Flame

by Nick Yee

The little boy does not remember how he came to the forest, or how the day slipped so quietly into night. He wants very badly to be home, but in the darkness he has lost his way. The flickering flame from his torch illuminates the looming trees around him, casting terrifying shadows into the distance. His only source of comfort becomes the source of his fear. Even the moon has abandoned him.

And in the silence of the ebon air, a young girl's voice is suddenly heard. Her words are spoken calmly.

      "Why do you carry the flame?"

The little boy turns to look for the voice, but his light is swallowed by the darkness. He hesitates.

      "To see my way in the dark. Where are you? Who are you?" He answers, clearly shaken.

      "Fire burns, but consumes he who carries it. Fire burns to keep itself alive. This fire will not last you through the night," the voice echoes.

      "Where are you? Please help me!" The little boy is on the verge of tears.

      "It is the flicker that casts the shadows. Perhaps it is the light that casts the night. I am here to guide you home, but you have to find the way yourself."

      "I don't understand," the little boy stammers.

      "The bark of the aging oak is yellow and red, but the bark of the aging oak is not yellow and red. Can you see the color of the oak without the flame?"

      "Without the flame, how can I find my way home?" The little boy recovers a little from the fear that had gripped him.

      "You cannot find your way home if you are afraid of the shadows."

      "Please show me the way."

      "There are answers that cannot be spoken for they are not meant to be heard. There are no paths in the forest because they were not meant to be followed."

      "What must I do?"

      "You cannot find your way home with the flame, and yet you could only have entered this forest if you had the flame."

      "Should I douse the flame?" The little boy asks after a long moment of silence.

      "There is a fire that warms without burning. There is a fire that glows without flickering. There is a fire that illuminates without consuming. Will the night disappear or remain once you have doused the flame? You are the only one who knows."

      "Who are you?"

There is no reply. The little boy looks intently into the flame.