Dying light

Under vermilion sky

Stirred with monotony

Streaks of stone clouds

Footsteps

Progressively

Require more energy

Vision was a haze

Sensations

Extreme heat

Lethal cold

Taking turns

Killing him.

From a crawl

Walk

Accelerate

Run.

A peculiar effect

A man in fear

Progressively

Move faster

Upon breaking into a dash

Sprint

Like the devil is after you.

Speak of the devil.

Turn

Face to face

Immediately halt

Rosy eyes

Deadly

But now

He could not care less.

Strangely

Unreadable visage

Her expression

Miniscule smile

Tilting her head

The devil stared at him.

Standoff

Yet

Concede

She moved aside

Gesturing to a direction

Looking.

Skeptical, he looked at her.

Words refused to form

But there was no need

Silent understanding

Quite unsettling

She knew

Witnessing

To where

A flame

Had fled.

Perhaps

Too far.

There must always be a line

Draw the limits

Her plans

Dangerously

Effective.

He too, knew.

Resume

Once again

But not before looking back

Silhouette of a woman

Crossing her arms

The bane

To his existence

She who rocked his boat.

A saddened look on her face?

Illusion perhaps.

To her

Indeed

She was forlorn

Yet admiring

Unbroken resolve

The cynic

Refused to fall

See him pursue

A woman

Other than her

Quite

Painful.

Realize

He never pursued her.

It was always her

The devil

Giving chase.

To this

She was envious.

Subtle understanding

Refusing to accept

He did not

But.

No.

What made the fire queen

Better than her?

Worth pursuing?

Worth loving?

Answers to the questions

Perhaps

Subconsciously

She knew

Indeed.

Self-assumptions

A reflection

Of the self.

Assumed

She was

Inferior?

And for once

A sharp fracture

On her perception

Presumed perfection.

His silhouette vanished into the distance.

So did her spirits.

On the other hand

He pushed on

Regardless

Tired and battered

Physically

Mentally

Ironically

He felt

Stronger.

Exhaustion

Brought clarity

Mind and body

Cleanse

As his blood surged

Giving him

Newfound strength.

Faster, he ran.

Fear and dread

Like sweat

Shed

Evaporated.

Drawing closer

Her home

Dwelling of a queen

It seemed bigger

The doors

Heavier.

Grass seemed dull

The flowers

Still life

Yellow lights

Sinister.

Pushing it open

Deafening silence

In the dim

No traces.

Small hint

A sign

Momentary

Relief.

On the floor

Her bag

Looking around

To the staircase

A crumpled blazer

Points connect

An arrow was formed

He followed.

Ominous silence

Anxiety override fear

The corridor

Narrow down

Or so it seemed.

Doorknob felt stiff

For a moment

Trepidation engulfed him

But it yielded.

Push

Firmly

As if there was a weight

But there was none.

When he peered inside

He nearly collapsed.

Bursting forth

Into the room

A sight.

It was like a painting.

Unfortunately, gruesome.

Colors of red.

Certainly jarring

And he was stunned

Seconds seemed frozen

For hours.

For there, she sat.

On the corner

A dying fire.

From a parallel cut

Dark red

Seeped out

Forming a thin pool

Beside her.

White marble and blood.

Thin streams of tears

Glistened

On her weeping face.

Tragic scene

Almost Shakespearean

Evoking sorrow

Grief

Despair.

A withering rose

Her colors

Bleeding out.