The Fire
“I think I am dying.” Salisha said these words sitting in front of the dying fire, clutching the blue shawl her favourite aunt had given her as a departing gift. Her brother sat right in front of her, looking at her as if she grew a third eye. But with the statement she had just made, that was kind of valid. Still in shock, her brother stuttered out, “W-what do you m-mean? You look f-fine-" “Not literally dying, big bro, it’s just that I feel dead inside, you know. As if there is nothing left to enjoy anymore.” It was all true, she felt. Hours ago, the fire had been bigger, with the embers dancing and the fire casting an incandescent glow on all her relatives who had been here for a family reunion. The orange flames had eaten through most of the wood, and the warmth of it had seeped right into her bones and warmed her up. Now, however, looking at the dwindling fire only managed to make her feel dread, the embers no longer sparking as much as earlier, and the roaring fire no