Excerpt: Why They Burn

How could they ever be ready for this? How could they not do it?

The fire blazed high above them, almost touching the treetops, but nobody moved or got scared. Fear was the sign of abandonment, of weakness, of ridicule. It was terrifying how one color could fill the senses and leave no room for anything else. The women around the fire had chanted and prayed and hoped for the best.

Centuries later, a girl woke up from a vivid nightmare.

The women had all burned in the fire.