I woke up from my bed. My body felt heavier than usual. I didn’t feel like getting up today. I just wanted to lie down on my bed and reflect on the events that happened these past couple of days. But that won’t be possible, not with those loud beating drums enticing me to take a peek at the outside world. And took a peek I did. I quickly dressed up, grabbed my camera and headed outside. Crowds of people were already gathered outside as I exited my quarters. Just like me, they were very eager to witness the sacrificial ritual that was going on at the volcano. The heat around me almost felt unbearable. It was already midday when I got up so the temperature was bound to rise. And the fact that the crowd have packed themselves tight like a can of sardines didn’t help either. I can’t blame them though. It’s an event that only occurred once in a decade, I’ll be also damned if I missed such a rare and important moment.
As the spire of the smoke that rose from the volcano became larger, the beating of the drums also became louder. The people have gotten more anxious by the second. Some have doubted the legitimacy of the ritual, but authorities nearby were quick to shut them down so they won’t cause any unnecessary panic. I for one remained silent as I watched how things would unfold. Will the ritual work? Or will the island be plunged into disaster? All that’s left now was to wait and see.
I could only imagine the things that were going on in Lei’s mind right now. Was she having doubts? Does she feel sad? Satisfied? Calm? Was everything I did for her enough? Was she thinking about…no, of course not. She had bigger things to worry about. I wondered what it’s like inside the volcano right now. Will the ‘deity’ of said island actually appear and take Lei back to his throne? No, that would be ridiculous. Even in this context, it would still be highly improbable. Although I can’t help but speculate. My mind tends to run wild when it came to things like these. But what got my attention the most right now was Lei. Even though it’s not my business to interfere, I just can’t resist the fact that I am worried about her. What a character, that girl was. Seven days were not enough. I just wished I could have gotten to know her better. Such an innocent girl, she didn’t deserve this fate that was forcefully laid upon her. If only everything were up to me, things would have been very different. But unfortunately, wishful thinking now was considered a hopeless endeavor. No use in thinking about ‘what ifs’ now. All one could do was just stand there and look upwards helplessly.
Then everything went silent.
The smoke from the volcano suddenly dispersed. The loud beating sounds that came from the drums ceased. The crowd became as quiet as the grave. For once, everything became peaceful. But it’s the uncomfortable kind of peaceful. My heart sank several levels deeper upon hearing the deafening silence. Is it over? Is she dead? What happens now? Those were the questions that echoed inside my head as each minute passed by. It appeared that I was not the only one who looked dumbfounded by what was going on after all. The crowd also shared my sentiment and did nothing but stare quietly at the volcano for an extended moment or two. I could only guess what kind of emotions were stewing inside the people’s minds right now. But I found it safe to assume that it could either be grief or confusion. Only then was there ever a hint of movement going on when one of the authorities came rushing in front of the crowd to announce something.
He was panting, a bright sheet of sweat coated his forehead, but he does look relieved and quite eager to spread his news.
“Congratulations, everyone! The ritual was a success!”
The crowd erupted into cheers after hearing the good news. The sea of doubt and tension that engulfed these people a while ago was no longer there. It was instead replaced with elation and joyous celebration. As if things couldn’t look much better for the island, the plants around town seemed more vibrant in color, flocks of birds flew right up the sky almost to the point of covering it, and the sea sparkled like a field of diamonds under the sun’s rays. Things were looking up for Heartfire Island, and it’s all thanks to the sacrifice of one girl. One girl, a very special one to make life on this little island all the bit sweeter.
As I continued to watch over the celebrating crowd, the more I realized that I was no longer needed here. I went back inside my quarters to pack the rest of my things and headed straight to the docks, where my ride home was waiting for me.