Writings and Stories

[Gentian]

Fire
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Sea breeze whipped over the island, tree leaves flowing along with it, rustling and snapping. Stars twinkled in the sky above, their ancient light having traveled across countless light years to reach us on this particular night.

A small fire crackled dimly, embers faintly glowing and twigs slowly transforming into ashes that would soon be lost to the wind.

It wasn't really all that cold. Or maybe I just didn't feel it. Thoughtfully I ran my fingers through Nightmare's mane. She had draped herself across my lap, forelegs neatly crossed. In the fading light her blue eyes shone, many would find it jarring to see, how they pierce directly to your core without hesitation. Her tail flicked once.

"The fire will be out soon."

A statement vaguely disguised as a question, wind again. Brushing a few strands of loose purple hair from her lovely face I finally opted to respond. I made an effort to choose my words in a direct fashion. Sometimes I felt as though our words were some kind of invisible dance with each other and only we could comprehend their meaning. The meaning that lived between the letters of the words themselves, so neatly concealed it hid from the eyes of all others.

"You don't need to relight it Nightmare," I answered clearly, my arms pulling her dark form closer to my chest and I found she was pleasantly warm to the touch. My chin resting on her silky hair. Our shadows abstract distortions splashed along the soft earth and hard old tree trunks that dotted the land. Briefly, my eyes flitted upwards to the sky. There was no moon out tonight, only stars. I wondered if any of those stars were long gone now, yet even after their deaths their light traveled on without a worry in the universe. If they had consciousness did it know where it was supposed to go? Did it care? Would it?

So few saw light. Even fewer today did. The mechanical lights of cities blotted out the natural and seemingly nigh eternal of stars that sent us their glow. Perhaps they lost something in themselves they knew not they had because of it.

Once more my eyes returned to ground level, not at the feeble fire, but at the beautiful mare who now looked at me also. Nightmare gave a soft smile at me, a hoof stroking my arm, sending tingles along the length of it that made me exhale in contentment.

The last few tongues of orange flame flickered in desperation. A final, judging gust snuffed it all out. Darkness bathed us in its endless embrace, rewarded for its patience, her glowing sapphire eyes peering at me unblinkingly. I did not look away.

Nightmare was my dark and my light. All I needed.

You did not disappoint.