A Veil Across the Embers

A tiny jar of phosphorus matches rested beside an unlit porcelain candle dish upon the black slate sill. I selected a solitary wooden splinter, its sulfur tip glowing faintly in the deep gloom. With deliberate grace, I drew it along the abrasive strip, conjuring an instantaneous, vibrant point of miniature flame. For three steady breaths, I allowed the tiny star to cast dancing shadows across the cold stone, holding it high as if conducting an audience of none. Then, with calm precision, I brought a small inverted glass vial down directly over the flame, watching the tiny spark starve, dwindle, and suffocate into a curling wisp of gray smoke. Total silence returned to the expanse.