chaos
a towering inferno
raging madly out of control
spiraling endlessly
a room filled with emptiness
a crowd of ghosts
shadows of former people

they stand like soldiers to attention
their clothes hang about them like shrouds of mist
waiting for nothing, and for everything
faceless
each one indistinguishable from the next
like a box of matches waiting to be ignited

flames begin to lick at the walls
inching closer to the immobile collective
unaware
it creeps up their skirts
with smoky tendrils
feeling it’s way to their hearts
slowly, almost imperceptibly
it begins

a blink of an eye
the twitch of a finger
they begin to break free
their hearts warm again, their faces smile
they turn to each other;
it’s over.