Inferno.

Ring around the rosy…

Dressed in black, Jude stands with the others in the crowd, head down, eyes closed and back stiff. He’s glad that it’s not an open casket. He isn’t sure if he would have been able to handle it. Because another one is dead. Another loved one is dead just like the rest—

(brotherfathermothersisterfriend)—

Dead.

And he knew that it would happen, he knew when it would happen. He had been warned, he had been warned—

And he did nothing.

And all their deaths are his fault. But he thought (and he hoped, Jude had hoped) that he had more time to prevent it. She told him he had seven days. Seven days until the world would burn. But it is the fifth day and another (Fiona, who loved life and was life and air and beauty all in one—) is dead.

It is his fault.

.

.

.

.

A pocket full of posies…

He walks home from the bar the same day of the funeral when he hears it—the sound of wind chimes and tinkling bells that’s her laughter.

It’s her.

The source of all his pain, the cause of all of…all of this.

“Ju-ude,” she sings his name and he turns around to face her. Her red eyes gleam with mischief, her dark hair is all around her face and she is also dressed in something lacy and black and everything about her is dark dark dark (and dangerous, so so dangerous). She looks like Death incarnate and on another day he would be scared but today he’s too numb from the cold too drunk to be scared (and maybe because he’s already used to her too).

“Jude she’s dead. She’s dead you know and it’s your fault. What happened to you saving the world?” she mocks him and he tries to ignore her (but she has a way of getting into his head so it’s hard). “What will you do? What will you do when it starts and all the innocent mothers and sisters and children are dying? What will you do when they burn, Jude? Are you going to watch or help them? Jude—”

“ENOUGH! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! SHUT UP NYX! SHUT UP!” he screams because he’s had enough of her and he’s only one person and he can’t save them all.

Nyx grins. “The world will burn Jude and there’s nothing you can do,” she says and then she’s gone.

.

.

.

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Ashes, ashes we all fall down…

People are screaming and bleeding and the world is on fire. Orange flames lick the sky, trying to reach into the Heavens (but that’s not possible because Hell and Heaven they do not mix. They will never mix).

Jude watches from the roof of one of the buildings, horrified and helpless and tries to ignore the screams coming from below (the screams of the children but he can’t ignore it, he can’t).

“You said seven days,” he says to his dark haired companion. “You said seven days.”

She smirks. “I did, didn’t I?” she says. “But you know, the world was built in six days. So on the sixth day it will be destroyed.” He stares at her and he’s terrified. He’s terrified.

“But don’t worry, the new world that will be created after—it will be better than this one. The new world will be better,” she assures him. Down below there are more terrified shrieks and cries of pain. People run around in panic and the whole thing is just catastrophic. Nyx smiles, breathing in the panic and fear.

“Listen,” she says, “Listen to it. Chaos has such a pretty sound, don’t you think?”

Jude looks down below, unable to tear away his gaze because—

the world is burning and he can only watch.

Nyx spreads her wings, big and black and it covers the burning world.

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a/n: So, um, feedback? I hear they're nice. Also, repetition is done purposely. It's kind of my thing.

Ring around the rosy has always been a creepy song. You are not helping it any. lol

But seriously, I liked it. The repetition may be your thing and far be it from me to tell someone to write outside of their comfort level, but I found it a little distracting. Especially the parentheses. I have said the same thing on a previous piece I read about parentheses and how they seem to be after-thoughts added by the author that sort of takes the reader out of that special moment of losing themselves in the words. The repetition I actually found less distracting especially as it was sparse.

I also love your choice of name for Jude. Starting the story with a funeral really cements his past failure in protecting those he loved. Even though I can understand why you might skip over these five deaths I do find myself wishing you had gone a bit more in depth and fleshed out. It might just be me but the fact that you once referred to Nyx as Jude's companion sticks out like a sore thumb as to say that there is more the reader should know.

You did a good job of separating the story according to the verses of the song. I have been left wondering however at the significance of Fiona and why Nyx's laughter would be represented by wind chimes. I have always thought of wind chimes as making a pleasant sound (though authors such as Stephen King have been successful at making them rather creepy and even ominous) and you described Fiona as life, love, and air so I immediately associated the following wind chime analogy to her.

Keep it up. :) I look forward to more of your work.

-Mins