Along the dark snowy streets on Christmas Eve where hundreds of people struggling home with boxes and the promise of warm homes and hot suppers.
One figure though wasn't going home because he had no home to go to. His name was ryou. He was only 15. The orphanage had burned down and with no family, no money, and no job he had to live on the streets.
But he did have six matches that he had to sell to get some food. But so far everyone was so busy they didn't want to buy any.
The night was pressing on and it was getting colder.
ryou huddled in a corner of an ally. He couldn't feel his toes. He shivered uncomfortably in the corner.
It was clear what he had to do to survive, either he had to eat the matches or use them.
He picked the first up. No. If he used them all then he couldn't sell anything, but on the other hand if he did die they wouldn't be much good to him.
He struck the first.
A beautiful golden glow came out. ryou smiled as a little feeling came back in his toes.
Then, ryou could have sworn a sliver hand came out of the smoke and began gently warming his foot.
ryou moved the match forward to see who it was. No one was there.
The light went out. ryou quickly struck a second one.
The flame seemed smaller this time but he was just as grateful.
ryou slumped back into the corner trying to get comfortable. He tucked in his feet just in case the hand came back.
The smoke seemed to smile at him. ryou couldn't help blushing and smiling back. Wait! This was smoke nothing more. But it was still smiling at him.
The second one went out.
Number three.
ryou felt hungry, he had all day.
An arm went around him.
It felt so real. ryou stared at it. It was defiantly there. He even felt the human warmth around him. He smiled dreamily.
The match went out. This was stupid. He struck the last three.
He saw a teenage girl standing in front of him. she had to be the same age as he.
He smiled gently at her.
ryou smiled embarrassed.
she knelt in front of ryou. ryou clutched the three matches in his hand harder.
The girl tenderly put her arms around him.
ryou tensed. This was impossible, crazy, unbelievable, need he go on?
The girl, in a very motherly way gently tucked his feet comfortably in and stroked the curls out of his face.
ryou smiled still embarrassed.
Gently she stood up, settled her self on the step of a shop and began cradling and rocking ryou in her arms.
ryou yawned, he never thought he would ever be this comfortable or warm again.
ryou gently closed his eyes.
When he woke up his heart sank, the matches had gone out and he was alone. He began desperately trying to strike them again.
The hot tears began going down his cold little cheeks. At midnight he gave up and began to huddle in the corner trying to keep warm.
Christmas day. If anyone went down that ally they would have seen a little boy who seemed to have frozen to death. In his bone white hands were coal black matches he had tried to keep warm with. But he was still slightly shaking with cold.
Two feet came trudging in the snow.
ryou slightly raised his head expecting to see a man shouting at him to leave. He began to quiver with fright.
They stopped in front of him.
ryou raised his head.
Two gentle, so familiar people came to him.
It was the matches' spirits- his girl-friend,and her older brother, they died of their abusive father.
ryou felt new tears going down his face as he smiled up at them.
The spirits smiled back at him.
ryou felt the arms go around him again. ryou was gently scooped up again. He berried himself against the spirit.
The man smiled at him. and gently a kiss was placed ryou's lips. And ryou closed his eyes in content as he was carried away down the ally.
At midday hundreds of people went to see the little corps found in an ally. But it was hard to believe he really was dead. With the content smile on his face and his cheeks were still slightly pink.
But his soul was really in paradise playing in the spirits arms, with his girl-friend- with his family !Happy forever.
 krixa 15 · Mon Dec 20, 2010 @ 10:14am · 0 Comments |
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