[chapter 07: once more, igniting the feeble fire]
The sun, after reaching it's peak in the sky, fell with the dying minutes. The once-brilliant blue of the day blazed feverishly before surrendering itself to the jeweled night. Sounds of voices ebbed and flowed from café, where the owner helped customers in his typical stoic fashion, cracking a rare smile at banters he overheard.
Above the chattering, in a room growing darker save for a lit candle, Uni sat, chin rested in clasped hands and recalling the days events. Over and over in her head they played, like a film she needed to repeat in order to savor every detail and piece together every connection. The man's face. Her mother's gravestone. His smooth words. The sound of the leaves scraping against the cemetery grounds. The kindness of his invitation. The taste of her salty tears and memories stirred by her visit.
She had accepted. She made plans to see him. Uni slid her hands over her face and forced her eyes shut. Her heart was still jumping and her stomach wouldn't take any food she tried to eat. She prayed the hours until the next day would pass slowly. Slowly, so she could calm herself, so she could remove the terrible guilt eating at her conscious. Slowly, so she could forget that she had cried over her mother and shared a cup of coffee with the man in the same day.
It was so unfamiliar to her, the feeling of wanting, and the feeling of needing to repel. She desired guidance, she craved words.
But who would she receive them from?
Uni had to lead herself. She had to hope that the rest of her would follow.
The voices remained below her, and eyes above her. They were waiting for her, waiting for her to see what they saw. A life that wasn't tilted slightly, a road that didn't end within the next few steps.
Uni stood and blew out the dancing flame. The liquid wax rippled at her breath.
Oh, the power she felt when she extinguished the light.
She could feel it. She was melting. As hard as she tried to fight against it, she was changing. Her fire was burning her, stripping away the outside, the inside. Melting her away. Like a candle, standing tall yet frigid, fighting against a flame that was lit on a whim, she was changing. Like a candle, reaching for something invisible in the sky, she touched the sun and caught the embers.
It burned, this slow shedding of a skin she no longer needed. Burned like the ice that had kept her away, like the fire that was coaxing her into its quavering embrace.
Burned like the unspoken pleas, like the longing in her heart. Burned like the skies before they became the ashes of the night.
Uni crawled into bed, the last wisps of smoke vanishing into the silent shadows. Yes, she had vanquished the flame, but it would quietly awaken once more. And her eyes, blue like the ocean that merely kissed the shores, would watch the fire lapping away the pain from the inside out.
A/N: I am so sorry, first for the insanely slow update, and secondly for the insanely short chapter. I had this written for some time, but I had wanted to include their outing, as well. Forgive me for guiltily posting this! I haven't forgotten about this story, but RL things are tripping me up Dx I promise the next chapter will be a better read! Thanks for bearing with me!
