Ball of Flame

It was night, and Sandy found himself walking alone in the dark road. It was just one of the many quirks he has with his job; the excessive overtime his supervisor requires of him. If the pay wasn't so dammed good, he would had resigned months ago.

Nearing the park entrance, he normally would had gone on without a second glance. The park was always deserted at this late hour, and there wasn't anything that would attract his attention.

Save that night.

Sandy thought at first that it was a trick of light, but when he turned his head towards the park's direction, he saw a small ball of flame, or what looked like a small ball of flame. It was swaying left and right on the bushes, about 30 meters from where he stood.

It kept swaying flirtatiously, as if beckoning Sandy to approach. He stood there, mesmerized and scanning his brain for a reasonable explanation for it. He was spooked out of his wits when he heard a wail reasonate from the flame.

"Help me....." the pained voice cried out.

He stared apprehendingly at the talking ball of flame. This was really starting to get strange. Making up his mind, he mustered his courage and decided to investigate the strange flame.

Sandy walked cautiously inside the park, following the beat up trail made from gravel and small pebbles. His eyes kept darting right and left as shadows danced around him. He offered a silent prayer of thanks that his wallet contained no large amount of money, that in case someone mugged him inside the park, there wouldn't be any considerable loss.

When he finally made it to the place where the flame was, it was no longer there. But strangely, a foul smell he found strangely familiar filled his nostrils. He almost gagged at the smell of it.

"This is creepy." he muttured to himself, covering his nose with his sleeves. He looked around the bushes and finding nothing out of the ordinary, he quickly went back to the gate. Taking a huge breath of clean air, he was about to leave when he heard the pained voice again.

"Anyone out there..... Help me...."

Sandy hesitated, from the distance, he could see the ball of flame was waving itself at him again. He thought of leaving, being spooked enough as it was. But the image of someone in dire need outweighed his cowardice. Soon enough, he was back inside the park.

But as before, Sandy found nothing. If only, the foul smell only got stronger. Disgusted, he again left quickly and was halfway between the park gate and the site when he heard the voice again.

"Please.... Can anyone hear me?"

"Where are you?" he shouted back. Sandy's pulse was racing, maybe he should just call the police.

To his surprise, the voice wailed back. "I'm over here..." The flame was dancing up a storm, it kept going in wild circles that Sandy thought the bushes might burst into flames any second.

Excited and nervous at the same time, he ran to the bushes where the flame was. This time though, it didn't disappear. It looked like it was coming from behind the tall bushes he saw earlier. Bracing himself, he pushed the leaves out of the way.

Behind the bushes, there was a small clearing where an old man crouched, a lamp in his hand, the source of the strange flame Sandy kept seeing. The old man gazed up and saw him, Sandy noted his face was scrunched up in pain.

"Help me..." the old man croaked.

"What can I do?" Sandy stammered. The foul smell nearly overwhelming him.

The old man gestured to his butt, and the waste on the ground where the smell was coming from. "Got some tissue sonny?"