“We all know he’s going to set himself on fire one day.”
“At least, he’s ambitious.”
Leroy had a dangerous fascination with land life, specifically fire.
We tried to warn him that it wasn’t safe, but he took to the surface nightly and made his way onto the pier.
He found items the humans left behind such as tour flyers, food containers, and plastic bags. He hoarded them away, buried in the sand near the rocks below the dock, except for the silly little top hat he insisted on wearing.
Leroy continued to scour for the one last thing he needed to perform his amazing feat. Finally, one evening he found a matchbook. He called us all to the surface to witness his debut.
The Fantastic Leroy Sea Keeper of the Flame was about to create fire like no other sea creature had done before him.
He piled high all the flammable objects he had collected into a large mountain. Then with everyone watching, he struck a match.
We were in awe of the spark. He tossed it onto the pile, and it began to burn. Leroy was so excited and overwhelmed; the flames we saw reflecting in his large eyes mesmerized him. He didn’t seem to notice the fire slowly crawling toward him or hear our shouts of concern.
When the fire reached his outstretched tentacle, he jumped high into the air causing his top hat to tumble into the inferno.
He clambered toward the ocean with one fiery tentacle torch to light the way.
The water doused his singed pride and he sunk into the deep blue.
The next evening we returned. Sadly, The Fantastic Leroy Sea Keeper of the Flame sacrificed his favorite spot to the out-of-control pyre.
Leroy never ventured to the surface again.
– Written for Cracked Flash: Year 1, Week 36, though I missed the deadline. First sentence prompt was “We all know he’s going to set himself on fire one day,” and Photo Prompt combo. WC 300
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