The blackened wood crunched underneath my shoes as I searched the leftover ruins of her house. Ella said there was a fire, and this time she wasn't lying. All that remained of the structure were just a few beams that stood amongst the rubble.

I slammed my fist into the thick plywood, only for it to fall onto the pile of ashes. Maybe I deserved this.

No, we had been through too much together. So why did she burn without so much as a goodbye?

A light trickle of wetness rolled down my forehead and off the tip of my nose. I looked up and watched as dark clouds opened up, letting the rain come down. It washed away anything that she could have left behind.

"This is useless," I muttered and kicked her destroyed memories.

I dropped my head in defeat, ready to leave. There was nothing more I could do here. She was gone.

But as the wind blew, I smelt it. Gasoline. If Ember rebirthed, why would she use gasoline?

I knew this girl, and I knew where to go. I ran through the high grass, and I went directly to the wildflowers without stopping. Maybe she was still there.

As soon as the field came into view, the air was saturated with an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Of sadness. I felt it palpating, permeating every inch of this place. I could never quite comprehend why she had an affinity for it.

But then, in the middle of the field, was one solitary purple flower and right beside it, a circle of burnt grass.

As I strolled across the grass, I heard the crunch beneath my every step. I was afraid. I'm not sure I wanted to know what laid within that black circle.

Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, causing the ashes from the circle to swirl in the air, resembling shimmering silver snowflakes. And amidst this ethereal scene, a tiny piece of paper danced alongside the ashes. Just like she would.

"Thank you," I whispered as I reached up and grabbed the only clue that remained of Ember.

I hope he can rewrite this story to put the blame on me.

Running was worse than lying.

"Ember, leave your fire burning," I said as I crumbled the paper in my fist. "I will find you."