The Failure of the Ember Guardians

Flipping through the pages of his leather journal, romanticizing every occasion he had been given the chance to sit down to write. The cool smooth fabric that covered the journal; begun to get warmer with each passing second, which lay on top of his outstretched fingertips. Finally reaching the last page of this beloved journal, he gently closed the cover. Suddenly parched Alex reached for his half-full water bottle, swearing to himself under his breath, just realizing that the sun had just set and he was miles away from his camp.

Rummaging through his left pocket, he pulled out his cell phone to use as a flashlight. Turning on the device, Alex sees that his phone is only a mere seconds from dying. Several colorful words escape from his lips. Checking his other pocket to see if he had brought his portable charger with him, but he seems to have forgotten it back in the cabin. Then searching his back pocket, he felt a waxy cord, a joyous rabbit leapt in his stomach. However, this hare's excitement was in vain. This cord did not belong to his charger, but to his wireless headphones back at the camp. Releasing a boorish grunt, weighing the options in his head. Eventually he decides the journey home will have to wait until tomorrow. Refusing to walk who knows how many miles in the dark, Alex decides to set up camp for the night. Running his hands along the ground, gaining small cuts in the process, he finds a few small twigs to start a fire.

With the disappearance of the Sun, the night's cold, clammy hands begin to reach for him. Moving his long black curls from his face, he then slips his tattered knitted hat, which was given to him as a young boy, now is almost too small to fit, over his head. "Being uncomfortable and warm is better than being comfortable and freezing," he thought to himself. Using his flint and steel sending sparks onto the small pyramid of sticks, praying the twigs will take his offering of warmth. The twigs, reluctantly, agreed, but demanded another sacrifice. Opening his knapsack Alex sees the miscellaneous items he had tossed in for his journey. One item stood out from the rest, the fuzzy blue horned fish caught his eye, a plush narwhal. "Lizzy," he thought grinning to himself, "you are going to love this." Continuing his search, finding a bottle of hand lotion, his now three fourths empty water bottle, his sacred leather bound journal, and a lined notebook.

Weighing the odds in his head, Alex decides to begin tearing the pages from the notebook. Gingerly laying each piece into the small flame, the addition allowed the embers to grow little by little, until they were then snuffed out. Without his small warm ember guardian, the darkness began to approach, then was on him. The frigid hand descended on to Alex, entangling his body with their cold clammy fingers. Crushing him, squeezing him, suffocating him, until they were one. Sucking all his warmth out like a kind of vampiric creature, whose only goal is to steal the heat of others. Laying on his back, too frozen to move, defeated Alex closed his eyes allowing the void to take him. Muttering to himself, "I'm sorry, Lizzy. I won't be back for your birthday." Tears began to make their way down his face.

Oddly enough the void never came to collect, instead a warm feeling showed itself. This force was so hot he was beginning to sweat, opening his eyes, seeing a bright blue summer sky, feeling the hot coarse sand beneath him. He began to laugh, then his vision became clouded with more tears. "Alex? Alex! Where did you go?!" a sweet, but familiar voice called. Pushing himself up until he was able to lean on his elbow. Letting his gaze soak in the breathtaking scenery. A young girl approached. This girl, no more than 12, had long black hair that bounced with each step she took and whose pale complexion was in a way, translucent.

Shivering as if he was just blown by a gust of nonexistent freezing wind, he got to his feet. Before he could regain his balance, the child leapt into his arms, knocking them both to the ground, with a crunch. "Hey!" Alex said breathlessly. Two brown doe eyes stare up at him, looking at him as if they were about to cry. "I thought you left, I thought you had forgotten about my birthday.." the sweet, yet energetic doe eyed girl said. Memories flooded back into Alex's mind, about a sweet little girl, whose jet black hair most of the time was longer than she was tall and whose skin was so pale it could reflect almost the dimmest candle light, Little Lizzy. "Never." Alex whispered loud enough that only they could hear his answer. But at that very moment a single unruly tear left his eye.