The Candle

Flash Fiction

The Candle

Jan sat in her room, with a sneaky smile on her face, looking at the beautiful candle flickering through the darkness. She’d set it up on her night table. It was something she was never allowed to do when her parents were home.

They’d made it a rule, no candles except on birthday cakes! A rule made when she was six, and tried to light one, burning her finger. Now she was eighteen, though still living with her parents, hardly a child. Yet, no candles in the house still stuck. She assured her parents she was capable of being safe, but they always said no.

Well! They were away until Wednesday! Two days when she was in charge, on her own! She still had that very candle she’d wanted to light when she was six!

She stayed in her room, though the rest of the house was empty. It brought memories of her wanting so much to light that candle when she was six. Her babysitter, then, had told her a story about candles being magic.

Of course, then, she believed in magic. Now she just wanted to have a candle in her room at least once! Probably because she never understood why it was always prohibited by her parents. Even now, when she was eighteen!

Sitting there, watching the lovely glow, suddenly she got a chill. Looking up to see where her sweater was, she didn’t see her room at all. She saw women, all smiling in woods around her. Somehow, it didn’t even frighten her.

“Welcome Jan” a voice said, “We’ve been waiting so long for you to come!

Jan stood up, and blue out the candle. She knew her decision, but not quite yet. She had a few things to discuss with her mother first…