Young Writers Society

They say life is short. I guess that depends on your life span. For me, life is long, and I like to savor every minute of it.

I was born from a candle. A little flame, wearing away at the wax beneath me. I sat on a table, surrounded by food and drinks. The younger humans had been taken upstairs already, but an older human sat at the end of the table. Her head in her hand. Checking her phone every few seconds. She had been like this for a while, I had already melted nearly a fourth of the candle I was sitting on. She perked up at the sound of a door opening, and I felt a draft blow through the halls and push me away gently. She stood up as the human man stumbled into the room we were in. We waited expectantly.

"Jeanie I-" He cut off, fidgeting with his jacket and rubbing his head before finally shrugging. The human woman, Jeanie, grit her teeth and crossed her arms.

"So. Does she have a name?" She spat at him. He looked up, hesitating before looking confused. He walked towards Jeanie, reaching to her.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" he said gently, starting to pull her into an embrace.

"Don't touch me! Don't you fucking touch me." She started throwing her hands at him as he desperately tried to pull her in.

Finally, she pushed him off of her, he tripped backwards and caught himself on the table. I shook and began to tip. The candle I was perched on hit the table with a dull thud and the humans began to shout at each other. Wax began to suffocate me, I climbed as high as I could, but couldn't get away fast enough. Jeanie ran upstairs and the human man followed, both still shouting. By now I was simply a blue nub at the end of the wick. I was so hot and yet so cold. I needed to survive, to reach out and ignite myself again.

I reached for the table and missed. I was melting some of the wax now, getting a little bigger. I reached again. Miss.

One more time, I thought and leaped, grabbing hold of a thin, fabric placemat. It resisted, but soon I took it all in, spreading across its surface and devouring it. It felt so good to be big! I wanted more I began to grab hold of anything I could, pulling it in. I was suddenly so hungry. I needed more. I spread across the length of the table. I heard a door slam upstairs, and more shouting.

Was Jeanie ok? I had spent all evening with her, I began to worry about her and the human male. I decided to go, check on them. I worked my way down the legs of the table and across the carpeted floor. I got to the foot of the stairs. A muffled voice said something, it sounded alarmed. A door opened, I began to climb the stairs. One step, two steps...The human male ran to the top step, he became pale when he saw me. I raged on, and he sprinted off pulling Jeanie from the bedroom while shouting. She looked ok, but I had to make sure. Five steps, six steps. They ran into separate rooms, the male human emerged with a small girl human, she held her teddy bear, and stared at me, eyes wide. Eleven steps, twelve steps. I was almost there. Jeanie opened the door of the other room, ushering the human male and child in. She shrieked when she saw me.

No! No, no! I'm trying to save you! I pressed on until I got to the door. I pressed against it, but it didn't take me in quite like the carpet. I kept pushing, hearing the muted sounds of the family behind the door.

"Jack!" The male human cried, "Jack wheres the emergency ladder?"

"Be careful opening the window!" Jeanie's lovely voice rang out. I pushed harder, the door began to crack with heat.

"Emily, please. PLEASE go down the ladder...No baby, Ill get you a new bear. Just GO!"

"Craig! the door!" Jeanie, I thought, I'm coming, I'll protect you.

Finally I engulfed the door. The breeze from the open window fed me and I quickly swallowed the whole room. But Jeanie. Where was Jeanie? I dove out the open window, watching her flee with the rest of the family.

No...No! Why would she run from me?! I spent my whole life looking after her. In my rage I continued climbing across the house. I crackled and burned. Jeanie! Jeanie, I love you! I only wanted to save you. I heard sirens and felt the house beginning to fall away beneath me. Jeanie stared at me in horror.

I felt a sting of cold behind me. Water rushed over me, drowning me. The house caved in and I sizzled and hissed under the cold spray. I fought back, but found myself drowning. I shrunk smaller and smaller, I was so small now, so cold.

I looked up at Jeanie as she buried her head in the human mans chest.

Jeanie...I love you...shhhhh....

Thank you, Reddit user Idontknowherepatis for the prompt.