A missing friend

The mist lay like a thick blanket over the trees that surrounded him. The sky was dark, purple and a heavy yellow moon hung high above. At first everything was quiet, but gradually the wind began picking up speed until it howled and the light drizzle turned into rain that whipped and whipped against his skin. Lightning struck, many bolts, coming closer. He was getting very cold, shivering.

A deafening sound, a blinding light and all around him the trees exploded into fire. "WHERE AM I?" he screamed, terrified. Lightning struck again and again. Eventually it formed a standing wall of vertical bolts, shaped like a circle, in which he was trapped. The electric and fiery light shone like flickering floodlights.

In this beyond surreal world he sat down on his knees, whimpering. From outside the wall of flames and bolts a hand reached out to him, as if it wanted him to grab it. He hesitated, and then went for it. He grabbed and pulled. The body to which the hand was attached flew towards him, midair the head looked up. It was badly scorched. No hair, the skin cracked and dry. He sat huddled in the middle of this electric inferno, screaming in horror, looking at the body of his long-gone friend.