box_of_fire_6_half_awake_fast_asleep raze when we left, the sun was coming up. "i dreamed that girl," i said, as we made our way back onto the trail that led us here. jasmine smiled. i don't think she understood what i was saying. i think she assumed i was trying to be poetic. i didn't want to frighten her, so i left it alone. "how did you find her?" i asked. "i do a lot of walking. one day i wasn't really paying attention to where i was going, and i got lost. the more i tried to get my bearings, the more lost i was. i ended up here somehow, and she was in there, playing such beautiful music. every once in a while, i feel something pulling me to come back. and now, i can always find my way. that girl isn't always there, but when she is, it's very late at night. long past the time she should be asleep. i don't know anything about her — who her parents are...what her name is...nothing. i just know she's amazing." she stumbled and fell forward a little. i reached my arm out to steady her. "you alright?" "yeah, just...tired. i'm fading on you." closed in the morning. open at night. just like stickman said. she continued to fade, until i had to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way. "did you know there are seventeen different ways to carry someone?" she asked me, looking studious. "i counted once." "you know you're funny when you're tired?" "*you're* funny. hey. what do you think happens when we die?" "didn't we touch on this earlier?" "yes. but you didn't give me a straight answer. you wiggled like a worm. so slippery you are." she wagged a finger in my face. "alright," i said. "i think we go on in some way. i'm not sure how. maybe there's some sort of afterlife, or maybe we continue as pure energy. but i don't think it's just lights out and you're finished. there are too many strange coincidences for me to believe that." "i always liked the idea of reincarnation — assuming you get to come back as whatever you want." "what would you come back as?" "two fireflies," she said. "one for each of your eyes." i brought her back to my place without thinking. she didn't object. i opened the door, carried her inside, and she looked around with heavy-lidded eyes. "you have stairs," she mumbled. "do i?" "this is...a two-story shotgun house. is that even a thing?" "i've been told it's rare. but apparently it is a thing, sleepyface." "it's sleepy*head*, not sleepyface. your face lives on your head, silly." she cracked up at the sound of her own voice. her laughter took on an unhinged, overtired lilt. she had such a fantastic, unapologetic laugh. i wanted to give it a hug. i set her down on the couch. her feet just touched the top of the armrest. she was almost a perfect fit. "this place is so weird," she said. "it feels..." "haunted?" "no." she yawned. "safe." 121227 ... back — box_of_fire_5_a_long_walk_to_take_alone 121227 ... next → box_of_fire_7_mnemonikos 121230 what's it to you? who go blather from