Time for another entry in Friday Fictioneers challenge, courtesy of Rochelle Wissof-Fields. If you want to give it a try, check the info on her blog. 100 words more or less, inspired by a photo, here we go….
Copyright – Jean L. Hays
“I was there.” Brigit said. “The Great Fire.”
“But that was almost 150 years ago! That is not possible.” I regarded her warily, wondering if she’ll set my shoes on fire again. It was not a pleasant experience the last time she did it.
“Shush, boy. Your ignorance is painful enough, I can’t suffer through your words, too.” she turned around, encompassing the square with her blazing eyes. “They tried to rape me. So, I set them on fire.”
“Who?” I yelped, smelling the burning rubber.
“Hush, child. This age of men is intertwined with cruelty. Maybe it’s time for another fire.”
Great Chicago Fire
Brigid, the Goddess of Fire
Snow's Fissures and Fractures 
Dear Loré,
You’ve left me with more than a few questions. Not a bad thing. 😉 It makes me wonder if she’s really talking about the Chicago Fire or one of a different sort. At any rate, the men in question deserved the fire. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I had the Chicago Fire on my mind, especially that part about the cow and the lantern. It all came together when I remembered Brigid, the goddess of fire, protector of poets and cows. 😛
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A good voice in this. I wonder what she has in mind for the boy?
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Thank you, Claire. I think a longer story lurks from the corner.
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Dear Lore,
Let me be the first to note how your perfect title adds so much to your smoldering tale. Excellent use of the language and the senses. i can smell the boys sneakers about to combust. Very well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you, Doug. I wanted to convey a sense of an adventure through boy’s thoughts. The title came to mind when I remembered the Great Chicago Fire. I even have a book about it at home. Good thing I read comments on Rochelle’s story first, I had no idea this was an image of Chicago.
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A great fire it would be indeed.. There are several ways of having a great fire… though you left me wondering what really happened.
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I left the links bellow the story, so people could connect the dots. But it really doesn’t matter, whatever your imagination makes of it is exactly what happened. 😀
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Ah.. thank you.. (sometimes I miss that background, but yours was perfect).
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AnElephant finds this entertaining and strangely amusing!
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That makes me happy, thank you.
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When AnElephant makes a lady happy, he is pink with delight.
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Your woven strands pulled me in, but I was carrying a fire extinguisher! 🙂
janet
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Thank you, Janet. Better safe than sorry.
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I thought this was beautifully paced and quite experly crafted. The boy’s edginess shines through.
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I hoped for that, thank you!
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I’ve never heard of Brigid before, thank you for bringing her to my attention, I love finding new and interesting tidbits from mythology.
An interesting story by the looks of it, with far more waiting to be told.
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Glad I provided you with some new info. Thank you.
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I too was unaware of Brigid’s special attributes. So that’s interesting. But underlying your story are deep and dark happenings and I just don’t know what it it is about my gender and the societies that turn a blind eye.
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Lack of education and I don’t mean basic school education. One would think we would evolve more by the time we thread the waters of the 21st century. As long as the violence in any form is used as a substitue for peaceful resoultion, there will be no progress. Thank you for reading and observing.
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Supernatural. Loved it.
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Thank you.
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Yes! The Fire Gods have been called to seek revenge on these fire worthy men. 🙂 I enjoyed your story.
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I am very happy to hear that. Thank you.
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Something about this reminded me of Endora from Bewitched, although much more serious. That’s the kind of woman you want to keep happy at all costs.
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Thank you, David. I think we all want to be treated with kindness and respect.
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Enjoyed this tale. I envision a very sweet boy – blond hair, blue eyes, pale – and a really large red-headed woman. Close?
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Could be, I don’t always imagine how my characters look. 😀 Glad you enjoyed it, thank you.
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Nice contrast between these two characters. Their voices work well to show the differences in their perspectives. I don’t think he’s a match for Brigit. He should take her advice and shush.
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I think Brigit has a soft spot for him. Thank you!
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Brigit’s certainly not one you’d want to cross. Or even slightly annoy if you value your shoes!
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I think you should always keep another pair close. 😀 Thank you.
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I also appreciate the clarification at the bottom. I didn’t know of Brigid. I was expecting combustion at any moment!
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Hahaha, lovely comment. Thank you.
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I loved your story, from the boy’s curious nature to Brigid’s pain. Brigid is an important figure in Irish mythology, spanning both pre-Christian and early Christian lore so it is only fitting that this transferred to the US. Not a woman to be messed with – I think you captured that very well 🙂
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I am glad I did her justice, thank you so much.
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She is one scary woman!
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Yes, she is. Thank you for stopping by.
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Looks like she is all fired up
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There is an ember burning even in the weakest amongs us. Sometimes it just needs a breath of fresh air. Thank you for stopping by.
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My ignorance is pretty painful too, at least to others. They often get that confused look when I start speaking. This was a pretty “hot” story. She sounds like a pyromaniac to me. 🙂
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I would keep a bucket of water close by. 🙂
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