Playing With Crystal Fire

Thad continued his walk west, but still from time to time his mind would wander east. He wondered if this might not be the reason that he still had not seemed to reach the point where he started going east. Thad stopped to rest. As he sat and looked around he noticed a small path leading off to the north. This was not the path he had come down originally, this was much too small. It intrigued him. He knew he should go west, but he had to find out what was down this narrow path to the north.

He got up and started walking down the narrow path. As he was walking this path he almost thought he could hear chimes in the air. Light crystal sounding chimes. He also thought he could hear whispered voices, but he couldn't make out what was being said. Up ahead he noticed a little cottage. There was clearly a fire inside by the smoke coming out the chimney. As he approached the cottage the ringing crystal chimes got louder, as did the whispered voices. He heard "It is Thad. What does he want? We know what he desires. We shall give it to him? No, we shall give him what he thinks he desires. Or we shall give him something he thinks can get him what he thinks he desires."

Thad walked up to the cottage door and knocked. As he did so the door swung open. Thad walked in and called out cautiously "Hello?" An old woman who had been sitting in the corner stood up and walked toward Thad. She spoke "Ah yes. I've been expecting you. I have something I think you'll like. You'll know what to do with it."

She beckoned for Thad to come with her into a small room in the back of the cottage. In this room was a small fireplace. and in it burned a fire of an almost crystal clarity. Thad had never seen a fire like this. It was clearly there, but it had no color. The old woman took a small glass box off a shelf and held it open in her hand. "Reach in and grab some of the fire and place it in this box." said the old woman.
"You want me to do WHAT!?" exclaimed Thad.
"It is very beautiful." replied the old woman, "The crystal fire in the glass box. Please grab some and put it in the box."

As crazy as this sounded Thad felt he could trust her and walked up to the fire. Thad took a couple deep breaths and slowly reached into the fire. The fire felt more like water in his hand and he laughed as he balanced some in his cupped hand and placed it in the box the woman was holding. The fire danced in the little glass box, reflecting and refracting light every which way. It was very beautiful to behold. It's apparent delicacy and fragility seemed to add to it's beauty. The woman handed the box to Thad. "Now go and do what you will with this." she said to Thad as she escorted him out of the cottage.

"I know what I shall do with this." thought Thad, "I shall give this to Beth, she'd love it!" and off he went down the narrow path. Once he reached the main east/west path he turned once again east. After a time he came across Beth again. She was still at her house.

"I have something for you Beth." said Thad. He pulled the box out of his pocket and handed it to Beth. Beth gazed at it's dancing light and colors refracting out of the crystal fire. She gasped.
"I love it Thad, it's beautiful." She hugged Thad.

Thad so much wanted to ask Beth if she would like him to stay in the east with her. He couldn't bring himself to do it though. He knew he had to go west and if that meant without Beth, that would have to be. So they hugged their goodbyes again and once again Thad set off down the western trail.

Thad hadn't gone far when he stopped for the night again. In his sleep he had a dream. In his dream Beth came to him and told him she couldn't accept his gift of crystal fire. That it must have cost him too much. Thad protested most bitterly. He didn't remember it costing him anything significant. Beth insisted that it was too much, and again Thad protested. Thad was more upset with Beth then he had ever remembered being and this was after he had gone west without her. Despite Beth's efforts to get him to take the fire back he refused. He told her that he didn't care what she did with it, but he didn't want it back. At this point Thad woke up and his hand was burning with a pain so intense he nearly cried out. He looked at his hand, the hand he had grabbed the fire with and it was now all burned and blistered. Thad wrapped it up and ran off west crying.

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© 2003 - Jonathan Gardner