by Brianna Malotke
The smoke settled and the sun set.
Alice let her tears fall freely now
thinking of all the happy memories
and pushing the regret deep down
to before the flames had consumed
everything she had held dearly.
Embers dully glowing as a figure
emerged from the gray rubble.
Composed of blackened, peeling
flesh, white bone peeking out,
everything charred, the slow
moving figure made its way out
the remaining bones creaking
through the darkness, the figure
made their way home to the one
they hold most dear, their soulmate.
She had let her tears fall until there
was nothing left, everything smudged.
Alice was alone, her soulmate’s remains
lost amongst the fire’s debris.
Staring out the window, movement
caught her eye – she knew that navy
silk gown despite the tattered appearance.
She flung the door open, waiting
for the figure to get closer, and closer
heart racing, Alice knew her soulmate
had returned to her, that fire couldn’t
tear them apart, even if it was set
in a fit of rage and passion,
as the two embraced, Alice knew
her soulmate would forgive her
they could spend forever together now.
Brianna Malotke (she/her) is a writer in the PNW with over 90 publications. She’s not only an active member of the Horror Writers Association, but she’s also the co-chair of the Seattle Chapter. She has work in The Dire Circle, The Nottingham Horror Collective, Under Her Skin, and HorrorScope: A Zodiac Anthology Volumes 1 and 4. In fall of 2023 her debut horror poetry collection, Fashion Trends, Deadly Ends, was released and she was a “Writer in Residence” at the Chateau d’Orquevaux in France. Malotke’s latest collection, Lost Cherry, was published with January Ember Press fall of 2024.