Flash Fiction Blogfest!

Today I'm participating in Ali Cross's Flash Fiction Blogfest! The topic extraordinaire, was to write a 250-word-or-less piece of flash fiction along the theme of:

"Its Independence Day and something unexpected happens..."

Independence Day? Oh yes. I can DO Independence Day!!

The expert I chose to write is from Book 3 of Keepers of the Flame, which, no, has NOT been written. But because I'm smart and all that, I already know what the final battle will be like. And I know who dies. And its very heroic and beautiful and I thought: "Wow, Self, this blogfest would be the perfect opportunity to write a few brief words from the final battle scene!"

Self is very obedient. So self complied.

Below is my 250-word snap shot flash fiction of what happens at the end of my trilogy, Keepers of the Flame. I wrote this in honor of the blogfest, so the rest of the trilogy has not been completed. As such, I reserve the right to CHANGE this scene, once I actually get to it in the writing process. But this is how it looks in my head right now. Enjoy!

The night sky brightened, illuminating the battlefield under a shower of sparks. Flame followed. Tongues of fire billowed, spewing tendrils through the dark as fuel ignited, burning in peculiar patterns of splattering light. Like fireworks.

Nate smiled.

Their plan had worked. The command center was destroyed, and with it, the weapons of the enemy rendered useless.

In the wake of the explosion, an eerie quiet covered the combat zone. Nothing stirred. The night still, like the blanketing calm after a storm.

Nate’s ears pricked up at a soft rumble of sound. He strained to hear over the pop pop of the fire, burning bright behind him.

Voices.

The sound amplified, rolling through the air like the roar of approaching thunder. The individual voices blended together, gaining strength as they united as one. Louder they sounded, cheers of freedom echoing through the night as Nate’s comrades celebrated the battle’s unexpected turn.

“Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!”

I should be with them. Nate tried to sit and winced, the warmth in his side blossoming. He could feel the blood spilling from his wound, coloring the ground red.

He glanced at his watch. Almost midnight. The timepiece ticked its methodic journey towards a new Independence Day. One to remember and recommit. To honor new sacrifices of the great living and dead who fought for freedom and liberty.

Nate wouldn’t see it.

But the future would. At right now, that was all that mattered.

P.s. For those of you who have a) read Keepers of the Flame and b) are mildly obsessive about spoilers (ahem, LAUREN!), I've changed the names. You'll just have to lose sleep over this scene at night trying to figure out who meets his (or her! I could have changed genders too...) heroic end at the final battle. Bahahahahahaha!!!