Piece sent in for assignment 1
Two boys sat alone in the cell, bruised and homesick, it was a wonder they were still smiling. Fire sparked in the dark and the older Pyrokinesis twin lifted his hand to the wall, taking the other hand, which was already crackling with a merry blaze, he began to scorch the wall surrounding it. Letting out a whoop he nudged his brother.
“Look! It’s just how Ash showed us,” he pointed. His twin grinned and stood up to summon his own fire, placing his own hand print on the wall.
“Oh that’s cool! Betcha I can make a better one than you,” Coal taunted, twisting his hand to form the head of a dog by tucking in his fingers and burning the area around.
Blaze scoffed. “It was my idea, watch.” He began his own set of shapes until the two began on a group project with one making a shape and the other projecting the fire. Their laughter rang through the jail, causing old prisoners to blink awake and guards to frown in confusions as the two created their own happiness out of the rubble.
Continuation:
Days later found the boys hauling rocks in the Queen’s quarry. Both were exhausted and hungry, straining against ropes tied across their heaving chests to drag boulders away from the excavation site. When Coal fell, tripping in the uneven ground and falling on his face, Blaze was there to yank him back up. The older twin held his brother upright, dusting him off as he kept an eye out for the overseer.
“Come on,” he whispered, moving the straps on Coal’s back to ease the strain, but Coal shook his head.
“I’m too tired, I don’t want to. I’m so tired.” The boy was on the verge of tears, weak with hunger and fatigue.
“You have to!” Blaze hissed. “Come on, I’ll help you,” he insisted, stumbling along next to Coal as he did his best to pull his own load and help his brother but the effort was too much. Both boys fell and even Blaze felt tears of frustration and desperation slip down his cheeks. “We have to keep going,” he whispered doggedly, trying to find the strength to stand and coming up with nothing.
Beside him Coal had his eyes closed, soaking up the firm ground beneath him and not having to move. Finally he spoke. “I wish dad were here.” It wasn’t much more than a whisper but it brought Blaze’s heart plummeting to new lows and the world turn grey. He did wish his father were there, but he wasn’t, in fact their father had been killed before their own eyes days ago. They were alone. Somewhere in that castle that had once been their home was their older brother, but the twins knew better than to ask for help there, Ash would be under closer guard than them and their father’s last wish had been for them to look after him. No, they were on their own.
“Race you to the rock pile,” Blaze mumbled, it was a crazy idea as neither could move but he tried anyway. Moving a leg he bent his knee, slowly sitting up and getting to his feet, always concentrating on the next limb to move. Beside him Coal stirred, opening his eyes, then he too tried to stand. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, the boys began to move. Each step was painful, and almost impossible bearing such a weight, but an hour later saw them staggering to the rock pile. Coal let out a breathless whoop, punching the air with glee.
“I win!” He crowed although they had arrived at the same moment.
“Did….not….” Blaze panted, hands on his knees and bent over trying to wheeze his way back to breathing normally. “I….won….”
Coal tore the straps off his rock and staggered upright as he rubbed his shoulders. “Rematch?”
Blaze’s white teeth flashed in his dark face as he lifted his head. “You’re on.”