Spells in Stardust

step out onto the sand as if into a dream. The warmth of the journey bleeds into the blessed ocean wind, leaving a chill tingle in its wake. Above, the dark tapestry of a moonless night unfolds across the heavens. To the North and South, cities glow in the distance, obscuring the pinpricks of celestial bodies as they dance and twinkle. Here, nestled between the haze of civilization I sit with my feet in the shadowy sand. On the other side of a bottle sits my fellow adventurer. Even in the darkness, his eyes radiate with the incandescence of unalloyed Amity. No better companion have I found than he. Somehow he manages to turn every headlong flight of mine into pure Adventure, shared laughter, and soul cleansing Joy. His still presence is a warm wind on a cool night, like a melody trickling in through an open window. He brings peace to midnight like a spotted owl, and of all my friends' company his is among my most cherished.

as we sit, the orchestra of Shadows swirl around us, fended off by each pull of the bottle between us. From the West, a cliff of storm clouds move to dampen the city in the North. The Elysium fields of the hereafter tear apart, opening veins of sterling silver, and spilling onto a dark canvas the life blood of the gods. Each flash rends the sky asunder, spidering over the wine-dark sea, an endless void of waves pulling the storm closer and closer. We sit, a rapt audience to the cascading infinity. We are safe here, far away where the rain and lightning cannot harm us and just out of reach of the rising tide. Entire years seem to pass as the night grows older, just he and I on an empty shoreline. Awe fills my smile as the storm builds, it's impressive displays multiplying in and of itself.

Then, with a crash of waves suddenly closer than I realized, the spell is broken. We stand, shake sand from our bodies and climb back into the warm safety of my car. As I shut my door a single raindrop falls on my hand.