“Red on White”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: Flag.

The fabric billowed in the wind, white and red bright against the dark grey sky. It sat at an angle, the soot from the ground almost tainting its tip.

It had been through much in the past few hours.

First, it had been in the middle of a busy building. Heavy, metal footsteps clanged around it, echoing against the stone floor. Rough hands smoothed it down as sparks flew nearby. Newly sharpened metal sat beside it, shining proudly, ready for action.

Then, it was covered in a thick sheet of metal, chains clinking together as it sat overtop. Another layer of metal, and pitch darkness.

It moved, feeling the heat rise. Stopping, silence, then an earsplitting roar. It was bashed, battered, ripped. Multiple times, it was pierced, and a warm liquid stained it.

The metal was removed. It could see again. Faces, everywhere. Those metal sticks, covered in red, were scattered across the ground.

It crashed to the floor and faces appeared above. Those same rough hands grabbed it, tore it, tied it to a stick. It rose above the smoke, waving to everyone in sight.

More screams. More red.

It was stuck into the black soil. There it stayed, waving, as the rest of the world ceased its movement.

Final Comments: I’m not sure I communicated my idea super clearly. I think that this is one I’d like to come back to and fix it up.

Overall Rating: 😶