Purifying Flames

**Purifying Flames** is the name of Pi’Lani Ozaki's execution, as featured in Cornucopia of Hope.

## Sequence

*Excerpt taken from Chapter 22 of Cornucopia of Hope*

A metal claw reaches out and grabs Lani by the throat. We make eye contact as he’s dragged away. It’s a look I vow to never forget.

The image on the TV changes. I don’t want to look, but something in my forced my eyes to that screen. I owe him this. Observation of his death. His last moment. My vision is blurred by tears, but I’ll do my best.

Purifying Flames

First, I see what seems to be a wide shot of a black swamp. The light is dim, but bright enough that I can make out Lani in the dead center of this swamp, up to his waist in sludge. The camera slowly zooms in on him, to the point that I can see the terror and disgust in his eyes.

He lifts his arms, looking at what this sludge is, and looks absolutely revolted.

But, unlike Masanori’s execution, the danger is not yet obvious.

He starts trying to move around in the swamp, but his motion is clearly impeded by the thick slime permeating the area. He’s squinting in the darkness, shivering, with the muck now on his arms and face as he tries to make any progress.

Floodlights come on, almost like searchlights, and begin poring over the area. At least they’re providing some illumination for poor Lani. Lani perks up at the light, and seems to set sight on a goal to work towards. Escape is too much to hope for...and yet…

One of the lights edges toward Lani, but as soon as the light touches his arm, he stumbles back away from it with a yell. The side of his arm that it had touched was boiling as if burned, smoking slightly as he dives further into the swamp.

The lights are searching for him now, that much is clear.

Each time one touches him, I see the smoke from the burn it creates on his body.

But Lani is a strong swimmer, even in sludge. He slaps his goggles on his face and drops into a strong crawl stroke, surging deeper into the muck.

The lights, which had previously been set to wandering over the swamp trying to find him, move with more purpose now.

But so does he.

The parts of him that are covered in the horrible slime can’t be burned. Hope rises in my chest, and I hold my breath as I watch him. If he gets covered completely, then perhaps--

The lights converge over him, but he keeps swimming.

Even the strongest swimmer isn’t used to swimming in a nightmare, however. The viscous fluid is too thick. He’s tiring too fast.

Lani tries to rest, to wade in the muck for a moment, but there’s no bottom to it now. It’s a sucking, pulling slime trying to pull him into its depths at the same time as the burning fiery lights seek him out.

Panting, he tries to continue.

He tries.

But he’s so tired, and the lights are so persistent, even beginning to burn off the sludge that has clung to him in his mad dash for survival.

He begins to sink.

The lights that we believed would be his death reflect in his horrified eyes as the polluted muck swallows him up. His mouth opens to scream, but it is filled with black. As he sinks, finally, underneath the tar, he closes his eyes.

Perhaps he is at peace.

Perhaps he is simply gone.

Either way…

Pi’Lani Ozaki, the Super High School Level Solar Technician, is dead.