Issue 3 Issue 3 | Page 9

“It’s a wonderful day today.”

Dimmed bulbs in rusted steel lanterns sway from the cracked ceiling. Dark mahogany floors leading to dull brick walls. Tattered brown carpet run rough and rugged as gravel.

Idle on a worn rocking chair I lay, body stretched across the chair’s armrests, arms crossed behind my head, eyes facing the only window in the room. For an hour’s length of time, I watched, eyes fixed but absent of consciousness, the fleeing clouds, the dying sky, the blades of grass slouching, and the sun, like the site of a dying god; then the waning sun slowly faded from view.

Eventually the orange light vanished entirely, and in its place rose a soothing white glow: the moon. The moon walked up the horizon, her vibrant hair gradually enveloping the dim earth and the tiny homes that adorn it. The moon was in trees and on homes, sliding slowly down the dozens of clay shillings that made up rooftops. A gracious sight it was.

Her grace then made its way to my home. Hands of light pressed against the windows, seeping slightly into the rug and the cracks of the floor, illuminating patches of darkness.

Entranced by her presence I rose from my seat and turned around, kneeling on my chair, chest pressed against the cotton back. For a moment, a feeling of euphoria spread throughout my body. My straight face slowly turned to a gaping smile as I reached my hand out, palm outstretched, eager to grasp at the streaks of light. In this moment, a fragrant, flowery aroma filled the air, as if the tiny particles of dust were flower petals. The scent numbed my mind until there was no thought to be had, until I was completely enthralled by the moon. A pure moment.

As my fingertips grazed a streak of light, the white glow within my home began to fade away. She was leaving me. The light retracted slowly through the panes of glass. I leaned further forward, grabbing at the hands she pulled away-- but too far I went.

Thud

Face first I fell, flipping off the back of my seat, landing somewhat gracefully onto the rug covered section of the floor. A bitter taste of dirt and rug spoiled my tongue as I lifted my head.

“Gross.”

A noise caught my ear. I rose, turning to find that it was my chair rocking. An overreaction on my part, I suppose. Oddly enough, I had a slight curiosity in the chair’s movements. Each movement it made was slow, a back and forth motion that creaked with each lean forward and backward. It almost felt as if the chair was laughing. Laughing.

A faint chuckle echoed in my mind.

“Huh?”

I looked around but no one else was here-- at least, no one visible. The only sounds in the house were my needlessly panicked breaths and the laughs of the chair. For the most part, my home was silent.

I lifted myself from the floor, eager to resume my lounging. After what had happened with the moonlight, I wasn’t exactly keen on doing anything else. Though despite my weary, resigned mood, Miss Fortune decided that one touch of misery wasn’t enough, as she caught my left slipper in one of the only cracks in the floor.

THUD

Onto the floor I went. I had landed on my left shoulder this time, sparing my head from further injury. Thankfully I was more conscious of what was going on, else I’d be sent to the healers, again. By no means do I want to go there again.

Carefully, this time, I picked myself up, eyeing any potential mishaps or hazards. Dust, dirt, and a bit of lint were sprinkled across the surface of my clothing.

“Cleaning is definitely next on my agenda.”

As I dusted myself off, yet another sound echoed into my ear. My gaze snapped upwards, catching a glimpse of the lanterns above swinging-- laughing, just like the chair. What’s so funny?

I slammed my fist to the ground.

“What’s so damn funny?!”

Then the plates and silverware pranced around on the table nearby, giggling. Then the other chairs and the picture frames on the walls joined in the revel. All cheerfully joking about around the house.

I pounded the floor boards again.

“Damn it, what’s so funny?!?!”

The objects’ playful behavior grew intensely. Even the house itself began to snicker along in some sort of glee. They all laugh, laugh, laugh as I hit the floor again, and again, and again. I clenched the rug I sat upon, scrunching the little hairs in my hands that turned to fists.

“Why do they laugh? What reason is there to laugh?”

A spark of realization flashed in my mind.

“Me. They laugh at me. The chairs, the lanterns, the house, everything is laughing at me! ME!”

The laughter grew louder and louder as a burst of emotion coursed through my veins. Was it anger, sadness-- a mix of both? I couldn’t tell. I tried to close my eyes to stop myself from crying, but it was pointless to resist. Tears still streaked down my cheeks, letting loose a blur of thoughts that ran wild in my mind.

I wanted to scream, to shout, to cry. I wanted to collapse onto the ground, to call out to the heavens above for some sort of solace. I wanted to rise up. I wanted to tear, to burn the house down and everything in it, ripping apart every board and nail with my bare hands. I wanted to end them, destroy them, decimate them with the fires born from years of hatred and misery. I wanted to curse their names, all of them, for all of their laughter that came with all of my falls. And I wanted, more than anything, to make it stop. The laughter continued.

This whirlwind of rage and sorrow swirled in my mind, yet I knew not of what I’d make of it. Am I really going insane? Will I fall again, this time forever, under the weight of all of this chaos?

“It’s happening again,” I mumble under my own tears and vibrations. “What am I to do amidst this madness? Curl up and die for good this time?”

Then, in my time of despair, in my time of great disarray, the orange light returned, shining even brighter than before. Its warming aura engulfed both my mind and heart, empowering them both with its vibrant energy. My face bore a sadist’s smile as my hands moved close to my heart.

Spirit of Fire

By Isaiah Aguirre

Page 9

Today was a wonderful day. Tomorrow will be better.

To be continued...

Check out updates at schsraiderreview.weebly.com