Fire in the Open
1594 Words
Morning sunlight filled the kitchen of Pyra’s house, but the peaceful atmosphere did not last long.
Louise stood with her arms crossed, clearly upset.
Ken was pacing back and forth.
And Pyra…
Pyra was calmly sitting at the dining table eating bread.
Lena sat beside her quietly.
“You could have gotten hurt!” Louise shouted.
Pyra shrugged while chewing.
“But I didn’t.”
Ken stopped pacing and pointed at her.
“That is not the point!”
“What if Lord Fedrah had captured you?!”
Pyra took another bite and leaned back in her chair.
“Well… that didn’t happen either.”
Louise sighed in frustration.
“You put us to sleep with your mind!”
“Yes,” Pyra replied casually.
Ken rubbed his forehead.
“What would we have told your mother if something happened to you?”
Pyra paused.
Then she said something surprising.
“I actually see my mom sometimes.”
Louise blinked.
“You what?”
“In visions,” Pyra said simply. “We talk.”
Ken and Louise exchanged looks.
“Really?” Louise asked softly.
Pyra nodded.
“Yeah.”
“And one thing she keeps telling me…”
She pointed at Lena.
“Never leave your best friends behind.”
Lena burst out laughing.
“Oh wow.”
She lifted her hands dramatically.
“Quoted version — Pyra.”
Pyra laughed too.
“Quoted version.”
Even Ken and Louise couldn't help smiling.
---
Later That Morning
After breakfast, Lena went into the guest room.
A few minutes later she walked out again.
Pyra almost dropped her drink.
Lena was wearing a bright red wig.
Exactly the same shade as Pyra’s natural hair.
Pyra blinked slowly.
“What… is that?”
Lena grinned proudly.
“We copy you.”
Pyra stared at her.
“We’re best friends,” Lena continued. “So we should have the same hair color.”
“And since you keep hiding your real hair with wigs…”
She pointed at herself.
“I chose this.”
Pyra raised an eyebrow.
“Okaaay…”
Lena laughed.
“It’s just fun.”
They grabbed their bags.
“Come on.”
They waved goodbye to Ken and Louise and headed to school.
---
Outside the School
They met Aria near the entrance.
Pyra stopped walking.
Aria was wearing the same red wig.
Pyra sighed deeply.
“You too, Aria?”
Aria smiled brightly.
“Let me guess,” Pyra said. “For fun?”
Aria pointed at Lena.
“It was her idea!”
Pyra looked at both of them.
“So you guys are trying to look like… me?”
“Shhh!” Lena whispered.
“Walk!”
They entered the hallway.
Immediately…
Every student turned to stare.
Three girls.
All with identical red hair.
Madeline and her group walked toward them.
Madeline looked them up and down.
“Well, well…”
“Some kind of fashion show?”
Her friends snickered.
Madeline smirked.
“What is this supposed to be? A circus act?”
The hallway grew quiet.
Students waited for Pyra’s reaction.
Pyra stepped forward calmly.
She tilted her head.
“You know, Madeline…”
Her voice was calm but sharp.
“Three red heads walking together is still less scary than one fake blonde trying too hard.”
Students around them gasped.
“Whoa…”
Madeline’s mouth opened.
But nothing came out.
Pyra continued calmly.
“Also…”
“If confidence was measured by intelligence…”
She glanced at Madeline.
“You’d still be in kindergarten.”
The hallway exploded with whispers.
“Dang…”
Madeline stood there speechless.
Pyra turned.
“Let’s go girls.”
They walked away.
Madeline’s own friends looked at Pyra with admiration.
Aria whispered excitedly.
“Girl!”
“That was savage!”
“Where did that come from?”
Pyra smiled slightly.
“My mother.”
“She always says no one should bully you.”
Lena nodded.
“Impressive.”
---
Later – School Lockers
After classes, the three girls stood near their lockers chatting.
Nathaniel walked toward them.
He stopped in front of them and looked at all three red wigs.
Then he smiled at Pyra.
“You’ve got loyal friends.”
Lena crossed her arms proudly.
“More like best buddies.”
Pyra smiled.
Nathaniel chuckled.
“But seriously… why do you guys have her hair?”
Aria grinned.
“We’re forming a fan club.”
Lena added dramatically.
“The Pyra Protection Squad.”
They all laughed.
Nathaniel shook his head, smiling.
“By the way…”
He looked directly at Pyra.
“I’m playing lacrosse today.”
“It’s a competition between schools.”
He scratched the back of his neck.
“You and your friends could come watch.”
Pyra raised an eyebrow playfully.
