LIGHTS

She sat on the cold step outside her house. It was raining as the dim light in her eyes was the only light that broke through the dense, low-hanging clouds. A darkened figure approached her, yet she felt no fear. The figure removed its’ hood as it revealed a gleaming face. She knew that face. He crept toward her and stood in front of the girl, with her head hung as low as the day’s clouds. He reached for her hands, almost reluctant to grab them. She raised her head and placed a quizzical look on her face. She placed her hand on his as he proceeded to pull her up. She stood, dazed, wondering what was going on. Without a word she felt her body slowly drifting toward his, as if a magnet was pulling them together. His fingers coiled gently around her waist. His other hand found its’ way to her neck and held it. Suddenly but slowly he pulled her close, ever so carefully. She was trapped in time. Her eyes involuntarily shut. She felt the hair on her neck stand up with every touch. Soft lips tenderly touched hers. They lingered around for a minute as he twirled her hair. He slowly pulled away from her. Her eyes were as lifeless as before, exposing the void in her soul, but now they blended into the look of awe mixed with bewilderment painted on her face. He wondered why she looked so…lifeless. He opened his mouth but not the slightest sound came out. She felt his minty breath bite her face more than the cold afternoon’s frosty wind did. The clouds hung lower now. The air was colder now. The light in her eyes became dimmer and dimmer with every passing moment. It was so dark that afternoon that you couldn’t even see the shimmering frost come out of his mouth. Her eyes were pale and clear but she could see inside him, despite the blackness surrounding them. She could see the fire in his soul. It was bursting a mirage of fevering red and sweltering orange and blinding yellow. She touched his shirt, as if it had blended into his flesh and become transparent. A smile inched onto her face and a tear trembled down her cheek. “T-there’s a fire… i-in there…” she stuttered. He realized she was talking about the ardent, burning feeling he felt while he was close to her. He wondered how she saw it. His face gleamed, his eyes turned bright blue and the fire in his chest sparked like fireworks. She stood motionless, amazed, at the wondrous sight she was seeing with her own two eyes. It was like a sliver double edged sword slicing through a black cloth and revealing a glimmering gold sheet underneath. She had never seen such a beautiful sight before. His hands turned a radiant crimson and gold, and his body was a light show wrapped under a black blanket. His breath turned from a minty ice to a scalding steam. He stood inches away from her as he spoke only three words.

“I.”

“Love.”

“You.”

His body burst into a bright scarlet flame that lit the sky more than the setting sun could have ever done. Red hot tears rolled down her face. And suddenly, there was a spark inside of her. As he moved closer…and closer…and closer, when they were inches away from each other…

She woke up with a pang.

She had fallen asleep on the step outside of her house, in the cold winter afternoon while the rain poured and the dense clouds hung low. And the only light she saw break through the fog was the fire in her soul.

…