the crackle of fire wood and the warmth from the dancing flames seems to sooth you as your words whisper into the fireplace. for a moment, everything seems clear, at peace.
and then, much like fire, it shifts.
your vision fades out and then blazes in colors of red and orange before going pitch black. you blink, trying to focus, before you’re pulled closer to something.
you see it, can barely make it out among the shadows. an animal, similar to a horse but a little smaller in size—but this animal is still larger than anything you’ve seen. it’s tail is beating angrily against its hind quarters. it looks like purple-black flames are licking up its body, wisps of dark smoke pooling from it as it stares at a run down, broken home.
the home, too, is on fire. windows shatter and break, pieces of wood cave under the heat of the flames that crawl along the foundation, up to the roof. the purple tinged flames illuminate the creature and catch its eyes, glinting bright red and violet as the large, black and purple donkey turns toward you.
when your eyes meet, there’s a hint of recognition behind fervent eyes before large hooves stomp against the ground. you can feel it shake, a tremor that ripple through you.
then, it’s charging. head down, hooves a fast crescendo of breaking earth and fire that crackles through the air. you try to move but you can’t, too transfixed on the only thing in the home that doesn’t seem to be getting burned—the hearth.
the donkey is almost upon you when it skids, turning around until it brings up its two large back hooves to slam against your chest. they inch closer and closer—
you gasp as the fire of your own fireplace dances along your fingers. it snaps you from your vision and you notice the logs are nothing more than cinders now, reduced to rubble and ashes. you try to get your breathing under control, but the smoke turns putrid.
there’s a feeling in the pit of your stomach, where comfort used to be now something dark lingers just underneath.
