The Midnight Flame

I feel a burning sensation on my eye lids and crawling deeper into my skin. My eyes closed and all senses heightened. I can hear the sound of a crackling fire, the smell of a musky place, and feel a slight moisture in the air touching my skin. It’s as if fire has touched my skin, but I am not burning...

“Ever thought that fire can heal?” Deandre says. I open my eyes and find his eyes locked on mine with intensity and excitement. His smile crooked and eyes slightly squinted, eager for my response. I slip my eyes away from his for just a second to look past him to the dark room illuminated by a single flame in the middle of the dreary cavern. Floating in mid air, suspended by nothing. 

“Fire... heal?” I said hesitantly, whispering as if not to disturb something deep within the cave we’re in, though nothing was there but the two of us. His smile brightens and his eyes are wide with wonder, the deep brown of his eyes seem black in the dim lighting. “But that’s impossible...”

“Yeah, I know! It’s like magic...” He says his voice trailing off. He turns around to face the flame and steps closer. His presence in this place seems different than before, something about it isn’t right... He continues to walk closer to it, slow and steady.

“Deandre -” 

“Tiff, shhh!” He cuts me off. Not one bit of me likes his actions but I am too intrigued by his next move to interrupt. He stares at the flame, fixated by its beauty and impossibility. In most cases, I would stop him, but this is different. The aura of the room changes when you are in the presence of the flame.

Something from outside the cave shuffles and Deandre and me freeze and bend our knees as if ready to run at a split second. We both know we are not supposed to be here, but the rumors sounded too good to be true. I try to slow my breathing down and quiet it as much as possible. In dead silence, the smallest of sounds seems too big to bare. Deandre shifts his foot in my direction and starts to reach out his hand to me, as if telling me to take it. I reach for it just in time, as a bear emerges from the dark opening of the cave. We must have stayed longer than we thought, the sun was starting to set and creatures starting to awaken. The bear leaps out at Deandre and he shoves me to the side while making a loud roar to entice the bear. I run off to the side and start heading for the mouth of the cave, while Deandre faces the bear, arms wide open and legs apart, challenging the beast to a fight. I stop in shock when I reach the opening, my breathing is heavy and my eyes wide on the scene in front of me. The bear is twice his size and strength. He isn’t going to win, no one ever does. I open my mouth to shout his name but he stops me before I can say anything. 

“Run!” He yells throwing his hand up signaling me to leave. I take one last look at him with fearful eyes, then turn from the cave to the thick forest ahead. This is crazy, this is such a crazy idea, I think to myself.

“Come at me! Come at me bear! Show me what you got!” I hear him yell as I run through the vegetation, pushing it away with my hands. Never run through the forest without your knife, it’s something we learn as kids in the village before we are old enough to even hunt. My knife is hitting my side though my waistband but I’m too afraid to reach for it. The last thing I hear is the deep throaty growl of the bear before I make it deep into the woods, leaving only the sound of my feet shuffling through the leaves as I make it back to my village.

Guilt clutches my body, as I realize I should have gone back and fought. Be a warrior like my tribe wants me to be. I still have a chance. I think to myself. I can still go back and fight. I stop to take a breath and bring my eyes up to the darkened sky above. The moon has just started to rise in the east, I still have time. If I go quick, I can get him and be back in time before the moon rises completely over the village. ‘Don’t do this Helen, this is a bad idea’, I nudge the little voice inside my head aside and turn back the way I came. But my feet wont move, I stare off into the distance ahead, making sure this is what I want to do. It’s not a good idea, but I can’t leave a friend behind. It is unacceptable in the village standards. I take a deep breath in, narrow my eyes, keep my hand on my knife near my waistband, and run back the way I came, determined to make it back in time. 

Your feet push harder when you are determined. Like a lion catching its prey. Every step full of intent, each stride stronger than the last. I can make it. I tell myself. I have to. I cut through the vegetation, each bush brushing past my legs, my hands frantically trying to push leaves out of my face. My legs burn beneath me, reminding me of my burning face back in the cave. Desire runs through me as I long to reach Deandre. It feels like I have been running forever, the dark sky is not helping and my breath feels constricted inside me. 

Finally, I reach the mouth of the cave, but all is silent. It looks different from out here, innocent and playful. As if enticing you to come in, and the burning of the flame seems to be gone. I scan the area for any sign of movement but none seems to come. Why is it so silent? The eeriness is unwelcoming and my hands start to shake. I step with caution, slowly and hesitantly. I have don’t know what I am walking into as I enter the cave, part of me doesn’t want to know, and the sinking feeling in my stomach seems to agree. I step upon the slick rock of the cave, and keep one foot outside, still no sign of the burning flame from before. Taking a deep breath, I raise my hand up to my mouth I whisper, “Deandre?” Everything in me seems to freeze as I wait for a response. My eyes haven’t adjusted to the darkness, I still don’t know what I will stumble upon.  When no response follows, I step fully inside the cave, every part of me shaking now. For a moment I fear the beast can hear me shake, but I put the idea behind me, deeming it as unrealistic, to ease my nerves. The attempt to ease my nerves becomes useless, as the ever looming silence drops my heart into my stomach. The worst thoughts begin to run though my head, ‘What happened here? Did the beast get him? Is he injured? Did he...?”

“Helen!!!” A voice calls from the back of the cave. 

“Deandre?!” I whisper back. The voice doesn’t sound like him.... but I put it behind me. Fear can change a lot of things in your mind. Maybe this was just one of them.

“Where are you?” I call out, still inching deeper into the cave. Looking left and right for the bear to appear as my eyes adjust. 

