Gemstones | Winners ✮ Anthology

'Up in flames' by @XxBlack__rosexX

Winning entry of "Rewind to Write" Prompt 5: Written by XxBlack__rosexX

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At the dawn of this accursed day, screams and commotion clashed, chaos reigned, and devastation prevailed. Amidst the terror and panic, he stood in front of her, his heart almost unable to comprehend that she was finally present in his sight, yielding to his strength and dominion.

Frollo was torn between the conflicting emotions of victory and anger. Was he finally winning? It certainly seemed so, with her trapped in his cage and at his mercy. But after a long and arduous journey, he wanted to inflict the most excruciating pain upon her, as retribution for all the times she had challenged his authority and disrespected him. She had dared to be free while he lived, while God watched over her.

Despite her lack of options, she stood firm and resolute, her thoughts racing even as she remained silent. He was aware of the curses she was likely hurling at him in her rebellious mind, but he chose to say nothing - after all, he was the victor today, so was God.

The crowd was getting louder, their fear and anger got mixed with the scent of their dear Paris burning down. But what can he say, Esmeralda was to blame. In Frollo's world, everyone is to blame, but himself.

All he did was devour her with his evil eyes, while she struggled once again to free herself. However, her restraints were strong and firmly tied on a pyre, preventing her from escaping his burning gaze. His eyes fixated on her curves, the very curves that had tormented him for years, the ones that posed a threat to his place in heaven and opened the gates of hell for him. She had brought this upon herself, and now she would finally pay for it, that's how he thought.

He stepped in too close, pressing his face against her curly hair. He could feel the heat radiating from her anxious and angry body, catching a whiff of her sweat mingling with the exotic scent of her perfume, wafting from the curve of her sculpted neck. The fire that was ravaging his city couldn't compare to the flames that were consuming his body and soul as he made contact with her.

"You're on the edge of the abyss, gypsy," he hissed into her ear. "Yet even now, it's not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world and the next. Choose me, be mine or, the fire's." He pressed his body against hers, relishing in the power he held over her, and ignoring the furious crowd around them.

He took a step back, his own cold blue eyes meeting hers that were hungry for the freedom he had snatched away from her. As he saw his reflection in her eyes, he realized that he was just seconds away from achieving one of his two dreams: either to win her over or to destroy her.

" Me or hellfire... " he repeated between his teeth..

Without a second thought, Esmeralda forcefully spat on Frollo's face, causing him to recoil in disgust as he quickly wiped away the saliva. The suddenness of her action caught him off guard and left him feeling taken aback.

The shock of the moment left him momentarily stunned, unsure of how to react to the sudden shift in power. It was like a slap. A slap that brought him memories he fought to bury... That he fought to burn.

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As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, the birds roused from their slumber, their songs still quiet and subdued. Meanwhile, the frigid wind penetrated even the warmest of homes, causing sleepers to snuggle closer to their loved ones in search of comfort and warmth, so did Claude, as he held his one- year- old little brother, Jehan, tighter.