The Panic of Fear (Book One of The Fearful Trilogy)

Chapter Eight

I walk up the stairs slowly and painfully. My ribs hurt really bad and I hope I don't have to fight anything else. Zodiac's trying to help by saying how amazing it was that I defeated Stiches.
"You were so amazing." "Thanks Zodiac but I don't need praise right now I need my ribs fixed." I say. When we reach to second floor I sigh in relief.
I lean against the railing for the stairs and look around. My flashlight beam passes over some weird shapes in the middle of the room. I start walking towards it hoping that it's nothing that wants to kill me.
As I get closer I realize it's a bunch of chairs pushed into each other. I grab a chair and pull it out of the jumble. "What are you doing? You should be looking for Chris!"
"Look I've been slapped across a room about three times. I need a little break." I sit in the chair,turn off my flashlight,and close my eyes.

Four years ago

I try to fight Zach off but he keeps pushing me. "Stop it!" I yell at him. "You said you'd do anything for a friend. Go in there and prove you're brave."
He pushes me closer to the door. "STOP!"

I hear something moving around and I lift my head. I turn on my flashlight and look around, I don't see anything which I assume is good. "Hey Alex?" Zodiac asks. "What?" "When are you going to realize that it's extremely warm in this room?"
I just shrug and stand up. I swing my flashlight around in a full circle and see nothing. I have a feeling and look up. On the ceiling there is a weird stain.
I stand on my chair, touch it, and I hiss with pain. The stain is hot. I look at my hand but it's fine I didn't burn my fingers. I start hearing what sounds like hot oil crackling and popping.
"What is it this time?!" I ask the empty room. Or at least I thought it was empty. I get off of the chair and look around a few feet in front of me is something.
It seems to be walking towards me. The thing has bandages covering it's face, bandages covering it's chest,and it's wearing a jacket that covers a little bit of the bandages on it's chest.
I grab the top of the chair and hold the legs out defensively. As the thing gets closer I hear the crackling and popping noise get louder. When it reaches the ends of the legs on the chair it just stops.
I start smelling something like smoke and realize the thing is burning the chair. "What the hell?!" I drop the chair and back away as fast as I can with broken ribs. "What are you?" I yell. Al I get in response is the sound of hot oil. I look around and see a paper on the wall.
I grab the paper and read it as fast as I can.

Name:Scarred
Origin:fear of hot oil
Bio:Has body made of hot oil and has bandages covering face and chest. Is hot to the touch.
Weakness:Under bandages,inside of chest.

"Great yet another thing I have to stick my hand in." I look up from the paper and see Scarred a few steps away. "Alex what are you doing just standing there? MOVE!" Zodiac yells at me.