It was a dark night. The stars barely flecked the black sky and the moon was nonexistent. It was warm, with a cool breeze making a quiet hush as it slipped through the trees. The sand was still warm on top from the blazing sun beating down on it all day. The water was as black as the sky. It shimmered as the breeze created small waves that captured the light from the fire. She snuggled close to me, for comfort and reassurance, not warmth. He squeezed my hand suddenly, but never removed his eyes from the fire. I stared on, as the flames lept and rolled and grew. It seemed to breathe, quickly, like it had just finished its' daily run. There was a loud booming sound like thunder. I forgot to breathe. Seline sat down in the sand, pulling me down with her. Her dark curls reflected the fire, shimmering, like the water. Everything seemed at peace, except for the fire. It raged, crackling in the night. I pushed a lock of hair from my face and looked up at Darc. His broad shoulders and strong arms heaved slightly with every breath. I wished he'd wrap them around me and tell me all those things I loved to hear. But now was not the time. We sat there like that half the night, Seline snuggled close, Darc standing over us defensively. It had to have been nearly morning when Darc finally said we should go in. The fire had died off by then, to a smoky, smoldering pile of bad memories, broken dreams, and shattered hope. I wanted to throw myself in the lake, to drown in the black hopeless, nothingness of it all. How many lives had this shameless predator already ripped away? What's one more? I was so far gone, I didn't realize Darc and Seline had gone on without me. They had already disappeared into the nothingness when I turned around. My skin was still warm where Seline's head had rested on my shoulder, where her breath had gently caressed my neck. But it quickly grew cold. It was a very dark night. I couldn't see anything once the fire died. I tried to get up, but I only stumbled back down clumsily into the sand. The night had grown cold, I shivered. I reassessed myself and got to my feet. I stood there, staring out where the fire had once lived and flourished so vividly. "I can't do it," I thought, "without my heart and soul," and collapsed face first into the sand.