Part 15 of the "Legends of After-Earth

Quick reminder:
Everyone is confused or insane, a couple of utterly unimportant characters have died, being slaughtered or blown-up by an A-Bomb, some folks are still alive and doing weird things. Joey is speeding to an unknown destination …

Listen to my Sad Story, listen and have mercy with me … please. I was cruel, oh yes, I was, but I have been punished for this severely for a too long time now. I cannot even trust my memory any more, so much time has passed, so many people I saw  coming and dying … and coming …

I was born a daughter of a Black-Smith and a Voodoo-mistress. My family was poor and we often suffered from hunger during the long icy winters.

When I became older, I noticed that I got a lot of attention from all men in the village, young boys, fathers and grand-pa’s. The older I got, the more presents were brought to my house. Men were posting under my bedroom window, playing exotic instruments and singing with weird tongues. They even had (deadly) duels to win my attention …

My parents were happy with the presents but constantly warned me: “Daughter, wait till you will find the Real One. You are very, very beautiful but so young, enjoy the attention, be nice to these men but … listen to your heart”

I didn’t.

When I became 17 years old, all guest houses in the village were full of strangers, coming from all parts of the world.
I think that I never have felt happier than in that year. I got exquisite presents, perfumes, exotic clothes, gold and uranium, magic potions and touching things like the centuries-old family bible …

Ohh ..., I wish I could redo that wonderful year, having the experience I now have … I was such an innocent child, so pure and so ….greedy …

I don’t know why, but from one day to another I started insulting men coming to please me. Many of them left me, crying bitter tears. I heard later that a couple of them took their lives just outside the village boundaries.

… He was such a cute boy with burning, black eyes and poorly dressed. “Please, Princess, take this red rose as token of my eternal love for you … I started to blush because I liked him but without any reason I toke the rose, threw it aside and said with a disrespectful tone “Is that all you have for me, boy?” I remember that when saying this cruel thing, my spirit was floating high above me … witnessing my madness …

“Very well, Lady”, the boy said with a broken voice. “"People are right, you are the Hottest Woman that ever Lived on Earth.
You deserve to live the rest of your live as Hot Flame. You will live as long as men will live and you will die when the last man on this Earth will die.” He made a bow and silently left me.

I remember that I wanted to cry and to call him to make my apologizes but it already was too late. My body transformed into a burning torch, a hot flame devastating everything it encountered …

I live in caves right now, deep in the Evil Gardens of Jackson Neverland. Wherever I go, I start flaming forest fires … every time I meet a human being, by accident, people start to scream or even die instantly … I feel so lonely … so old … so ugly … so … terribly …  At night, when I lie down, trying to catch some sleep, I remember Him …. the Prince of my Dreams …. he was so Cool … so Incredibly Cool .. he even dared to kiss me in all my burning terror and .. he smiled … he smiled, that darling … and touched my glowing hair. I am crying right now but my tears are instantaneously turning into steam.

“Cool Joey … I dream about you … every night and day … where have you gone, darling  ? Come to me! I am loosing my burning mind!!!!!

Joey