Aiden lives a dull existence. Skivvy for his dad, overshadowed by his brother, Nats is all he lives for. When Nats starts dating local bully Rainer, Aide's anger gets out of control, and he finds he is able to control fire, giving him the confidenc...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"This dangerous?" one whispered.
"What do you think?" another shot back.
"We get in trouble?" the third asked.
"Scared?" the last grinned.
Aiden looked down into the darkness of the nearby alley, and could make out the figures of four boys, older than him, huddled around several objects on the ground. Looking closely, Aide saw the objects clearly for the first time; four small barrels, coated in tar. It was an old tradition, banned in their town now, but still held in folklore and memory. The boys of the town would light the barrels, put them on their backs and run through the streets past onlookers before throwing them into the bonfire on the recreation ground. It was dangerous and foolhardy, but many of the young lads wanted to try it for the honour and prestige.
"Run fast, no one'll dare try to catch you with that on your back."
"We'll be for it if anyone sees it's us."
"Then don't get seen!"
Tiny five-year-old Aide turned his head away from the boys and looked back to the parade, just a short distance away. The crowds watched, entranced by the dancing girls with rings on their toes, the local schools and scouts with their home-made floats, and the Obby-Oss, a man in an evil-looking costume that could ensnare a young girl and make her his wife. Somewhere among the crowd was his mum, caring and cooing over his new baby brother, safely strapped to her front. Aide had asked her to move forward, so he could see his dad ride proudly through the town in the big red engine, but she had been nattering with Mrs Trevithick from the grocers. So he had squeezed his mittened hand from hers and made off towards the harbour wall to get a better view.
But now he was lost. Caught up in the crowd, he had lost sight of the wall and had emerged away from the parade. These were no streets he knew. They were dark and wet, away from the main harbour, its shops and throng of tourists.
Aide stared at the mysterious boys from afar, and could have slipped away unnoticed were it not for a Roman Candle suddenly erupting high above him at that very moment, casting the alleyway into light, illuminating the boys and their watcher. Aide covered his ears instinctively, now more frightened than ever. The boys turned briefly to see the firework and instead found tiny Aide silhouetted against the lights of the parade.
"Who's that?" yelled the biggest one.
"Ken Jones' boy!"
"He'll grass us up. His dad's in the fire brigade!"
Aide was rooted to the spot with fear. The boys, all older and bigger,whispered as they decided his fate. The biggest one looked his way and raised a lighter in the air. He lit it with a flick of his wrist and his face was illuminated immediately. It was a face Aide knew; Rainer Stone. His dad was a successful businessman around town and knew Aide's dad. Rainer was a spoilt rich boy, who had never heard the word 'no' from his parent's lips. He seemingly had free reign over the town, and was always causing trouble. He looked directly atAide, and took his barrel in one hand. He lit it with a flourish and smiled.
