How To Build A Fire

Up the trail an into the woods. It is fragrant. A pleseant smell of sage and bay leaf. Twilight is covering the valley in darkness. As the light fades, on comes the cool. The damp air from the waterfall, is chillingly refreshing. It washes the dust from the face.

The path becomes steep, a dozen metres in. There are boulders all around. ancient peaks making their slow downward voyage into the sea. They cause the path to zig then zag, then back again. Rocks, rocks everywhere. The sound of trickling water, reveals the creation of this labrynth. The day lit world is settling to sleep. The night world begins to stir. A bat flutters over head. As it follows the paths between the rocks, it to dodges and weaves its route through the air, catching vairous unseen prey.

Pink hue to the west. The sun is well below the watery horizon. Wood. Wood is needed to keep the chill out. The Hunt begins. Scramble over the the roots, around the rocks. collecting and pileing. Always bringinging it closer home. As the net shrinks a bundle starts to apear. Small twigs, branches, and finally logs. This bay is a good hearty wood. Solid and dense.

As the light begins to fade the twigs are piled. On top a pile of stinky dry leaves. First the twigs. Then some branches. Arranged hap-hazardly. Not much order. Just snap and place. Trying to keep the largest on the top.

As the stars start peaking through the darkening blue...
Flick...
Flick...
Flame!

The leaves are being difficult. Like an unsmoked cigarette. they go out.
flick...
\ FLICK!
FLAME!!!
Breath now... careful not to hard. ...blooooow... .flames tickle the leaves... Bloooow... BLOOooow....BLOW...
Twigs start the journey to charcol. Success. A more Incense like flavour fills the air. The branches catch. The flames are in controll now. Warmness starts to glow off the rocks. As the twigs all start to burn. So does the sensation of Million years of ideas. watch. Wait... Now the logs. The greedy fire draws them in. They glow within minutes. Hardly a wispher of a crackle. Bay is a silent wood. And so is everything else, except the waterfall.