Day Dream

The heat warms my skin
Thawing the aching cold
Flames lick my fingers
Pricking my awareness
The dark suffocates the light
But the blistering torch prevails
Inhaling slowly
preparing for the charge
blinded by the black
oppressed by the night
but armed
they come
they come
they come
through the haze
creeping
stalking
tracking my scent
waiting in the shadows
watching for my weakness
they gaze
with eyes glowing in the murk

watch out for her torch
they whisper

my fingernails splinter the wood
hands clammy but firm
clutching my last resort
my only spark

crouched on the brink I wait
one
two
breathe
three
four
breathe,

ragged wheezing and snuffling
scrapping and small twigs snapping
in the dark
they murmur to each other
gathering in their filth

surrounded on all sides
despair,
hunger
longing
alone

the pain echos through time and space
the ground rumbles with their approach
they come

tired I fight
swinging my small flame
every ounce of my strength
sent into that little fire
showered in sparks they fall back
waiting for me to crumple
no time now
not time
for regrets
for goodbyes
or hellos
no time for last kisses
or dying wishes
nothing left
but one leap

on small torch
sputtering out
on the brink of eternity

We jump
Out
Out
Into the nothing
Into the quiet
The peace
The unknown

Gone
Like the whisper
Of yesterday.