The flame flickered before the door had even opened, as if some spirit had run ahead to warn of Gael’s approach. When the insolent tongue of fire was still again, the room was nearly silent.

Nearly, for  Gael’s consumptive breaths now rattled in the hallway.

“Is it ready, Julian?”

The voice was weak but impatient, and no less cruel. Julian replaced his quill and gathered his papers from the desk.

“Soon,” he said quietly.

Gael shook his head as the flame writhed once more, announcing another visitor.

“It would be irresponsible to die without a will, Julian,” Gael said.

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This is my response to the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups. This week’s prompt: write a piece to include the phrase …The flame flickered before... Follow the link to read the other responses and submit one of your own.

Comments and criticism more than welcome! (That goes for the rest of my fiction, too).