Until Next Time

Timothy walked through the forest, brushing ferns away in search of his golden retriever, Dexter. Winding through trees and branches that slanted this way and that as if they had endured heavy winds for hours on end, he kept up the search. Timothy wore a plain black shirt, with dark denim jeans and his favourite worn black converse. His hair was a golden blonde mop that curdled at the end. His eyes a dark green, with blue flecks that held concern. His footsteps snapped twigs and crushed dead leaves; steady he walked under a fallen log. “Dexter! Dexter! Come here boy!” He yelled through the vast emptiness before him. Nothing stirred from the trees around him, no movement but his own steps forward. He sighed, hanging his head low, eyes teary. “Where are you Dexter?” He whispered, voice catching at the end.

Suddenly Dexter bounded through the trees barking hysterically, running fast toward Timothy. Dexter whimpered as he came to stop before Timothy. Timothy checked him over and noticed the end of Dexter’s tail singed as if it had been burned. He looked around and only then did he see a red glow to the left of him and smoke rising. His eyes widened, his heartbeat increased and he turned the opposite way and ran. “Come on Dexter! Come on Boy!” He yelled out. Dexter followed fast behind him.

The evening sky getting darker and darker as Timothy and Dexter ran through the trees towards where Timothy last remembered seeing the creek. Hoping he would reach the safety of water before the fire reached him. The mass of golden-white fur beside him, matched his pace easily. Dexter looked up at Timothy, his brown eyes wide and frightened. Timothy put his hand out letting Dexter nudge his nose into it. “We’ll be okay Dexter.” Timothy sighed. ‘I hope,’ He thought.

Timothy raced through the slumping, dark trees which resembled the bars of a prison, standing menacingly over him. He and Dexter constantly changed directions to get through small gaps between the large stumps. Stumbling over loose roots and fallen sticks he pressed on as Dexter ran and jumped through obstacles effortlessly. Timothy’s head whipped behind him, eyes wide, frantically searching the scarce emptiness, blindly shouldering his way through bushes, earning himself battle scars and wounds, blood running down his sweaty arms. He hadn’t the time to look and assess his cuts; he just ran faster and faster, breathes heavy. The wind thrashed past him, slicing through his skin like a sword, whispering harshly in his face. Timothy’s eyes glazed over with tears, from the icy contact; he brought his arm up to block the wind and sped on.

 Smoke thickened the air, causing Timothy to cough and gasp at the harsh stench, he heard Dexter cough roughly beside him. It devoured the scene causing haziness to falter his path. The sound of crackling erupted into the air as an orange glow eliminated the vast blackness. He could feel the heat grasping for him, clawing at his jacket, snaking around his ankles. His lungs ached and burned from the smoke that curled around his throat, choking him. His nostrils burned, he struggled for fresh air, waving his arms widely in front of him to separate the smoke, to find clarity in this haze.

Sparks spread out from the fire and captured any innocent living thing in its wake and erupting them in flames. A gum tree caught fire several meters away, exploding into a mass of flames and black bark. The impact blew Timothy and Dexter forward, they hit the ground hard. Timothy struggled to his feet, feeling instantly weak. ‘Run Timothy, Run!’ shouted the voice in his head. He swayed this way and that as he stood up. Summing up the last bits of strength he had as they ran forward towards the creek.

The fire raged on behind him, coming closer and closer with each step Timothy took. It was as if the fire wants to purposely torture Timothy and make him weak, burn him into the ground fiercely. Timothy could now clearly see the creek, dark murky green-blue water calling out to him. He staggers forward dropping to his knees as the desire to reach the water and the exhaustion overwhelms him. He crawls the last few meters, slowly pushing his right hand into the smooth cool water. A sigh escaped him as he pulled the rest of his aching body into the creeks enchanting water. Dexter sped past him and dived into the water not haltering a step.

The fire continues its path of destruction around the creek leaving nothing alive behind it. Black covers the ground, nothing but burnt dead flora left. Timothy could only breathe shakily as he floated on top of the water. The crackling of burning wood still loud in the air, smoke still choking him. Timothy breathed a deep breath, standing up he called Dexter out of the water. They walked back in the direction of home, a black burning mess around them and a red glow slowly disappearing in the distance.

“Until next time, you bloody fire!” Timothy shouted out to the fading fire, fist raised, and face red.