Morning all, I hope you are doing fantastic today. It is cold and drizzly today and the allergies are out in full force. Pollen and mold are in the air. And I am regretting sending my sweaters to the back of the closet in favor of my lighter garments. I think I may be digging one of them out later today. Fornow, I’ll at least warm up my brain with a writing prompt. Are you in? Good. then let’s get to it.
This could be fun to play around with. I just have to figure out what she sees down by the lake first.
Wednesday, May 12th: The last flame flickered away.
The last flame flickered away. I remained sitting beside the fire pit. All of the others disappeared into their tents and I assured them that I would make certain the fire was out. As it was our last night at the camp site, and our last fire, I would not only smother the coals so they didn’t reignite but douse the entire thing with water.
The shovel and water were standing by and I could hear two different timbres of snores drifting over from the tents. Still, I wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep. I came on this trip because I was assured that it would be a time of quiet meditation. Just a relaxing group of friends getting back to nature.
Instead it had been one woods themed activity after another. From the moment they awoke to the moment they went to sleep there was constant movement and a steady stream of conversation. I didn’t know this group all that well but quiet meditation was not their strong suit.
In their daily lives they seemed calm and steady. ‘It must just be the woods that gets them revved up,’ I thought.
My plan was to use the quietness of nature to contemplate the current mess that was my life. I needed a break and when invited, I thought this would provide it. I was mentally and physically exhausted from this weekend. I knew I needed sleep but for the moment just sitting quietly watching the last of the flames die to coals and watching the coals slowly cool and fade into ash was the most calming thing I had done all weekend and I was reluctant to let it go.
I took deep breaths, feeling the air fill my lungs to capacity before I expelled it. Then slowly I let it out in a steady stream. My hair and clothes would all smell like wood smoke in the morning, but I could live with that. It was a pleasant scent and I was fairly confident I could make it to a shower before the circus my world had lately become demanded I take center stage.
‘What am I going to do about Tristan,’ I thought. That had been one of the questions I hoped to meditate upon while out here. In the last three days his name barely skittered across my mind.
‘Which might be a good thing,’ I thought.
Though the heat still radiated from the fire pit, it was residual and I saw the last of the embers crumble to dust. I sighed and stood, reaching for the shovel. I covered the ash with dirt and then for good measure poured the entire bucket of water over it. With only the moon and stars for light the rivulets that wound out of the mass gleamed in the light. I knew in the morning there would be streaks of dried black showing where they were.
But the fire was out. I could go to bed. I should go to bed. I straightened and looked around at the quiet woods one more time. The path to the lake gleamed in the moonlight and I looked towards the glittering water. As I watched, something moved.
Ten til Midnight 