Salamanders

  I sat by the fire I had sparked in the midst of this clearing. The leaves in the trees nearby were still, and the only movement came from the flickering flames which danced shadowed patterns across the landscape. For a moment, I felt fear, wondering what could be moving amongst those shadows, but then, came peace, as I gazed instead into the combustion happening before my eyes. The fire had just started, but had yet already swallowed whole the tinder I had used to help my lighter provide me with warmth.
  The larger branches crackled as they began to, in turn, dissolve into ash as the fire slowly digested it away. I felt a serenity, a slow calmness even as I watched the flames dance without pattern, with no order to behold. I enjoyed the smoky scent wafting into my lungs, and breathed a deep, content sigh.
  It was only then that I could see something else glowing, too. Just out of reach of the clearing, several bright lights approached. They were too numerous, and too close to be eyes, and they're flickering forms betrayed their identities as miniature fires. Impossible as it was, I was witnessing several bright fires, slowly approaching my camp.
  Once again, I felt fear creep up my spine, tensing my muscles along the way, preparing to flee. Another sensation, however, came from the fire balls, a sensation of joy, freedom, and relaxation. I realized this sensation was formed around them in an invisible fence, and the closer they got, the more I found myself sinking lower into my fold-up chair, greeting the strange creatures with a smile.
  They finally entered my camp, and I was able to gaze finally at the angellic beings who approached. They looked like salamanders, wrapped in a warm glow which looked like fire with no substance. Somehow they floated in the air, propelling themselves with their feet and tails. Their bodies were red, then orange, then yellow, then green, then blue, then violet, before shifting back to red and repeating. This display amazed me, and I wondered, for a moment, if I had somehow fallen asleep.
  It was then they chose to speak, locking eyes with me individually, all seven of them. Only one spoke, and though their lips didn't move, and though the voices spoke into my head, I could somehow track the source of the voice, and locked eyes with him.
"We are happy you have found us here." He said to me, and I could only wonder how I heard him smile.
  "Actually..." I began to correct, then thought better of it, choosing instead to stay for the ride, and question nothing.
  "Yes, we found you." He answered my unspoken question. "But you found us first. In the fire. You spoke to us, and didn't know it. You don't need to be afraid of us, we are the spirits of fire."
  "The... Spirits of fire?" I repeated, understanding little, if at all, of what he meant.
  "Everything has a spirit, and we represent the spirit of fire. All that happens with fire, naturally, comes from us."
  "Okay..." I said, tryinng to sound like I knew what he meant. "What do you want with me, then?"
  "We want to teach you our ways." The creature said, before they all suddenly blinded me with their light, and in a flash, were humans... Almost. They had only four fingers and toes on each appendage, with a suction cup-like protrusion on each end, where fingerprints would be. They had odd ears, sharp, triangular, and lurching back as though to enhance aerodynamics. Their hair was made of fire, which burned a dull red, yet reached a foot or two into the sky. Their eyes had no color to them, and their lips stretched unnaturally wide. To top off their looks, each had a long, pale tale, which matched their skin, which had no melanin or shade to it. Despite their alien look, I felt comfort in their gazes, and in their grins.
  They were dressed in bright reds and yellows, and both the men and women wore baggy two-piece outfits. Their outfits also contained loose-flowing ribbons, which had bells attached. To match their clothing, wrist and ankle bands were also adorned, sporting the same bells and ribbons.
  I can't remember when we started dancing, or laughing, or how they brought drinks for us all to share. I can only remember that campsite, which I now make a note to visit every year. To once again dance with the salamanders.