Everyone has a flame of talent inside of them. Some have embraced their flame so much, to the point of where the flames become real. Over time, they developed to become magical users of their fire and are called "fire wielders," who are able to control and manipulate fire. Everyone was in awe with them. Though over time, the fire wielders became prideful and arrogant of their abilities, looking down at humans who didn't possess their power, leaving regular people to become resentful towards them. Eventually the two groups began to dispute, and peace seemed to have disappeared.
❦ ❦ ❦
One summer afternoon, inside of a small home, a young girl was playing piano. Her fingers danced across the keyboard as easily as if a person was walking. The song ended on a sweet-sounding harmony.
"That was lovely, Willow," an adult said, applauding her performance.
"Um, thanks, mom," the girl replied quietly, putting away her music. "But that was just a practice. Nothing big."
"You're too modest," her mother retorted. "Wait, where are you going? Oh! Are you going to call any of your friends or schoolmates?
"No," Willow responded callously. "I'll just head up my room to read." Her heart sank every time her parents mentioned friends.
Willow's mom frowned. "Honey, aren't you going to do anything...exciting this summer? Summer is practically a window of opportunities! You could go to the park, or swim, or play with your friends. Lots of things with your friends!"
"Except I don't have any real friends," Willow said glumly. "My class is full of fire wielders. They think their fire abilities are so great, and I'm just a normal kid. How can I make friends when I'm just...me?"
"...You're more than just you! I just want you to do something this summer," she said. "In fact, I have just the thing for you."
She pulled out a flyer and handed it to Willow. Willow took the flyer and read it.
"Camp Hearth, the perfect summer camp for...fire wielders? Mom, this is for fire wielders!"
"That's not what it says. It's a place meant for the alliance of both groups."
"But this is obviously targeted for fire wielders! Why would I want to go to a place like this?!"
"It's not about that, Willow," her mom said. "It says there it's to showcase the burning passion of talent and magic!"
"Obviously directed towards showcasing fire magic. See, there's even an 'initiation of worthiness' before you're even considered a camper at Camp Hearth!"
"Which is exactly what you're going to be doing tomorrow!" Willow's mom exclaimed. "I've already signed you up, and since you're so exceptionally talented at music, that's what you're going to do for Camp Hearth's initiation!"
Willow nearly fell. "I'm...going to be initiated? People will be watching?" She couldn't believe her mom was making her do this.
"It'll be fine. Just...pretend I'm the only one there watching you. Pay no heed to the judges."
Willow merely sat on the floor and sighed.
❦ ❦ ❦
In the car, Willow hummed to herself a comforting song, "Summertime." Willow had secretly started to teach herself how to sing, but the only audience to hear her voice was herself. She dreaded heading to this summer camp. She couldn't believe that she had passed the initiation even though she showed no fire magic (she had just played the piano), and now she was going to be the most bullied camper at Camp Hearth.
The car pulled up to a small clearing in a cedar forest. Willow looked out the window. An arch with a sign read: "Welcome to Camp Hearth". In the distance, she saw several cabins and buildings surrounded by grass and picnic tables. Campers showed off their fiery powers.
Willow stepped out of the car. The trunk opened, and her mother took out several bags, which contained her clothes and a sleeping bag, and handed them to Willow.
"This is it. Have fun!" her mom exclaimed. The parents of the other campers glanced at them oddly.
"I...will."
Her mom started the engine. The car groaned and rumbled, then turned around and headed back down the road as Willow watched.
"Bye..."
❦ ❦ ❦
Willow walked into the campgrounds, hoping to avoid any of the campers. She heard the crackling of fire as someone threw flames over her head, laughter sounding after.
She walked up to a cabin door and opened it. Willow tossed her stuff at the nearest bunk bed and threw herself against the mattress, sighing.
"Can I join you?"
Willow looked up and saw a girl about her age walk into the cabin. She looked at Willow and smiled.
"Um, sure."
The girl tossed her stuff at the bunk next to Willow. "Are you a fire wielder?"
"Well...no."
The girl was silent for a moment, then shrugged and grinned. "Oh, ok. I'm Mana. What's your name?"
"Willow."
"Nice to meet you, Willow!"
"You, too," Willow replied, surprised by the girl's kindness.
"Come on," Mana said invitingly, "let's go to the welcoming barbecue!"
"Um, ok."
❦ ❦ ❦
The scent of barbecue wafted through camp. Willow and Mana ate on a nearby bench. Willow enjoyed her burger's succulent taste. She looked up and saw a large torch set up in the center of the campgrounds. It seemed to be set for a special occasion.
Willow was enjoying her food until a group of boys walked up to her.
"Yo, want to show us some fire tricks or something?" they taunted. Willow looked away shamefully. Mana put her burger down and glared at the boys.
"You guys stay away from her!"
The boys looked at each other and laughed. The tallest one snatched Willow's plate away from her. He put his hand over the plate and in a matter of seconds the flames disintegrated the dish into a pile of ashes. Willow's eyes became misty. Mana stood up and faced the boys.
