which was accompanied by several number of others equally rough looking accomplices. Aurelio charged towards me, his rifle barked out round after round. Those foolish enough to engage him up close are immediately shot at point or met by a heavy blow from the bottom of the rifle.

Aurelio: Jasmin! We're outnumbered. Can you shoot?

Jasmin: I could try..

I mean, I've held a fake one during halloween parties. Would that help?

He handed me one of his pistols and drew a double barrelled shotgun for himself from the holster on his back.

Aurelio: Cock the handle, aim, fire and repeat.

As he had finished with his explanation, Aurelio added a practical demonstration where he fired both barrels into the priest's dying body and painted a nearby tree with splattered internal organs. Although outnumbered, Aurelio and his acquaintances made up for it with many more years experience in the field of killing.

Okay..I am going to nightmare for several weeks, if not..months! I could do this, just today!

Shots rung out from all directions and I repeatedly add my own to the chorus. Tears rolled down my cheeks and my hands trembled immensely but I still continued to fire. 

Imagine I'm somewhere else..Somewhere safe.

Despite my good intentions, all I could was summon up another bloody memory; of the night my parents had died. The sound of bones breaking and blood flowing..and the dark stranger on the road who I now only half remembered. Still too weak to cast a spell, all I could at least was pull a trigger. Without warning, a man that stood behind tried to stab me with his knife. At the last second, a familiar ghost apparition- myself as a child- entered the man's body and prevented the fatal strike from falling. Possessed, the man instead turned the blade towards himself where he slit his throat and pierced himself on his chest. As soon as the man fell to the ground, the ghost left his body.

Ghost: You're welcome.

Before I could reply, the ghost vanished into thin air. I then turned my attention towards Aurelio and there was something so striking and intriguing about how Aurelio dispatched his foes. He ducked, dodged, rolled and fired; a bloody brutal ballet.