Page 75 - KCN 2020

gray skies to a portrait hung next to her window.
DANCE o f FIRE PEONIES Her eyes slowly rolled away from the decrepit . Storming out of her cottage, she
Catching a glimpse, her eyes narrowed, eyebrows
the
furrowed as she thought back to 20 years ago.

Michael Ng How could she forget the sight of the peonies ran into the fields, ripping any peony
she ran across out of the ground. The flames
going up in magnificent flames?
burned her arms, but she kept destroying
as many as she could.
Overlooking a vast sea of blossoming She glanced at one of the worker’s bas- How could she forget the exasperated cries
fire peonies was a tiny cottage on a hill. kets, then smacked it off his wrist. “Ugly, they’re of her parents trying to get them to safety? Peonies combusted to contribute
all hideous!” she screamed, then stormed off. more flames, while petals also rose up into the
The workers were hard at work How could she forget the thud when she sky, joining the raging, tempestuous inferno,
plucking the flowers while being careful She made her way to a small hut at the foot hit the earth, mere centimetres away from as they flowed gracefully into a scarlet vortex.
not to be burnt by their spontaneous flames. of the hill, where workers were pressing the peony her parents? Once she stripped the field bare, the tor-
petals into medicine. Their pale, grafted skin was nado entrapped her as she kneeled, panting.
“Careful not to get burnt, Larry. You caused by a mix of peony burns, and long hours of How could she forget the scorched smell
saw what happened to Dave.” working in the peony press. Tears were streaming of the fields when the police arrived? Her eyes widening at the vortex,
down one of the worker’s stoic faces when she mustered up her energy to flail her arms
“Right? Feels like these flames are she passed by. She saw, and was vexed. Annoyed, she turned towards her desk, with at the petals, trying to get rid of them, but it
getting stronger each year.” yellowing contract papers spread out. She swiped was no use. Blood streamed from her thor-
“What are you crying for! Keep working,” them all to the floor, cursing those development oughly burnt fingers, dying the flames sanguine.
“At least the pay’s good. Too bad she yelled, then slapped the worker. companies for turning her away. ‘Construction
this place is run by a crazy witch, though.” would’ve been perfect to flatten these peony The more she flailed, the more blood
After she had walked out of sight, another fields once and for all,’ she thought, ‘but those flowed, but she was relentless. Rage was the
“I know, right? It’s been hell ever since worker came to his aid. cowards wouldn’t comply.’ sole fuel driving her insanity.
the old owners’ daughter came back.”
“Are you okay, Dave? Oh dear, right where “Whatever,” she sniggered to herself, “once Soon, her energy died, and she kneeled
“Oh, speak of the devil.” the burn was.” these medicines hit the black market, these peo- on the ground, shrieking with all her heart. In her
nies won’t stand a chance! Horrid, horrid blurred vision, she saw her cottage; the cottage

A woman clad in a scarlet dress walked “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” flowers! The mere sight of them makes me sick!”- she left her life in the city for, going up in flames.
towards the workers, stomping her feet through
the field; her fireproof high heels leaving “What’s her deal?” She got up and continued, “all these She sobbed, blood rolling off her
crushed lilies in their wake. She came up years, and they’ve come back; back to mock cheeks, with vitriolic hate in her heart,
to the workers with arms akimbo and a rough “Whatever. I just hope she’d take it easy me! No more, no more…” Glancing at her lamenting the pure existence of the peonies.
look on her face. on the peonies. I’ve got a bad feeling about parents’ portrait, she muttered, “I’ll make you proud.”
them.” All is calm.
“What do you think you’re doing, slack- A powerful vermillion radiance coming
ing off! Get back to picking these stupid flowers!” Just then, the two noticed sporadic flames from the fields caught her attention. The workers, The field laid barren, with only a skel-
in the distant fields. Dave’s pupils dilated as the screaming bloody murder, were running amok. eton stretched out on the scorched earth.
“Miss-” bright crimson glow grew stronger and stronger. Her eyes looked daggers at the chaotic scene.
Something inside her snapped; something of rage
“Oh, quit whining!” she interrupted. Meanwhile, the woman was loung- and madness. Her cultivation was collapsing. The
ing in her cottage on the hill, looking out the peonies were laughing at her once more.
window.

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