Dancing Embers

I tracked a faint scent of charred cedar drifting from the living room hearth. Crouching behind a smooth ceramic tile, I watched the shadows stretch and retreat against the wall. A solitary red cinder pulsed inside the dark grate. I paused, letting the silence settle. Then, in one sudden stride, I reached out and tapped a dry twig against the warm iron mesh. A tiny spray of golden sparks crackled into the dark, leaping right before my eyes! -basher