Thursday, 19 March 2009

365 Ficlets - Day #314 ~ "New Frontiers"

“Put out your hand!”

The brand was glowing white hot; I didn’t need to put out my hand to feel the heat coming from it. I reached down within myself, searching for the resolve to endure, and endure without showing weakness. Slowly I pushed my hand forward and uncurled my fingers, willing myself to accept the pain that was shortly to follow.

I finished preparing myself for the moment when thought and reality would collide and I would find out the hard way whether or not I was right to be fascinated by the idea of marking my body with super heated metal, then nodded to him that I was ready.

There are no adequate words for the pain of a white hot brand searing its way into the palm of your hand. In the moment it happened I can actually say that I felt no pain, but the brand has to be held in place for a little more than 5 seconds in order to achieve a clean scar from the relief on the tip. I have never experienced such a long five seconds; the last four were so painful. Still it did not disappoint as an experience.

No comments: