When Darkness Dawns

Fire-Field

{Sean}

Once when I was a kid, I visited a field of poppies. I was alone and couldn't have been over the age of eight. In fact, it was a couple of months after I met Owen through Phil, a delightful man, a close friend, and my mentor.

It was just absolutely breathtaking. I'd run away from home for reasons I truly can't even remember, but found myself returning merely hours later, all bright-eyed and full of mirth.

It was the field of blood-red poppies in the fading light of the mid-summer sunset that made me feel so gleeful, so alive. Because the field--small as it was, hidden behind trees upon trees in a forest that I was so sure I'd discovered--looked like it was on fire. Like the red poppies were flames kissing green wands--wands that were capable of wielding all the magic this world secretly possessed. Magic I thought maybe I could possess one day too.

My innocent, imaginative brain couldn't let the thought of flowers that live and grow and burn and continue to live and grow, die. Like I said, it was just... magical--the thought of something so beautiful being able to flourish in such intense, harsh, awful conditions. It made me see hope that I could do that too, one day.

And then I saw movement in the field of fire, some of the flowers swaying. When I stepped a little closer to see what caused the disturbance, I spotted a red fox amongst the flames, almost as bright and smouldering as the blood-red flames themselves.

Once it realized I was there too, all it did was look up at me, unfazed. It didn't run away like a normal fox would. It just stared at me, completely unafraid, utterly transfixed by me, as if it'd never seen a human before. It had never been exposed to the harsh reality this world has to offer, one that, even then, I had to struggle to live in, despite my beautiful adoptive parents and my new best friend and Dr. Roberts, or Phil, the man who treated me like a son.

I always envied that damn fox--the one that could stand in a field of fire and not get burned, not even feel a lick of heat. The one that could look at a stranger and see only good. The one that could, quite possibly, be the very same spark to the match that is this wretched, cruel world, setting it ablaze and rectifying everything within its pure, burning path.

And now, when I gaze upon the most gorgeous sight I've ever laid my blessed eyes on, I'm reminded of that very same fire-field. And I see that fox, but this time it's in the form of the most beautiful vixen this cruel world has ever seen.

Sang has just fallen asleep, after more hours of play. Arguably the best damn hours of my life. And I, being the innocent, helpless little boy from that fire-field, can only gaze upon her like one would gaze upon a goddess, or some sort of miracle. She's the magic I always wished I could have, and now, I feel myself even closer to obtaining it. I know, somehow, she will be mine. Ours.

The guys and I are all scattered around the room, pretending to watch the movie on the television, but not being able to take our eyes off of the vixen that has bewitched us all.

It's around eight o'clock right now, and I'm beginning to grow tired. The lack of sleep I've been getting the past couple of days is really starting to wear on me, but when Sang had randomly showed up for our monthly family bonding day--insisted greatly on by Luke, Victor, and Marc, who claimed we needed more time to bond as a team--my heart exploded and any ounce of weariness was washed away.

Right now, I'm on the couch directly in front of the TV, along with Silas and Nathan. There were more of us on here--Sang included--but when we realized she'd fallen asleep, many of us got up and moved.

She was seated in Silas's arms earlier when we were playing Never Have I Ever, but once her eyes started to close and very faint, adorable little snores began escaping her oh-so kissable mouth, Silas situated himself so that her head was resting on his lap and her legs were resting on the couch, slightly curled up. She looked--looks--so fucking cute, like a little kitten.