The Fire

Licking at her legs the fire burned. It singed. It hurt. From her toes to her scalp the flames engulfed her like a blanket of pain. The flames like silk shreds slithered. They leapt. They burned.

For years these flames were there. Night after night. Only when she was alone. They appeared slowly. Spring from her centre yet driving through her body like a drug enters a vein. Sometimes the flames soothed. Sometimes they burned. She just wished they would leave.

More flames. More pain. More releif. Always the same. Till one day. A long day, a long night. Sleeping away from home. Friends around. Talking, laughing. Doing the things one normally doesn't do. The flames were extuinguished

She figured it out. The flames they were caused by one person. The one person who was hardest to get. One day she tried to stop those flames. She knew he would understand. The flames weren't good. She was dying inside.

But she jumped too hard and too early the flames swallowed her. That person didn't like what she said and the flames knew it.  They engulfed her everyday. Everyday. Two weeks later as her head hit the pavement her heart was stopped for ever and so were the flames.