Fire Story (very short)

Thoughts by the fire out doors.

She watched the embers as they glowed orange before her eyes. Dancing with a primordial intelligence that spoke to her on some subconscious level. She sat silently, reaching for her drink.  Her eyes pouting as she finds her glass empty of its previous alcoholic content. A bit of a frown crosses her face as she places the empty vessel on the cement ground and returns her gaze to the flame. 

Once again the flame touches her, and she feels the warmth there. Alone now, she recalls the conversation with her friend Sarah earlier, just one hour or so earlier as they explored the realms of this life and beyond. Alive she was, as she enchanted her friend with tales of her life, amazing Sarah as well as herself with the parallels of then and now in so many ways. Now, alone she reaches for a friend. 

Dialing, she hears the sound of technology ringing in her ear as the fire in the yard burns in its natural state, unchanged by the centuries of time. How unusual, the ringing of the phone and her desire to share such an ancient sacred moment with one so far away through such advanced means.  Of course, she would have wished him there, with her to share such a quiet endearing, vulnerable moment. There was so much she wanted to share.

Shifting she wonders why.  Why share her intimate feelings with one so far away? What would he say to her, or ask of her? Perhaps nothing, perhaps the secrets to life and love. She had no answers. That was what drew her to the fire and the contents of the glass hours ago. 

She clicked off the phone with a snap at the intolerable sound of the mechanical voice. "Please leave a mess..." snapped the phone voice. No, she thought, not any more. She wondered if the messages were ever heard. She already knew the answer to that question. She dialed again, just in case He really meant to answer but hadn't had a moment. But snapped the phone off again at the tone of that relentless voice. "Cursed machine" she thought...

Her mind gazed beyond the flame to realms beyond.  Stars above shined as the embers of the fire crackled and flew in to the night sky, resembling fireflies before they faded. Once again she wished she could share this quiet moment, with anyone. But no one was around. all had gone home or to bed. So alone, intolerably so. 

Silently, she sat, her legs heated from the flame but her heart cold and far from the burning fire. Her eyes sparkled from the orange light, glistening with its mezmerizing intoxication.  How she yearned for release of the tension in her chest, how she wished she could cry.

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

We can become addicted to/dependant on technology so easily, but the lure of the fire and star-filled night sky has had a very long time to make itself part of us. It speaks well of your imagination and mentality in general that you can write this much of such a seemingly simple experience.

[The Analog Kid]

I love the primal fire vs. the technology of the phone idea. I just think either this could be developed, or if it's going to stay a SHORT story, the ending must be more final or profound. Nice imagery!

Patrick