Fire
859 Words
The sun danced along the wind thrown leaves casting playful shadows along the winding dirt path. Every leaf was a different colour as autumn had begun its chilly descent. A gentle breeze played through the leaves sending beautiful reds, oranges and yellows swirling through the air, finally allowing them to settle after such a dizzying dance. The pathway was rough but free of large stones or roots, almost warning any one curious enough to go for a stroll to be mindful of their surroundings. The pathway twisted and turned as it seemed to stretch onwards into the forest.
I walked along that twisting pathway through the trees humming softly to myself. I tilted my face towards the sky and embraced the warmth of the sun on my skin as I passed from patches of shade into beams of light peeking through the branches. I reached both my hands out and caressed the trees closest to me, not for fear of losing my balance and falling, but as comfort and connection to the beauty that surrounded me. I walked along the path through the forest, through the changing colours and breathed in the scents of nature. The earthy soil underfoot as fallen logs began to return to the world from whence they came, a musty string of decomposing leaves fallen over the years. I felt the need to smile, everything was unbelievably serene.
I had not realized I was no longer walking as I once again reached out to feel the texture of the autumn leaves which flowed around me like water. As I gently brushed my fingertips across the reds, oranges and yellows a dull ache began to creep up my hand and flow upwards along my arm. My brow knit in confusion as I could not understand what was happening. I stepped back from the tree and turned slightly to find a different array of colours. One tree produced unfathomable leaves that seemed to be dancing and swaying in the wind. They flickered and flowed as if they were a living creature. I reached for the entity in front of me just as shearing pain shot up through my feet. I screamed in agony and looked downwards. I was not standing on my path any longer, my path which guided me but which also warned me to take caution. I had stepped off my path and was standing upon the grass, but it was not grass. My eyes could not focus and my heart raced, my head felt like a thousand needles were scrambling to escape with nowhere to go. The scream which tore from my throat at that moment contained every ounce of my being. I tried to move, to back away from where I was standing but my body betrayed me. My knees gave out as I began to fall forwards into the creature that writhed and struggled in front of me. The tree of impossible colours seemed to beckon me into its embrace as the leaves reached out towards my falling hands. My instinct took over and I went to catch myself from my fall. The most beautiful sight which I had ever laid my eyes on caught me before I could even think. I was wrapped in a swirling tornado of colour. Tears sprang to my eyes as my throat closed against the roaring pain travelling through my entire body. The body which had been strolling through the forest would no longer move.
The sun danced and played along the leaves as they flickered and swayed in the wind. There was no sun. There was no wind. The playful leaves tore and lashed out on their own accord seeking, searching for something, anything that might cross their path. The forest was alive and screaming, a whistling sound surrounded me as I lay on the ground staring up at the splendor around me. I no longer felt the stabbing of needles exploding in my head, nor did I feel anything else for that matter. I wanted to touch this beauty, to give it substance as I held it in my hand. I wanted to wrap this creature around me as if to be consoled by a magnificent beast. I solely wished to caress the living colours. I tried to reach out but nothing happened. My body would no longer move, it was incapable of moving. Memories of tears formed in the deepest depths of my soul, it had come to such an event and I would not be able to follow the path. I could no longer stand among the forest; I could no longer take in the scents of nature welcoming me into its home. A smile played through my mind as the colours drew in around me. I could not force such beauty to come to me; it came to me of its own accord.
I closed my eyes to the world around me as darkness crept through my mind. I had gotten what I wished for, I was shown my one true desire, and I was finally embraced by the warmth I was forever seeking.
I slept soundly as my world burned.
- Writer
