VIGIL a dusky silhouette approached up and out from a twist of dust with a twirl, thrust her clasped hands forth a candelabrum rose as they opened up into my hands, it went perched atop? a tiny black candlestick a budding flame sputtered to existence she leaned in, whispered: "keep this, and i'll tell you my secrets..." deep pitch colored to match the kiss of death upon her lips paralytic, incapable of resistance enveloped in shadowy folds of flowing fabric turned departed hurriedly into the distance this is not a test. this is not a drill. this is definitely a test; yes, this time, it's for real. but your little black candle truly needs no tending mile-wide f5 twister barely interests her orbital strike couldn't quite disturb her sleep at night post-apocalyptic wasteland after the doomsday, what should i say? still a flickering flame. untamed, known to play with danger. dabbles in arcane arts: no stranger to disaster. favors a scarred heart taciturn; habitually burned tempted to think the worst uniquely succinct; torridly terse could end an existence within a few words lemonade, straight -- unsugared. never distasteful, keeps sweetness obscured secretive, in reserve ready to explode at moments notice not bitter, but viciously virulent vexatious in each and every movement perilously imprudent dismissively indifferent known to make her stand against prevailing headwinds to take patience for a spin proclaim pain essential "The greater the suffering, the better the lesson!" tempestuous in mood, highly aloof, painted with wounds from battlegrounds you've been to charmingly elusive, yet stubbornly obtuse "Just ask for the recipe!" effervescent, commingling then, within a split second, switching pensive, curtly defensive demure; unamused on the fence: spurned still, this little candle burns but no one noticed hardly a head was turned dangling precipitously from this precipice is it worth it? yes, and i accept that death may come of this hopelessly devoted to this dark little votive are my motives pure? i defer, but they could certainly be worse. perhaps a dirty arsonist leaving only trailing embers i wanted to stop you, but i'm so glad we got to go down to the inferno together. conspire in wildfire, bend crackling timbers to burning will sacrifice ourselves to angry gods just to see if it was real. "Ashes to ashes, come what may!" our hearts were merely mortal: never meant to question, lest they perish as they wait. but guess just what remains? beneath a heap of smoldering trouble my devilishly flickering tender little flame its hopes redoubled does a daydream dare escape the endless turns and hallways of the human mind to somehow find its way outside and come to life? it did, and torched the cobwebbed passages with this relentlessly raging little candlewick keen prospector an eye for hidden treasure sifted through most known forms of human debris haystack-needler knew how badly he'd needed her "Not just anyone!" would never settle for less than am i too imperfect for this? narrow eyes and a sly smirk, the tell waited too long not long enough wait, is this where i get off? [email protected]