diff --git a/flame.lua b/flame.lua
index fc05a29..dfb3bc2 100644
--- a/flame.lua
+++ b/flame.lua
@@ -156,12 +156,12 @@ function periodic()
 		--print(i, pos_r[i])
 	end
 
-	-- make colors more exciting
+	-- make colors more exciting + remove the first (flickering) mass
 	for i = 1,num_modules do
-		red[i]   = limit(OVERDRIVE * math.pow(r_tmp[i], EXPONENT))
-		green[i] = limit(OVERDRIVE * math.pow(g_tmp[i], EXPONENT))
-		blue[i]  = limit(OVERDRIVE * math.pow(b_tmp[i], EXPONENT))
-		white[i]  = limit(OVERDRIVE * math.pow(w_tmp[i], W_EXPONENT))
+		red[i]   = limit(OVERDRIVE * r_tmp[i+1]^EXPONENT)
+		green[i] = limit(OVERDRIVE * g_tmp[i+1]^EXPONENT)
+		blue[i]  = limit(OVERDRIVE * b_tmp[i+1]^EXPONENT)
+		white[i]  = limit(OVERDRIVE * w_tmp[i+1]^W_EXPONENT)
 	end
 
 	-- return the 4 color arrays
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ function init(nmod, cmod)
 	num_modules = nmod
 	center_module = nmod --cmod
 
-	num_masses = nmod --math.floor(nmod/2)
+	num_masses = nmod+1 --math.floor(nmod/2)
 	excitement_pos = 1
 
 	for i = 1,nmod do