Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-33904527-20190324160434

“You aren’t actually going to do it, right?”

Ralph sighed and stared off into the horizon. The sun was setting peacefully along the edge of the fields, casting great orange waves across the sky.

“I don’t know…maybe.”

Emma furrowed her brow and placed her hand on Ralph’s shoulder.

“Ralph, look at me. This is dumb. It could get us in a lot of trouble. Just say no. We can leave. I’ll put on some pizza when we get back.”

“But Derek said-”

“I don’t care what Derek said! If he’s gonna be a jerk and not give us a ride home, we’ll walk. I’d rather freeze to death out here then spend another minute sitting in his musty convertible.”

“Shush! He’ll hear you!”

Peeking over at Derek, Ralph squinted at the log fire burning in the distance. Derek was sat quietly beside it on the dirt, staring at the phone in his hand. His spiked hair stood firmly upright, while Emma’s long locks flickered wildly in the breeze. The night was raw and icy, with an eye-watering wind that seemed to whistle along the grass for miles. A small sign jutting up from the dirt was labelled ‘Kelser Moor’ in worn lettering.

“My dad would fucking disown me if he found out about this.” Emma reasoned, looking deep into Ralph’s eyes. She shivered slightly. The biting cold was intensifying as the minutes passed by.

Ralph opened his mouth to say something.

“Hey, lovebirds! ” Derek suddenly interrupted. “You coming back over, or am I just gonna be waiting here like a third wheel the rest of the night?”

Shuffling away from the tree, Ralph walked awkwardly over to the fire, sticking his hands out into its warmth.

“So, Ralph…” Derek continued, taking a sip from a beer can. “You finally manned up, or are you gonna pussy out again like you did at the theme park?”

Ralph scowled. “Man, fuck you, Derek. You knew I didn’t want to ride the Spiral of Doom. Why don’t you do this, anyway? If you’re such a tough guy.”

Derek snorted, a wide grin plastered on his face. His defined jaw stuck out in the growing moonlight as he leaned back onto his elbows.

“Oh, I have. In some other places, of course. Quite a few times, actually. Even make it on the news every now and again. I came here just a few days ago, scoping the place out. No traffic, no signs of civilisation for miles. Been that way for as long as I remember, since when I used come here as a kid.”

With a loud burp, Derek noticeably stared at Emma’s cleavage as he lit up a cigarette. Emma recoiled in disgust, and Derek let out a smug chuckle at her reaction.

“Look, if you wanna keep hanging out with me Ralph, you gotta do it. It’s like an…initiation…thing. Or I’ll just hop on out of here and leave you and the lady stranded out here in the desolate countryside, all alone and hopeless.”

“It’s Emma, you stuck-up asswipe. We don’t need your reckless idea of fun. We’re leaving, whether you’re giving us a ride or not.” Emma shouted, her teeth gritted as she spoke.

“Hold on, babe, I just need to pee. Then we’ll go. I promise.” Ralph added.

He quickly slipped away, the roar of the fire fading into silence. Approaching the cluster of tall oak trees up ahead, Ralph fished around in his jean pocket, making sure he wasn’t visible from the campfire. Eventually, he pulled out a lighter. A small flame popped into existence at the flick of his thumb, dancing in the air. Hesitating, Ralph gazed aimlessly across the tree trunks. Their surfaces were oddly smooth, with little ridges or holes. There was no wildlife to be seen, either. Not a nest in the branches nor a fox in the bushes. Just silence.

With a sigh, Ralph reached into his other pocket, producing a can of lighter fluid. Unscrewing the lid, he doused the base of the tree with the oily substance, stepping backwards until he was about 20 feet away.

Emma’s piercing eyes were stained in Ralph’s mind as he contemplated his decision. Maybe now he could finally put an end to Derek’s insane challenges and keep his dignity. Besides, it was only a few trees out in the middle of nowhere. How bad could it get?

Tossing the lighter at the tree, Ralph shielded his eyes as a huge fireball rose up from the grass, engulfing the air in a cloud of orange and yellow. The grass was singed an inky black, the leaves of the trees withering in the extreme heat.

“What the fuck, Ralph? Have you lost your fucking mind? I thought we were leaving!” Emma yelled, running over to the scene.

Ralph looked past his girlfriend’s aggravated frown to Derek. A pleased expression hung annoyingly on Derek’s bearded face, the fire reflected in his bluish eyes.

“Well, Ralph, I didn’t know you had it in you! Good job, my man! We’ll leave soon, I just want to stay and watch the fireworks for a min-”

An unearthly scream shot through the group’s ears, almost deafening them. Ralph clasped his hands over his head instinctively, dropping to his knees in shock. It lasted for only a few seconds, practically shaking the ground itself and almost toppling Emma completely.

Another ear-piercing cry echoed across the fields. Ralph stared at the trees in horror, the heat of the inferno radiating against his skin. Of the trees, there was no ash, no peeling bark, no collapsing branches. The roar of the fire was non-existent, and in its place, a wetter, dripping sound. A pool of sickly brown and green was gathering at the base of the trees, inching closer to Ralph’s rugged boots. The trees were not burning, not sagging and falling like a piece of wood.

The trees were melting. 