My hare-brained ideas are normally the result of some ill thought out notion that seems to make sense at the time. One or two have led me into some close situations, but, generally, I’d come out the other side okay.
My problem is I’m too impulsive, and so despite all my experience screaming at me to stop each time my brain box goes into overload, I’ll thrive on the spontaneity of it all.
Last Tuesday evening, I started to watch a show about circus performers. Although I’d seen them before, I’d become attracted to the fire jugglers. I legged it into the garden and located a couple of sawn off branches from a spot of DIY treework I’d done a couple of weeks ago. I wrapped a petrol-doused rag around one end of each branch, then applied a flame direct from a lighter.
This was meant to be a quick tester to see if I’d like to take this up as a hobby. The first couple of throws worked quite well. I gained a little confidence and threw the makeshift batons a little higher in the clear, dark autumn night.
I started to add cheers and whoops as I threw higher.
‘I’m quite good at this,’ I thought as one of the fiery sticks came crashing down on to my face, singeing the skin on my cheek. I howled as the other branch whistled down and smacked me on the top of my head.
Expletives filled the night air as I stamped on the patio. I turned the garden tap on and sighed as a jet of water from the hose soothed my face before I drowned out the fire sticks.
I stepped back into the house rubbing my face and cursing my impetuousness. Before I looked into the mirror to see if a trip to the hospital would be needed, I saw a tightrope walker and said to myself, ‘Now, that looks interesting!’
About
This flash fiction idea came to me when I was watching a show about circuses one evening. I’m quite a cautious person by nature, but fiction gives us a way to shake of those shackles and explore different versions of ourselves. This story is one such attempt at that as it reminds me to be spontaneous from time to time – but not to play with fire!
I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you have any comments, it’d be great to know what you think.
Have a great weekend, Everybody 😊