#AtoZchallenge: Fuego or Fire

Fuego (Spanish) or Fire (English)

Out walking, I noticed a crowd shoving what appeared to be a tall, thin man.

Before I could say Rumpelstiltskin, they knocked him to the ground and swarmed around his now lifeless body.

Their screaming laughter split the cool night air as fireworks burst overhead.

Several people moved forward and began kicking the still figure.

A single name rang out over and over in a raucous chant, but I couldn't make it out.

I tried to push my way through, nervous but wanting to help, and was forced backward by an unexpected explosion of flames.

As my eyes adjusted, I realized many in the group were children and they were laughing and jumping around as they shouted with joy.

A burst of gunfire erupted; no, not gunfire, firecrackers, as the figure on the grounds slowly turned to ashes.

This was my introduction to New Year's Eve in Ecuador where puppets are purchased, named, then beaten and set on fire, fueled by newspaper or sawdust stuffing.

All this to send away the troubles of the past year and bring in a good new year, especially for the "named" effigy; never use the name of an enemy or you are wishing them good luck in the future.

My theme is 10x10.
A maximum of ten sentences, a minimum of 100 words.