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In this story, there is a man named Dreamboat. He would spend his days basking in the sun and floating down the river. Occasionally he sought company, or happened upon it, in the form of the fish that would pass by him. No one could say what direction the river was actually flowing, for it was a magical one that could go up or down and sometimes both at the same time. The fish themselves were often extraordinary women, but each of them found themselves back into the river from whence they came shortly after meeting this man.

Some fish would simply flop into his boat, but others required the line. A particular fish, named Wildfire, watched from the distance for a long time. One night she flopped into his boat. After returning to the water, she became tangled in his line and was reeled in. After releasing her, Dreamboat spotted her nearby in the water again and used his line to attain her. Over and over they played this game of catch and release until, after a hard struggle, he reeled her in to find her dead on the line.

Dreamboat had plenty of fish to choose from, but it seemed right to pay her body proper respects. In this case, it is to remember and make their time spent in your life mean something. Therefore, as barbaric as it sounds, he ripped her open and feasted upon her flesh. He considered the memories and time spent with her then made a wish upon her bones. It was short and simple: "I wish I could be with her again."

And for whatever backwater reason, the Gods seemed fit to bestow Wildfire with new life. Her flesh was mended back together in a hot fire. The searing blaze that sewed her back together was made from his kind gestures and tender care; and with it, the fish became something new. She smiled and slid off the boat to return to her fish way of life, but the process had changed something fundamental about her. She no longer belonged to the water.

She did not belong to the man either, but the fire within her connected them. It made her skin more alive and receptive than ever before. She saw with eyes that lit up without any light to reflect. Wildfire had the whole world to explore, but no boat to carry her like the man she loved. Instead she floated on the river. Her body scared away many fish and would distract him most of his day. He wanted to pull her in to his boat so they could ride together, but didn't know if his boat could hold them and honestly did not know much about the fish herself.

Wildfire had much to explore...