Candle Lit Destruction

• Brittany Williams, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2013

It was a cold, dark night. I grabbed my sweater and I took a candle out into the graveyard just to watch it burn. Handcrafted, warm vanilla- bean scent, if it makes a difference. It illuminated the night like a lightning bolt in the middle of a summer storm. The flame danced and bounded as a light breeze blew it astray, not enough to blow it out. The flame then quickly fell back in place as the wind stopped to sway, just as a soldier would get back up after falling in battle. The colour was almost too vibrant for the dim, blackened night. It didn't help that there were only a few stars in the sky which remained uncovered by storm clouds.The whole night felt like something that should have been in a movie, you know the one where there is a girl with a lit candle, walking alone to a graveyard at midnight. I sat down at a grave, it was none in particular, but I set the candle down at the foot of the grave. I settled next to the candle, admiring the warm, ember flame as it flickered it's way down the wick. As I gazed closer, I noticed how intricate the small, waxy wick was. It was tightly woven, like a braid, with thin, tiny loops interlocking. I was intrigued, but then I wondered who would spend that much time hand weaving a tiny candlewick, just to have it go in flames without benefiting themselves.

My attention was stolen by the urge to destroy something. I looked around at all my options; a tree, a statue, a church, the fence or the gravestone at which I was standing at. I decide that i must destroy the small, leaf-baring tree. I kicked it and snapped the branches and then finally realised that there was no more of the tree to defeat. Then I decided I needed a feared, more durable victim, I turned to face the tombstone which stood, old and rustic looking. I picked up a brick from next to the church. I through it as hard as i could at the gravestone, and nothing happened. So then i grabbed a plank of tough, indestructible oak and laid into the structure. I managed to take of pieces of the corner. I had had enough as I was exhausted and out of energy. I took a look at the mess i make and there were no words to describe the amount of guilt had built up inside of me.

I then decide it was time for me to head home, after all it was a long night and I did not feel innocent as I did when I got to the graveyard. The air was chilled and i realised that I shouldn't let mind over matter get the better of me. I used my soft scented candle to take a look at the name written on the tombstone i was resting on. The name that was engraved was…

Shannen Cook

That is my name. I quickly blew out the candle as a chill ran up my spine as i had finally processed what was written on the tombstone. I started to run and so i disappeared into the dark, star-less night, scared as could be.

The End.