Sequel: Fallen Embers ›
The Fire
Prologue
The night air was crisp and still. The full moon was shining high in the black, cloudless, night sky. Crickets and other creatures of the night sang their baleful songs. The woman looked up at the trail that went through meadow, and saw the mountain in its full glory. The dark trees lining the edge of the meadow through which the trail lead. She started up the walk listening to her boots crunch the stones. She heard a brook bubbling off in the distance. As she walked the trail, she came upon a smaller rough trail leading up the mountain side. Something inside of her wanted to follow the steep trail; so she did.
In the distance she saw a cave and a small wizened old man sitting in front of a dying fire. As she approached, he smiled and said in a small voice, "I have been waiting for you." She started at the sound of the old voice. "Place some more wood on the fire," he said to the woman.
She looked around and grabbed wood logs that were stacked near by, and added some to the small fire. As the fire greedily licked at the logs, she glanced at the old man's face in the growing light. She watched the shadows dance across the folds and wrinkles of his face. When she first looked at him in the dying light, he seemed small but now as the fire grew, he appeared larger. The woman sat down and watched the war between fuel, heat and air take place and felt herself focusing on her life, her mind, her entire being.
In the silence, she turned inward and saw her life play out; the loved ones, the pets, the good, the heartache, the pain and the broken dreams. The old man stared and touched her lightly on the shoulder. When she turned to look at him, she saw the tears in his eyes and the loving smile on his lips.
"Yes my child, I am proud of you. Everything you have been, done before, loved and lost; I have seen. I watched you grow and learn the life that you live." She felt the tears spill down her face and heard the sizzle as they landed on the hot stones around the fire.
As the tears fell the old man chuckled to himself. No more was needed to be spoken between them. A calming feeling came over her as the tears slowed. The man reached into his pouch at his waist and pulled out an object. He leaned over and placed it into the woman's jacket and then drew her into a hard hug. He then got up and with out saying a word silently walked back into the cave and was swallowed up by the darkness.
The woman got up and started back down the rough path to the mountain side meadow. When she got back onto the main trail, she felt something in her jacket pocket. In the moon light she pulled out a picture. The moon beams shone onto the image of a little baby girl and a man playing on the floor together. She smiled to her self and said as she followed the trail back through the meadow,
"I love you too, Dad."
In the distance she saw a cave and a small wizened old man sitting in front of a dying fire. As she approached, he smiled and said in a small voice, "I have been waiting for you." She started at the sound of the old voice. "Place some more wood on the fire," he said to the woman.
She looked around and grabbed wood logs that were stacked near by, and added some to the small fire. As the fire greedily licked at the logs, she glanced at the old man's face in the growing light. She watched the shadows dance across the folds and wrinkles of his face. When she first looked at him in the dying light, he seemed small but now as the fire grew, he appeared larger. The woman sat down and watched the war between fuel, heat and air take place and felt herself focusing on her life, her mind, her entire being.
In the silence, she turned inward and saw her life play out; the loved ones, the pets, the good, the heartache, the pain and the broken dreams. The old man stared and touched her lightly on the shoulder. When she turned to look at him, she saw the tears in his eyes and the loving smile on his lips.
"Yes my child, I am proud of you. Everything you have been, done before, loved and lost; I have seen. I watched you grow and learn the life that you live." She felt the tears spill down her face and heard the sizzle as they landed on the hot stones around the fire.
As the tears fell the old man chuckled to himself. No more was needed to be spoken between them. A calming feeling came over her as the tears slowed. The man reached into his pouch at his waist and pulled out an object. He leaned over and placed it into the woman's jacket and then drew her into a hard hug. He then got up and with out saying a word silently walked back into the cave and was swallowed up by the darkness.
The woman got up and started back down the rough path to the mountain side meadow. When she got back onto the main trail, she felt something in her jacket pocket. In the moon light she pulled out a picture. The moon beams shone onto the image of a little baby girl and a man playing on the floor together. She smiled to her self and said as she followed the trail back through the meadow,
"I love you too, Dad."