A tiny flame, born from two candles burning at both ends, she was buried beneath the surface of the lush greenery of a lonely, deserted island. Surrounded by the salty sea, she grew....unattended and without nourishment, yet she smoldered slow, deliberately. She was beautifully warm, the passion flickered within her light. The sea was her friend, washing over her lovingly, not enough to put her out but just enough to soften her, calm her down when she felt like raging, reminding her of the balance of the world and that all elements must play their part to maintain order. She flourished in her fiery glory while giving respect to the sea which kept her safe from harm with its massive waves yet gentle tides.In time her island was discovered. Explorers dug holes in the landscape, exploiting its untouched fawn and flora, searching for hidden treasure and forcing her deeper into the ground, cutting off her oxygen supply. The sea was infuriated and raged its fury against the island, wiping it free of intruders and covering the remains in its healing salt. She was still there, burning ever so slightly, she survived. More explores came in droves. Large vessels lodged on the shores, men excavating and mining the island for all of its worldly goods to take back and sell to the highest bidder, causing a shift in the tectonic plates, pushing the sea further and further away. She became enraged, her fury unmatched and unable to be contained she broke through the island's surface, standing tall and covering the island in lava and soot, destroying the landscape and removing its appeal. She lie in wait in the belly of the volcano, unstable, patiently searching for her center, for her sea to return. Despite the island being desolate and unappealing, there was still beauty in her magma that drew outsiders to her, forcing her to erupt and set fire to the rain every chance she got. She still longed for the sea but it was so far from her, leaving her overexposed. Towns were built around her , using her heat as an energy source while she became a tourist attraction, something to oogle over and take pictures with, but no one ever stayed near her. She boiled hot yet she no longer erupted, not even smoke seeped out of her to kiss the sky. She was....inactive. No magma to collect, nothing to interest a tourist...eventually the people left the same way they came, homes abandoned and she was totally alone. She convinced herself she would never see the sea again and became complacent in her existence, constantly trying to put her fire out, wanting desperately to be an empty shell of nature's history yet she still burned. Rain fell around her for days, weeks, months...slowly raising the sea level, yet she ignored it. She no longer knew what to do with the sea, just as she didnt know what to do with her flame. The gentle, salty waves meant nothing, the tides rising around her base left her emotionless. The waves grew larger and more frequent and she stood stoic and unmoved. She forgot that water is the most volatile element and there's nothing that can be done to stop a tsunami when it is in motion. As the wall of water grew larger she looked away, burying herself deeper within her volcanic walls. The tsunami crashed against her, filling her full and crumbling her structure to the ground, her flame doused by the one thing that always protected her. She closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
When I woke up, I was surrounded by water. Choking and gasping for air, I was drowning in my own apathy and I had forgotten how to swim. I had forgotten how to love, how to care. I had forgotten what the sea meant to me, how it protected me. I'd lost my love for the sea as I had lost the love for myself. The salt on my skin felt strangely familiar, the smell jogging in the recesses of my mind and I began to float aimlessly, being pulled further and further out by the tides. I tried to swim to shore but the current was too strong for me and I was swept up in the waves, tossed around like a dog with a chew toy and thrown to shore. I laid still as the water receded from my body, bidding it goodbye and good riddance, but something in me wouldnt allow it to leave without me. I crawled to the edge of the shore, begging the sea to take me, to hold me...to allow me to cherish it as I once did before. Water turned to steam against my skin, my inner flame growing stronger and hotter with each kiss of the wave, and for once I felt centered. Invincible. Destined. I am nothing without the sea, my fire does not exist without it and I will always let it wash over me.
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