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| World of: Fire | |
| by Harry Leonard
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Lael walked down the sidewalk through the fire. She turned the corner and continued on until she reached a gate into the park. She walked through it, and on towards her marble bench without ever really looking at anything.
Her head hurt, and she felt tired, so she lay down on her burning bench when she got to it and went to sleep.
"Night, night," she said.
*
Lael felt lips gently touch her own and flipped her eyes open, ready to inflict pain on whomever she saw.
baron, she thought. His lips were so soft, she did not want to speak and have them leave her, but baron, seeing Lael's eyes were open, withdrew his kiss.
"baron," she said.
He smiled. "Did you miss me?"
"You have a soft kiss," she said.
baron, who was on one knee next to the bench, leaned back as Lael sat up. She took her eyes off him for the first time since waking up.
The ground was a dirty white in a ten yard radius around her. It looked like ash to her. Fire continued to burn past the perimeter of white, and no trees or shrubs remained standing in the park. The park wall could be seen in all directions. Past that, she could see buildings consumed by flames. Every inch of flame had a ripe, orange colour like non-glossy traffic cones.
Lael didn't have to look up too far to see the sun. She looked back to the fire and spoke.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
baron shook his head. "Not even close."
Lael nodded. "Is this what the end of the world looks like?" she asked.
"On world this, yes," said baron. "But it's not over yet. There are still a couple days of burning left."
Lael turned to face him. "I had a dream about you." In truth, she couldn't be sure whether that was true or not. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the bench watching him leave with the two officers. She was testing him.
"I know," he said.
She played along, curious about what he would say. Knowing your own dreams was one thing; knowing someone else's, however, even saying you did, was unusual, like baron. "You do? Then tell me what I dreamt."
baron gently took her right hand in his. "You dreamt about us walking along the edge of a cliff shoreline, talking..."
Lael watched him speak, focusing alternately on his lips and his eyes. In neither place did she see a hint of smile.
She placed a finger to his lips and lightly shook her head. baron didn't protest; only blinked.
There was silence for a moment. Then a smile returned to his eyes, and then his lips, and then he spoke.
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| ©1997, 2000 Harry Leonard | |
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