The burning leaves curl under the fire's heat, making snaps and crackles that were slowly lulling her to sleep by the heat of the fire.

Tomorrow would be cold, just like the weatherman predicted. Every day was cold now. Every day was a scramble for the food to feed that nights fire. And if she was very lucky, she wouldn't go without the means to feed herself.

Every day was a struggle and every night was a battle of wills. Wrestling with her thoughts every night as she huddled behind a snow bank on the frozen tundra, her brain seldom delivering her anything but nightmares.

The beasts had gotten more bold, and she wondered more and more if the amulet she still clutched so desperately would ever reach its destination.

[I don't know if this fits the prompt, but I enjoyed writing it! (:

Let me know if I should write more!]

I'm trying to write once a day.

Without guarantee if it's a slay.

I used to be inspired to write a lot.

Whether the task was assigned to me or not.

But once I grew older,

My hobbies grew colder.

I no longer thought up stories and tales,

Imagine far away worlds or set my sails.

I worried around,

In a depressed little mound.

My anxiety was high,

And my friends were nigh.

But very gradually, one day,

I realized I wanted to play,

Among the meadows and the field,

Where a sword or wand I used to weild.

And so with two shaky hands,

I now endeavor to return to those lands.

So please feel free to follow if you will,

And indulge me when I fail, still,

As I pick up my metaphorical pen,

And attempt writing once again.

Even though from it I may stray,

I will attempt writing here...

.....once a day.

We all remember those "Where will I be when I'm 100" projects we did in elementary school. Well, our answers now are likely very different from what they were then. Mine is no exception. Now? Now, I want to be surrounded. When it comes my time to go, I want to be surrounded by a crowd of people whose lives will be forever changed because I left. I don't want to die alone. I want to die knowing a made a difference.

Congrats on your purchase! You are now just steps away from having your very own star!

To finalize your transaction, follow these simple steps:

1) Enter your date of birth, full legal name, and social security below.

______ ____ ________, __ / __ / __, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2) Great! Now sign this waiver accepting full responsibility for this purchase and the resulting effects.

____________________

3) Perfect! Now enter the name you want to give your star underneath.

______________

Pat yourself on the back, you just got scammed!

*This is a joke, don't do any of this.

Quiet night. Moon tonight. Quiet tonight. Moonlight on a quiet night. Nighttime moonbeams quietly shine. Quietly through the night. Quiet, far from the moonlight. Midnight moonlight, still quiet.

A a a w w w o o o o o o o o o o!

Now quiet, the night by moonlight.

Long night

Spooky fright

Pranks and sweets

Tricks and treats

Children enticed

Neighborhood heist

Houses, haunted

Goodies, flaunted

Gather 'round

By love bound

Families both far and near

Members from there and here

Enjoy the bountiful feast

Celebrate crossing from the east

Food for which we are grateful

Family for which we are thankful

Snow days

School delays

Snowball fight

December delight

Presents under the tree

Children filled with glee

Tinsel and holly

Kind and jolly

Three different nights - when all choose to unite

Life, like many things, is a cycle. We corrupt nature, and the toxic environment we created corrupts us.

We tear down forests. Mudslides come down on top of us.

Nature throws us a hurricane. We replace beaches with dams and flood barriers.

We pollute. The clouds start to drop acid rain.

Wild animals attack us. We hunt them.

Earthquakes.

Wildfires.

Global warming.

A damaged Ozone.

It's a circle. No one wins. We may never know who started it. We're all trying to survive in a broken world.

"What now?"

"I don't know. I didn't expect to get this far."

"What happens if we're caught?"

"We won't be."

"How can you know that?!"

"Just a hunch."

"It's all for nothing if we're caught!"

"So this has to work."

"But what if it doesn't?!"

"Then just know I enjoyed the time we had together."

The world is a big place.

Don't loose yourself in it.

Explore, but don't wander aimlessly.

Keep your options open, but don't loose focus of what you want in life.

Enjoy the moment, but keep the future in mind.

Try new things, but don't be so quick to dismiss things from your past.

It's your life.

Yours.

So live it like you own it.

Happy Birthday!