Dorothy and James were invited to a special New Year’s Eve party on the outskirts of London. It was a celebration of James’ place of employment. So they sent the kids off with the grandparents to make it an overnight affair, determined to enjoy the night alone together before heading back in the morning.
It was a special affair; everyone was dressed up. Dorothy went all out, proud of her husband and the work he put in and the money he brought home. He was rather impressed with the outfit she wore.
The party was in full swing when they finally arrived at the large building on the hill. There was food, plenty of champagne and lots of dancing. It was a festive occasion.
Dorothy and James got more than their fair share of looks from the other guests. She thought it odd, but said nothing. After all, she didn’t want to spoil this for him. Besides, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
The champagne flowed as Dorothy became a little intoxicated. But she did not fail to notice the attention her husband was receiving with the ladies, including one in particular. She had no idea he was so popular. It made her jealous, but the constant flow of adult beverages helped ease her mood.
At a quarter to midnight there was a drawing for the ladies. Dorothy dutifully put her hand into the jar and pulled out a number. After all the ladies had drawn, the chief executive reached into a bowl marked “Midnight.”
He pulled out a slip of paper with a number on it and opened it up. “Our lucky lady tonight is holding the number 29!” Dorothy let out a squeal as she lifted the paper in her hand. She waved it around in the air, shouting “I won; I won!”
There was applause all around as a couple of men came and got her. She thought they were taking her up to the podium. But instead she was taken outside where the temperature was barely above freezing.
Out back, a small wooden platform stood elevated, a mixture of wood piled all around it. “Hey, wait; what’s this??” she asked as she was taken to a post standing alone on top of the wood. “James, what are they doing to me? Bloody hell; you can’t do this to me!”
They stripped her out of her wardrobe until she was naked as the day she was born. They carelessly tossed it onto the wood before they secured her to the post. “What are you doing to my clothes?? Bloody hell; it’s cold out here! What are you doing to me??”
“It’ll be warm soon enough!” one of the ladies hollered up to her, causing laughter to pass through the guests who had come out to watch. Others were inside looking out a large window.
Dorothy was clamped against the post with big metal shackles. A chain was wrapped around her for good measure. Then the men climbed down, leaving her alone on her perch.
To her horror she saw several men with torches approach the bottom of the structure she was standing on. Then everyone started singing Auld Lang Syne. Dorothy shivered as she watched everyone, her face flushed red with embarrassment being secured nude to the post.
They finished the song, which was followed by applause and cheers. At that moment the first chime from Big Ben drifted out to them over the countryside. They all cheered, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Then the torches were tossed into the wood.
Dorothy started to scream in horror, hyperventilating as the wood caught despite the cold of the evening. She soon began to warm up as the flames came up all around her. She began crying out for her husband to rescue her. But she saw James in the arms of another woman, both smiling at her as though this had been intended the whole evening.
Bloody hell?? Had he already found someone new to marry??
It soon got quite warm as the flames leaped higher. Dorothy was no longer shivering. She was starting to sweat as the fire swelled all around her.
She writhed and wriggled, screaming her head off. It was so hot and everyone was watching her without a care in the world. Some had moved closer and were warming themselves at the base of the fire. This couldn’t be happening, she had to be dreaming!!
The flames began to come up all around her, licking and caressing her body. She tried dancing around to avoid the flames. But she remained bound to the post, unable to flee. By now it would have done her no good as fire was all around her and there was no escape.
The flames began to burn her and she screamed anew. But the revelers all cheered her progress as they raised a toast to her… “HAPPY NEW YEAR, DOROTHY!” She saw James raise a glass in a toast, a coy smile on his lips. Then she couldn’t see them anymore as the flames totally engulfed her.
For a moment she was on fire, the flames merging with her body as one. She wriggled and writhed until she breathed heated air into her lungs. She was dimly aware of her blonde hair going up, hair she had worked on meticulously to make a good appearance for her husband’s New Year’s Eve party. Then she slumped as the fire roared all around her.
The woman in James’ arm smiled coyly at him. “Seems a shame we didn’t tell her the lottery was rigged. I’m looking forward to becoming the new Mrs. Brown.”
“I’m looking forward to it as well, my darling.” Then he kissed her deeply as the people standing around them clapped and applauded.
One more toast to Dorothy was raised as they burned in the New Year. Then some couples started dancing on the landing, the fire keeping them warm. Others headed back inside to continue the party now that the New Year’s Eve sacrifice had been made…
© 2016 (Written for Dorothy Dec 8 ’16 by riwa)