Midnight Butterfly

Dear Fire

   Foot steps crunched against the snow, a little girl who clutched her large cloak closer to her body to keep warm giggled as her breath came out as wisps of mist, dancing infront of her before disappearing into the crisp air.

   She watched it with awe and delight in her icy blue eyes before locking her gaze on the barrier of fog infront of her.

  This was it.

  This was the place her parents told her to not go to, ever. Where the monsters of feather and fiery scales lurked, enjoying a tasty little girl as a snack.

   She huffed and straightened her spine, she would prove everyone wrong. Though she was only eight she felt bigger then she was, held captive by her foolish courage and pride. She stepped up to the barrier, reaching her hand out and trying to grasp the smoky wisps between her fingers. Just like water, it escaped her hold and trickled between her fingers. She looked frustrated as she did it again, to no avail.

  She looked at the barrier, angry and took another step forward. She nearly whimpered as the fog swarmed around her and accepted her into the barrier. She tried looking around, it only proved to be worthless for all she could see was a wall of gray boxing her in. She would have to keep moving forward.

  The girl took wary steps forward, feeling a warm sensation brush against her cheeks and invade the coldness in her body.

  She closed her eyes and sighed in content and kept walking, her foot caught onto a stone and she yelped as she fell, the stone jabbing into her stomach. She curled in on herself, like a rolly-polly after you touch it's back, as the strange warmth became more intense.

  Panting, she stripped off her cloak and looked around with teary eyes that then enlarged at the sight she saw before her.

  Tall buildings that penetrated through the clouds, the sky was orange with streaks of red smudged across it like a painting canvas full of warm colors, a yellow circle that blazed was hanging among the orange and red sky.

  She sat up and gasped, where was she? She didn't see any monsters of feather and fiery scales, instead she saw people with toasted skin walking along the streets.

  The girl stood up and turned back to the fog wall, darting back into it. The heat bombarded her back as the crisp and sharp air stung her cheeks. She breathed in and looked back at her snowy world. She glanced at the fog wall and once again darted back to the new world she discovered. She giggled and repeated it again, the rare and exotic touch of the heat against her cheeks and back, the kind you would feel on a peaceful summer day. The kind you would want to lay around in and soak it up like a napping little cat, plump with happiness and comfort. She continued until warm hands grabbed onto her arm and she screamed before the hands let go, sounding with a sharp hiss.

  "Ah! You're cold!" A male's voice breathed, he didn't seem any older than fourteen. She scurried to the ground and looked up at him, chest heaving with her breath when she started to shake.

  "W-who are you?" She squeaked and scooted back as he leaned closer and picked up her cloak, handing it to her.

  "You answer me first. You are the one in my world." He mumbled and she took her cloak, slowly standing.

  "I-I'm Alaska..." She said softly and looked him over, he was lengthy and seemed well-built and toned. His chocolate brown eyes seemed sweet as if they were actually chocolate but if it wasn't for the frown on his face he would have seemed like a gentle soul. His hair was also dark brown, uneven bangs that almost covered his eyes.

  "Hm. And why are you here?" He asked and crossed his arms. It was her turn to frown.

   "That's no fair, you didn't tell me your --" She started to say but he interrupted her.

  "That doesn't matter! Now answer me." He growled and clenched his fists in his frustration. She backed up, as if the force of his growl moved her back.

  "Uhm... I just wanted to see if there was actually monsters of feather and fiery scales over here." She said softly.
"I was exploring." She looked at him just in time to see him burst into laughter. A low rumble but also something she wouldn't mind listening to all day.

  "That's crazy! Who told you that?" He asked after he composed himself. She blushed, embarrassed that she even believed the apparent lie her parents had told her.

  "My parents...." She whispered and bowed her head again, avoiding his face as her cheeks reddened and her eyes gathered tears. It went silent before the sound of awkward shuffling feet and the clearing of a throat broke it.

  "Oh... sorry. But to give you an answer to what you were exploring for, there aren't such things here." He told her. His voice seemed gentle and sweet, not aggressive anymore. It made her look up to see him give her a small smile, just a small tug to his pink lips. Even though it was small, it seemed contagious as she smiled back.

  "Oh! Do you hear of the same things?" She asked him, her face lit with the light of excitement. He gave off a low chuckle and shook his head.

  "No, sorry, we are told nothing belongs on the other side of the fog wall." He told her.

  "Oh. Well, I have one more question." She said. He glanced at her and rose a brow, as if he was a dog wary of taking food from someone's hand.

  "Yes?" He questioned, nibbling on the inside of his cheek.

  "Your name. You didn't tell me. Do you not have one? Oh! I can name you!" She giggled and looked him over. "The name Taylor doesn't seem bad." He nearly choked and shook his head quickly.

  "Oh, no, no! I have a name. Thank you though, it's Aiden." He told her, for some reason it made her giggle.

  "Aiden? I like that name. Your parents are better at naming things than I am." She beamed up at him. He rolled his eyes and found himself giving another chuckle.

  "You seemed well at naming though." He said, watching her slip her cloak on. He tilted his head a little, making him look like a curious puppy when his bangs covered his eyes. He groaned and brushed them aside. "Wait, where are you going?"

  "I can't stay long, Mother and Father will be looking for me. If they find me here they'll be mad." She mumbled. "Father doesn't like the fog wall, he made Mother hate it too. She used to like it as I do." She stepped into the barrier and waved goodbye.

  "Will you come back?" He quickly asked, reaching for her as he stepped up to it. He drew his hand back, finding it odd he already missed the company she gave even if it left his side cold. All she did was give a shrug.

  "I don't know. I told you Mother and Father hate the fog." She whispered, looking into the fog. Once again it was pointless, cornering her in a box made of mist.

  "Bye Alaska." He said softly, stepping back.

  "Bye." She chirped to him and jumped through, getting that feeling of someone tickling her stomach from the excitement. One more time, she reached her hand out and tried to catch the fog between her fingers, just to find it slip away as if it was plainly water she cupped in her hands.

  She skipped away from it, not bothering to get mad at the fact that it slipped from her fingers again as it did before.

  Perhaps that was merely what it was, the little moment she had just now was fog inside of her mind, just a day dream. Just a thought.

   Maybe none of what happened was even real.