I flicked the unlit match against the box it came in, causing a flame to completely cover the red part of the stick. I looked at it, watching it dance around as the light wind moved it, but not enough to blow it out.
"If you feed me, I die, but I need air, I am alive, what am I?" Camila said from above me. I shook out my hand to make the small flame die. "Fire," I replied, with a dull tone in my voice. "Right, isn't it weird?" She said, I could hear her legs swinging, it was softly making noise but I was very hyper aware of her presence and what she's doing. From what I could guess, she was in a tree, above me, sitting on a branch and watching over me. "So, why did you come to the woods? Are you planning on lighting it on fire?" I shook my head.
"It's just peaceful here," I looked up, it was dark. I had a fire pit though, someone had built it here and I had found it one time. It was still too dark to really see anything surrounding me but it's not that cool, just trees. Though, when I looked up, there seemed to be more stars visible.
"I agree, I'm glad no one's torn down every forest. The planet needs its quiet places." I heard a chirping of some animal and crickets, I nodded in agreement with her statement. "Do you like being alone?" A small smile traced my lips and I looked down at the burnt out match still in my hand. I turned it in my fingers, fiddling with it as a small distraction to ease my mind.
"I do, but I also like being around people." I took a deep breath and sighed. "Do you like being around me? Or would you rather be alone?" I threw the stick inside the fire pit, not needing it anymore. "I like being around you, it keeps me entertained." I slipped the matchbox into my pocket, not wanting to obliviously use all of them for no reason.
"I'm not just your entertainment," She said feigning offense. I chuckled. "Don't act like you don't use me for your entertainment too." I stood up, wiping dirt off of my pants. I was sitting on a rock so I wouldn't get as dirty but that didn't do much of a difference, as expected, though. "You got me there."
I watched the fire in front of me flicker, sparks flying upwards then seemingly disappearing into the air as nothing but ash.
"Put it out." She said. "Why?" I asked in response. "I want to do something, but it's better if you don't see me."
"Kinky."
"What?! No-" I laughed. "I'm kidding."
I grabbed a bucket next to me that I had filled with water. I walked over to the fire and poured the water over it, causing a rise of smoke to burst out and enter my lungs, causing them to burn a bit.
I watched it as it died, now just a small flame and slowly disappearing.
I heard her climbing down and soon her feet fell to the ground which caused a crunching of the leaves and twigs. I heard her come closer to me, I didn't move until it was completely out and the only light that was around was the moon illuminating the night sky.
My eyes took some time to adjust but before they could, Camila spoke and ordered me to shut my eyes. So I did so.
She put her hands on my shoulders and softly moved me so I was now facing her. I heard her movements as she lifted her hand up and delicately caressed my cheek. I held my breath, not knowing if this was real or not.
She's touched me before, but for some reason, the way her skin feels against mine is almost unreal. And every time is like the first.
Her hand left my face and slowly her hand grabbed mine, she trailed it up until I was touching her face. She was real, at least, what I felt was real.
"You can't see me," She started. "But I'm here." I was confused by her wording. Of course, she was here, I've seen her before, I know she's real.
I could feel her hair touching my hand, it was obviously somewhat in her face. It was so soft, so was her skin.
Her hand left mine, and I felt her moving closer to me, I felt her arms wrap around my body, she pulled me into her, so I wrapped my arms around her as well. I didn't understand the way this felt, this hug, it felt so familiar yet so hard to grasp at. So hard to understand, like I felt every love in the world but nothing at all.
I didn't get it like she was there but she wasn't. I knew my mind was playing tricks on me so I brushed off the thought and just enjoyed the way her petite self fit in my embrace.
Then she softly whispered to me, her voice was soothing, "Open your eyes." In my comfortable state, I obeyed and I slowly opened my eyes and a rush of coldness fell over me. Her warmth had disappeared completely and I was stood there, my arms outstretched, on nothing.
I blinked. I closed my eyes again, trying to think of the way it felt, trying to feel it again but it wasn't there.
She wasn't there. I opened my eyes again, a rush of panic filled my body and I hurriedly looked around the forest, desperately trying to understand my surroundings.
This was impossible.
This wasn't real.
She wasn't real.
She couldn't be.