“Are you inviting me?”
Nathaniel smiled nervously.
“Yeah.”
“I mean…”
“If you’re there I might score.”
Then he quickly added,
“Unless you don’t want to come.”
“That’s okay too.”
“You’re probably busy.”
Pyra interrupted him gently.
“Nathaniel.”
He looked up.
“I’d love to come.”
His face lit up.
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then one of his teammates shouted from the field.
“Nathaniel! Coach needs you!”
He nodded.
“See you later.”
He waved and ran off.
Pyra kept staring at the direction he left.
Aria nudged her.
“Pyra.”
She snapped out of it.
Lena smirked.
“This guy is hot.”
“And he definitely likes you.”
Pyra sighed.
“Wait until he finds out I’m the Princess of Fire.”
“I doubt he’ll still like me.”
Aria shook her head.
“Of course he will.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Pyra smiled.
“Thanks Aria.”
“Anytime girl.”
---
The Lacrosse Game
The stadium was packed with students cheering loudly.
Pyra, Lena, and Aria sat in the stands.
Madeline and her group sat on the opposite side.
On the field, Nathaniel spotted Pyra.
He waved enthusiastically.
Madeline thought he was waving at her.
She waved back dramatically.
Pyra waved back.
Madeline’s friends noticed the truth.
But none of them dared tell her.
The game began.
Players sprinted across the field.
Sticks clashed.
The ball flew back and forth.
Nathaniel dodged two defenders and passed the ball.
The crowd cheered loudly.
“Go Nathaniel!”
The energy was intense.
Then suddenly—
A loud ROAR echoed across the field.
Everything stopped.
A dragon landed in the middle of the field.
Students screamed.
Players dropped their sticks and ran.
Pyra stared in shock.
“Don’t tell me…”
Aria nodded slowly.
“Yep.”
“That’s Pyrester.”
The dragon whimpered happily.
Everyone ran away from the field.
Pyra whispered angrily.
“Bad girl…”
“Go away.”
“Bad girl.”
“Go!”
Pyrester ignored her.
Instead she walked around the field curiously.
Pyra, Lena, and Aria stepped onto the field.
Pyra tried acting casual.
“Hey…”
“Who left a dragon here?”
Lena added loudly,
“Seriously what kind of dangerous animal is this?”
Madeline shouted from the stands.
“That dragon just appeared!”
“It’s some mystical creature!”
Students murmured in fear.
Pyra slowly approached Pyrester.
Everyone held their breath.
“What is she doing?” someone whispered.
The dragon walked toward Pyra.
Lena whispered quietly.
“If she came here…”
“It means danger is coming.”
Suddenly—
HELICOPTERS.
Military trucks.
Vans.
Soldiers flooding the school.
The crowd panicked.
Pyra looked at Pyrester.
“So that’s what you were warning me about.”
Pyrester’s eyes glowed red.
Pyra’s eyes glowed red too.
Nathaniel walked toward them confused.
“What is happening?”
The coach ran over.
“Girls! Step away from that dragon!”
“It could kill you!”
Pyra forced a laugh.
“Oh this dragon?”
Aria said quickly,
“It’s a statue.”
The coach stared.
“A statue… that moves?”
Lena jumped in.
“Advanced robotics!”
“Very advanced.”
Their cover story was terrible.
Everyone could tell they knew the dragon.
Soldiers surrounded the field.
Commander Valerie Stone stepped out of a helicopter.
“Target confirmed.”
Before anyone could react—
Pyrester suddenly scooped Pyra, Lena, and Aria onto her back.
“WHOOOAA!”
They shouted as she lifted into the sky.
Within seconds—
The dragon disappeared into the clouds.
Commander Stone shouted into her radio.
“Target has left the area!”
The coach ran to her.
“What is going on here?!”
Stone pulled out a tablet and projected an image.
Pyra’s face appeared.
“This girl is extremely dangerous.”
“She possesses pyrokinesis.”
“Telekinesis.”
“Telepathy.”
“She must be captured.”
Students gasped.
Nathaniel stared at the screen.
But his expression wasn’t fear.
It was worry.
Madeline crossed her arms smugly.
“I knew something was wrong with that girl.”
“That red hair…”
She looked at Nathaniel.
But Nathaniel wasn’t listening.
He was staring into the sky where Pyra disappeared.
His thoughts raced.
Pyra…
You’re in trouble.
And I can’t help you.
He clenched his fists.
He didn’t care if she had powers.
He didn’t care if she could burn the whole school down.
For some reason…
He still loved her.
And all he wanted now—
Was for her to be safe.
- Writer