"Leave her alone!"
"What, do you want hot sauce with your burger, too?" one of them sneered. His fists steamed with smoke.
Mana turned her palms up and fire rose from them. "Not unless you want some."
The boys glanced at each other. "Come on, let's get out of here." They chortled as they left. Willow wiped her face.
Mana turned to Willow. "Come on," she said sympathetically, "let's go get you another hot dog."
❦ ❦ ❦
Nightfall arrived. The campers gathered near the large platform where the torch was set up, watching a tall man step onto the platform.
"Welcome to Camp Hearth! I'm Matthew," the man said. "Tonight will be quite a special night. As you can see, we have a huge torch set up right in front of us."
He pointed to the black bowl-like structure.
"But, this torch isn't just any old torch. Only blue fire will light this torch. Once the torch has been lit, a surprise will begin! But no known fire wielder has been able to create blue fire...until tonight.
"Tonight, we will call each of you up to the platform and have you perform a feat similar to what you did during your initiation. You can only light the torch when the torch recognizes...a true fire, to say the least. So do your best when you are called up. Now, let us begin!"
And so the event began. Willow watched as one by one the campers were called to the platform. There were spectacular feats; one camper balanced a plate on his nose and lit it on fire while juggling flames; another created images of animals out of smoke. One even twirled a fiery ribbon around her as she danced. Willow felt her stomach twist into a knot. She wasn't a fire wielder; she could never perform such acts. Why was she even accepted here in the first place? The torch stayed unlit, not even acknowledging that all of this was happening.
The campers became impatient of the torch, perplexed that nothing was happening. As a fire wielder named Perry stepped down from the stage, Matthew quickly called the next camper. "Miss Willow, please come on up."
Willow's heart gave a sudden jolt. She was up already? The campers mumbled to each other curiously.
Willow stepped out of the crowd and out onto the platform. The crowd watched her with dubious eyes. "Is she a fire wielder?" she heard someone mumble. Matthew smiled at her.
"What are you going to do for us tonight, Miss Willow?"
Willow sweated. "Well, for my initiation I played piano."
The crowd jeered at her, some yelling, "You're just wasting our time!"
"Quiet!" Matthew shouted. The campers settled down reluctantly.
A staff member pushed a piano onto the platform. Matthew gestured Willow to the piano. "Well then, whenever you're ready, please begin."
Willow, trembling, sat in front of the piano. How did she ever get stuck in this mess? Playing piano in front of a couple hundred fire wielders? What a joke she would become! She felt her eyes become wet. Then
she heard something in her head.
"The point of Camp Hearth is to showcase the burning passion of talent and magic," she heard her mother say. "The alliance of both."
Willow, remembering this, felt better. She glanced into the crowd, and in the midst she saw Mana smiling at her. Willow, knowing what she was going to do, took a deep breath, and began to play.
The melody started low, then it took a slow, yet suspenseful ascend in A minor. Her mouth opened.
"Summertime," she started to sing, "and the livin' is easy..."
The campers at first were uninterested, but upon hearing her melodious voice, began to watch attentively in awe as the tune of "Summertime" swept over their ears. This person, one who couldn't make a single flame appear in her hands, they thought, played with such passion and beauty, and her voice was soothing and full of tone.
As she played, Willow felt warm with comfort and joy as the music was at her fingertips. She continued to sing "Summertime", singing the phrases as if they were her own. This, this was what she truly enjoyed doing, sharing her own music and passion with those around her, hoping they would feel the same joy inside.
Suddenly, the campers gasped as Willow began to glow and shimmer. Willow, too, noticed, but she couldn't stop. Instead, she felt warmer, and played and sang with even greater joy. A spark of light rose from Willow, and floated over to the torch. The spark shimmered, and a small blue flame ignited.
More sparks rose from Willow and came to join the first one. They all landed on the torch and rejoiced in blue flares. Soon, the torch was lit with waves of blue fire, and Willow sang, "Summertime....." The last notes of the song ended. Willow got up timidly.
The campers, silent for a few moments, erupted in cheers and joyous applause. Mana shouted, "You did it, Willow!"
Afterwards, there were questions thrown around all at once. "How did she do it? Why didn't it work with us? How can a non-fire wielder light the torch?"
Matthew joined Willow on the platform, applauding, then lifted his hand in silence. Then he spoke.
"Miss Willow here has showed us something we all have forgotten over these years. The torch recognized Willow's burning passion for music as its fuel. It is passion and motivation that sparks our fire. Only one who truly embraces their fire can spark a special kind of flame, the one you see burning in this torch right now. With that said..."
Suddenly, the sky erupted with colorful sparkles and stars. The fireworks burned and filled the night sky with brightness.
As Willow watched the fireworks, she felt blissful. For the first time, she felt accepted and appreciated. Maybe she would enjoy this summer camp. Willow felt herself glow warm with pride and touched where her heart was, feeling it burn with the fire inside of her.
Im sure it was great tho!!
