let beauty come out of ashes

Ashes

20:30

A single leaf fell. The changing season had worn down its vivid green, leaving behind an orange hue. Carried by a flowing current it washed up by the feet of a weary traveller. For a few minutes, all was still. Purple intertwined with pink, dancing across a ballroom of indigo and orange as it said farewell to the sun. The final dance. White wisps waltzed on by. They paid no attention to the event around them. The air held a pleasant warmth; warmth that accumulated throughout the day to soften the edge of the autumn chill.

Far, far below it all in a clearing that stretched for miles through woodland and crumbling cottages, the fallen leaf rocked and rolled beside crooked feet. Something about the traveller attracted the leaf. Maybe it was the face, weathered features set in a round oval shape. Plumes of red sprouted from a receding hairline. Maybe it was the scarlet coat, draped over his hunched figure, concealing a hidden darkness. Maybe it was the spindly legs, seemingly fragile but with an air of elegance. Maybe it was the glistening darkened eyes. Focused and intent. Old and tired. Tall blades up to his knees formed a protective circle around him, giving what little support they could to his swaying body.

20:45

Everything seemed to get darker and darker; shadows crept further forward, elongated by the loss of light. The temperature dropped a few degrees which acted as a prompt for the few stragglers still kicking about outside. A chill chased them towards house and caves, holes and burrows, until most creatures had cleared off. A few warm tendrils had managed to cling on, grasping what they could. Tiny hands reached out to warm up the cooling ground but struggled against the biting chill. It growled and bared it's teeth, forcing the warmth back. Coldness ensued.

Gradually the temperature dropped even lower until a frost started to form. Blades of grass suffocated, flower buds closed in on themselves and tree trunks put on a dress of white lace. The frost swarmed up the bark to branches of quivering leaves, rushing wind following suit. The wood thrummed with fear and despair. A tsunami of vibrations tore through the tree sending leaves and branches flying. Hundreds of orange lights swirled down to the ground in a hurricane of rustles and screams. The wind howled in frustration as it swept across bare branches, leaving a cold handprint as a warning: you can't run forever.

21:25

Black fingers beckoned the traveller, closing in on him like a pack of wolves circling their prey. The traveller craned his neck to look up, gazing at the destruction around him. Despite the pain and misery there was something rather beautiful about it. Falling or flying? Life brought many challenges and with those challenges came loss; but there was always hope. Hope. Everything needs hope.

The cold didn't bother him. Many times it had attempted to pierce through his thick coat and each time it had failed. His coat was impenetrable, like a bank vault door. Practically bulletproof.

21:30

He was lucky this time. Three months ago he was trapped in someone's office, unable to escape. A whole room of people saw him. They heard him cry, saw him fall, felt him burn. God knows how they managed to stay quiet the whole time. Maybe it was shock or fear or confusion. His hope was that they'd think it was some sort of fever dream. There was no hiding or disguising it at that point. Unable to move or speak he just gritted his teeth and closed his eyes while the fire flowed. A few moments of unspeakable pain and then nothing. Bliss. Floating in a bubble of silence and stillness. Nothing could hurt him in those bubbles and there was nothing about to think or feel. Honestly, those days were the best. The days where it just ends.

21:35

Tortured screams drilled through his brain, reverberating around his skull. They flowed through his veins, a swirling storm of pain. Pressure built from deep within, tearing through cells and muscles. Each individual atom cracked and ripped setting off a domino effect around his body. With a content sigh, the traveller smiled softly and closed his eyes. By his side, trembling arms opened out, his coat falling from them. Red fell at his feet. Bit by bit his body grew heavy and warm; the air shivered with anticipation - it was time.

21:40

In the midst of a flurry of orange bodies, something shone through the dark. It was dim to begin with, weak and small but ever growing. The traveller's chest burned, his flesh heating until it melted. A putrid smell emitted from the traveller while skin dropped off his bones. Heat danced down his legs and feet matching with the sparks on his arms. The last feathers of his coat dropped to meet the others, replaced by a raging fire. Inside, his organs had been eviscerated. All the remained were old bones. Flames consumed him in a bear hug, burning every inch of him. He was an inferno of pain and torment and nothing could stop it. Ripples of red and orange exploded out, forcing the dark to spiral away. The last few leaves dropped as silence fell once more. Two or three sparks lingered momentarily before they too were snuffed out, leaving behind a mound of grey.

22:00

Do you know what the best thing about hope is? It's unlimited. There's never too much. No matter how dark or difficult, hope always wins. Death spawns hope. Not for the dead, but for the living. For those who put their faith in religion believe in many different afterlives and what happens when you die. Some believe in Heaven and Hell, some believe in rebirth, some believe there's nothing. Say the theory of rebirth is possible. Maybe you come back as a butterfly or a snail. Maybe you're reborn as a different person. A chance to fix mistakes. For there to be something so powerful it can create and re-create life, it has to come from somewhere. Hope.

23:00

Nothing disturbed the mound, it just sat and waited. It didn't move or feel or think. It just sat. Smoke floated above, a sweet smell following it. Singed grass lay motionless like they'd been squashed by the hand of God. Thundering paws pounced upon the earth, frolicking and fighting playfully. Baby badgers rolled on top of each other, annoying their parents as they hunted. Black and white feet expertly stomped on grassy ground to coax worms out from down below. Tiny pink heads poked through miniature holes and momentarily they were able to glimpse the outside world before greedy jaws closed around them. Soon the mud started to drown in liquid life force as the badger family fed.

Diamonds winked at passing bats, mere silhouettes against a pearlescent moon. From high above, the moon watched with interest. Most days it saw the same scenes: animals who slept during the day crept out to play; shady people passed dark alleyways; time passed slowly by, bringing and taking life along with it. But today was different. Today was a burning day. And today, something moved.

Ash. The ashes of the traveller. They weren't like normal ashes. These ashes were protective and watchful. They kept the life safe inside them until it was time. Time to be reborn.

23:30

Ever so slowly, a form started to take shape. It rose from the mound, head first, followed by a neck, shoulders, wings, and crooked feet. Red hair plumed from its head and a scarlet coat adorned its figure. Wings unfurled into a wide fan, slicing through the air. With a few strong beats, a regal figure soared upwards. The moon watched as it rose and felt at peace. The Phoenix emanated bliss. Euphoria. It was as if every fear or bad feeling simply melted away. It felt like hope, like a new beginning.

00:00

A single feather fell. Its reddish glow faded slightly and came to land at the foot of a burgeoning tree. Carried by a flowing current, the Phoenix's bead like eyes focused in front of him, scouting out a path to follow and a new life to lead.