Silent Night

The frigged wind howled just outside the cold, damp cave. A wary call to those brave enough to venture out. The rain storms had turned to snow months ago yet there was still a clear trail into the nearby trees. Just beyond the trees stood the ruins of a once great city. The skeletons of steel and stone stood as mere shadows of the colossal structures that came before. A man sat in the cave huddled under a pile of blankets and rags. The fire that burned in the nearby pit was just enough to keep him from dieing. The mans eyes were fixed on a small pine no taller than a child. From its branches hung simple trinkets that the man had found in the nearby ruins.

Something moved near the mouth of the cave and the man broke his gaze from the tree and stared at the silhouette that darkened that entrance to his meager shelter. His mouth opened as if to speak but silence had overtaken him years before. The dark figure walked further into the cave. The light of the fire revealed a man who’s eyes were full of sorrow and pain. The mute man looked at his guest with questioning eyes.

“Sorry my friend. I had no success.” the mute mans eyes turned back to the tree and began to tear up. His friend covered himself in a nearby blanket and sat next to the fire facing the mute man.

The mute man took a small package from beside him and handed it to his friend.

“No you keep it. We don’t have much left and you need to keep your strength up.” The mute man refused to take his hand back until the other man took the package. Then he grabbed a burning stick from the fire. The flame on the end of the stick was small and he blew it out with a single puff of breath. Using the charred end of the stick he wrote on the wall “Merry Christmas”. For the first time in months both men smiled. The other man began to sing an old song he associated with this time of year while his mute friend swayed back and forth as he tried to hum along.