Here I stand as sunlight forsakes the world and slips away.

And today, it’s a painfully long goodbye.

The birds continue calling, and the reddened sky maintains it’s haunting depth.

Something massive in the distance catches my eye.

The horizon yields but a clue as to what happened here. It must have been something to see.

Clouds and then towers then mountains of smoke stained that place, so far out there.

I can only see the shaking of those towers. I can only hear a piercing shriek of… anger? Exhaustion?

Smoke rolls and barrels, and carries itself to me, so courteously.

Still far from the source of this wave of ash, I fall back in fear and confusion. I can feel myself dripping sweat.

My knees feel strange. There’s a rumbling vibration underground and it’s getting stronger. 

I hear cracking, I hear shattering. The ground is moving. The ground is tilting.

Toward that sunset horizon of grays interrupted with shades of a still darkening sky.

I am sliding down into Gehenna if they’re right and if this sweat is more than fear.

No, it’s getting hotter still, my body giving in. The air is thick with heat and I can’t stand…

I have to fall, I have to breathe.

The ground is silent for a moment.

The smoke almost seems frozen in it’s suicidal dance.

I hear another screech, but this one sounds like victory.

The Sun sets…

The ground crunches to a stop and I’m thrown back, and in my shock I almost didn’t notice…

Glowing brilliantly and vividly, flashing out of the soot, I see that form.

Rocketing up and away from this scorched place, to yet another. To Rise again.

The shape which I will always see when I take rest. The secret burned into my very eyelid.

The desert is so cold at night.