she expected
f  i  r  e  w  o  r  k  s
when she first kissed him.
little did she know that she was going to become the fireworks.

she was an easy target, and he had good aim.
as soon as she f
                         e
                           l
                             l  
into his grasp, he was quick to send her back from where she came.

crowds gathered.
fathers' hands silenced their children's mouths as his loaded her into the mortar.
mothers' hands covered their children's ears as his lit the fuse.

she was shot forward by a merciless puff of dragon's breath,
and as she looked over her shoulder,
she saw the ash leaking from his nostrils.

stars beckoned to her.
glimmering, shimmering, shining stars extended their fiery hands to her already outstretched ones.
she rose higher and higher,
filling her lungs with the last bit of oxygen that was left,
and screamed.

he screamed.
her flaming body parts rained down in the form of asteroids, striking him.
stars spelled out her name and pulsed weakly like his dying heartbeat.
they both went from "are" to "were" in a matter of seconds, and everyone knew that their chemical reaction was triggered by fireworks.