“I’m coming to you just don’t move!” I stop in my tracks and stand up straight. Now that didn’t sound like Deandre. Before my body has time to react, a figure emerges from the darkness, a taller more sleek figure than Deandre. I take a step back and squint my eyes to get a better view. Shaggy hair, broad shoulders, thin legs. The exact opposite of Deandre. My head begins to pound and my adrenaline rushes. I am not in the mood for another beast, the moon is rising quick and I need to get back home. I put my hand on my knife, ready to use it if needed and say,

“What happened here? Who are you? Where’s the-” I stop myself before revealing too much information about our travels before. Not knowing who this man is and not knowing what he wants is not a time to bring up new and valuable information. I take another step back, keeping my eyes on the figure before me. Without his face in sight, it’s hard to tell his intent, nevertheless he continues to speak. 

“Listen, I know this isn’t going to make any sense, but trust me. I’m here to help. Something happened here and it’s not good. There was a-” 

“Is my friend okay?” I say in a stern and slow voice. Finding the bear was unexpected, one beast was enough, I certainly don’t need another one. The dark figure glances behind him and then turns back to me, with a hesitation he says, 

“He’s fine.” I take a big sigh of relief and my body starts to ease up. My head starts to become clearer and I am more aware of the fact that neither the flame nor the bear has come in sight. Before I have a chance to ask my questions the man continues, 

“Something happened here and I’m not sure what it was. Your friend is okay, but he is badly injured and needs to get to a doctor. Do you have anyone nearby?” 

“Yeah, my vill-” I stop again before revealing more information about my whereabouts. But he seems to be catching on fast. 

“Now’s not the time to be keeping information back. I know I am a strange man but your friend is not doing well and I am afraid you have stumbled upon something bigger than yourself coming into this cave. The bear is gone, there is no need to worry about that anymore. Your only concern right now is taking care of your friend and making sure he gets the help he needs” He speaks clear and steady, but I am hesitant to agree with him. He hasn’t explained who he is, how he knows my name and where he came from. Deandre is important to me, but so is my safety and my people. I start to take steps back out of the cave, trusting he will follow, so I can get a clear view of this man and put distance between me and him. While backing up, I say,

“Deandre is my priority, but so is my safety and my village. If you really want to help you will bring him to me and I can take him to the nearby village to be treated. If you want to keep in good standing with me and my friend, you will not follow” Now being completely out of the cave with him, I can look directly into his eyes. His facial features are soft and his body lean, a little too lean for a warrior from a village. I keep my eyes steady on his, my face stern and unmoved. His shoulders ease up and he says, 

“Fine. I’ll bring him to you.” Without another word he turns back into the cave to grab Deandre. My head is pounding and worry starts to flood me as I realize the moon is nearly directly above the village and more animals will be coming out for the night to hunt. Now is not the time to linger. I fasten my knife loosely on my belt, still easily assessable should I need it soon. Why does that man want to follow me? How did he get here? How does he know me? With that last question burning in my head I turn around to the forest before me. I am ready for this night to be over and to have Deandre back. I hear a shuffle behind me, followed by dragging of feet. I quickly turn around to spot the man dragging Deandre out with his hands under her shoulders and his feet dragging behind him. Blood rushes to my head at the sight of my limp friend. Such a strong character, I have never seen him in such a state. I take a step froward, not knowing what to do with my body, and he leans Deandre up against the wall of the cave, near the opening. I look at him, trying to hide my shock but he can see right through it. 

“He’ll be okay if you can get him to a doctor tonight.” I stare at him, speechless. He stares right back. 

“Well?” He says, glancing back at Deandre. My brain snaps back into it and I shake the thoughts out of my mind. 

“Yeah... yeah. I’ll... get him to a doctor.” I say trying to pick Deandre up by myself. I start under his shoulders but my knee’s buckle beneath me. I’m not exactly the picture perfect warrior my village wants me to be yet. I take a step back and rethink my angles. I put one arm around his back and try to lift him like that. No luck. I sigh in frustration, and the guy behind me intervenes.

“Need some help?” I keep my eyes on Deandre and don’t turn back to him. 

“No, no, I got it.” He watches helplessly as I try angle after angle with no success. After my last attempt I put my hands on my hips and hear a chuckle behind me. 

“Looks like you do need some help.” He says with a smile. I look back at him with my mouth open, trying to find something to say but nothing comes to mind. With ease, he picks Deandre up with one arm around his back and begins to walk froward out of the cave. Now in the moon light I can see Deandre’s face and legs, an up close of his injuries. Slashes on his arms, his shoulder bloody and lopsided. A deep gash near his temple and his shirt soaked with blood but oddly not torn. His left leg also seemed fine, though a bloody pool where his right knee cap was supposed to be. I always told that man to wear sleeves, but his ego seemed to big for his shirt to fit that way. I stare at Deandre longer than I realize and the man looks up at me to reply,

“Like I said, he’ll be fine if we can get him to a doctor tonight.” I look at him in shock,

“We?” I say not breaking eye contact. 

“Well you obviously can’t carry him on your own. You need some help, and I am the only one around.” I disagree with his decision, but I can’t fight it one bit. I do need help, and he is the only one around. I have to trust this man though I know nothing of him. 

“You have to wait outside the village, I will carry him in and you will go back to where you came from, got it?” I say sternly again, trying to assert my dominance but not doing it very well. I don’t want my village to find out I gave away our position and let a stranger inside our walls. We start to walk into the forest and I grab Deandre’s other arm and wrap it around me. His unconscious body dragging along. I hope with everything in me that he wakes up before we make it to the village. 

“My father is not going to be happy about this...” I mumble as we walk.

“That’s the least of my concerns right now.” He responds, “You have no idea what you got yourself into.”