Heat and Flame
A fluttering, flickering flame was Death's only light
The match flared, and in that moment, she saw her death
The flame flickered, dimmed low as if hushed by a ghostly whisper
Hell-hot, the forest fire raged
It was an arsonist's dream, an image of hell
The city burned, a sea of black and orange against the night sky
Dying, the fireplace hissed and sputtered
Orange embers were the room's only light
When the fire died, all hope would die with it
The candles dimmed and bowed to the wind
A sudden breeze snuffed the candle out, plunging her into darkness
The warm fire comforted them against the night's horrors
He threw another log on the fire with a grunt of satisfaction
He prodded the logs with a long iron poker
The fireplace was the only defense from the freezing horror outside
The black candles were lit at each point of the pentagram
The red wax melted like blood as the candle burned low
She fumbled with the candle and wax splashed her hand
The church walls glittered with the tiny flames of a hundred votive lights
She placed scented candles around the bathtub and relaxed in their welcoming light
The flames guttered and died in that awful wind
The fire lit, he stepped back in relief
Her pale face glowed orange-yellow in the firelight
The wet wood smoked but would not catch fire
He thumbed his lighter and prayed
She flicked the lighter wheel and orange flame sprang up
He struck a match and the tiny flame revealed the truth
The summer heat cooked him in his business suit
The blazing sun bore down on him relentlessly
The sun's warmth stood out in stark contrast to the chill horror of the grave
Hot sand burning bare feet, she ran for the cool ocean water
The beach swam in a sultry haze of shimmering yellow heat
The brutal desert sun baked down
The sky was an oven, a ghastly furnace that burned my dying soul
The sun glared like an open wound in the sky
The desert sands were a vast dune sea swallowing any hope of survival
The sun was sinking, taking all hope and warmth with it
A vast ball of yellow fire hung in the pure blue sky
The dawn sky revealed the night's horrors
The dim, gray light of dawn filtered through the warm darkness
The sun climbed the sky like a king with a fiery crown
The air was humid, the temperature soaring
The air was thick, muggy, and I began to sweat
The volcano erupted, sending boiling lava toward the village
The volcanic crater smoked and steamed in the dying light