The Fire In Our Hearts

Chapter 1

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

The midnight sky glowed red and orange as embers soared through the smoke and the #1 hero approached my mother, tears forming in her eyes as she repeated the words "He's gone..." over and over, the words only registering in my mind after my mother fell to her knees, tears filling my eyes and spilling down my face as loud sobs left my mouth. He was gone.

I woke up in tears, a part of my pillowcase soaked. I sat up, wiping my face and sitting there for a moment, recalling the time before I had fallen asleep. My mother was yelling at me as I screamed for my father to do something and he ignored me, as usual. I sighed, pulling my legs to my chest and resting my head on my knees. My eyes landed on my unlit phone, an idea popping into my head.

Before I could even decide if it was a good or bad idea, I had already opened the app store and started downloading a dating app called "Pairfect". All I wanted was a friend. Someone I could count on without having second doubts, someone who could listen to my problems without judging me, someone who could sympathize with me and make me feel better about my situation.

As soon as it finished downloading, I opened it, signed in with my email, and starting looking through people's profiles. I was looking for someone close to my age who I could contact whenever I needed to. I didn't find anyone at first, but I decided to look for people specifically 14, and before long, I found someone named Ryusei Uzaiyaro, a 14 year old boy who lived here, in Musutafu.

I clicked the message button and started typing.

"Hi! :)"

I waited a few minutes with no reply. Slightly disappointed, I turned my phone off and put my phone down on the stained white sheets of my bed. I flopped my head down onto my tear stained pillowcase  and closed my eyes again, sighing loudly. I paused for a moment. My sigh had almost masked the sound of my phone buzzing against my mattress. I sat up quickly and grabbed it, clicking the small banner notification and waiting for the app to load. As soon as it did, I stared at the small message on the left side of the screen.

"Hi! Hinaki, right? I'd love to get to know you!"

I messaged him back as quickly as I could, continuing the chain for what seemed like minutes but was probably closer to hours. Within this time frame, though, I unraveled all my problems onto him like yarn. He took it a lot better than I though and he gave me all his problems in return.

As relieved as I was, something felt... off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I ignored it, hoping that the feeling would go away as orange light spilled into my room through my window.

"Crap." I thought.

I politely ended the conversation with Ryusei and quickly, pulling the blanket over my head moments before I heard footsteps outside of my door. My mother "woke me up" and quietly walked out, allowing me to pull on my uniform and brush my hair in a tired attempt to get ready for school.

~

Worn down form the intense heat and boring day of school, I flopped face first on my bed and Turned on my phone for the first time that day. My lock screen was filled with "Pairfect" notifications saying I had gotten a message from Ryusei. my eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion. There were a plethora of threatening messages with no context. I was ready to cry. I thought he was nice, but I guess not.

I messaged him telling him that I was at school and asking him whether or not he should be in school. He avoided my question, but accepted my explanation and asked again what school I went to. I, obviously uncomfortable, answered his question and tried to continue the conversation.

I didn't receive a reply, so I let it go, embracing the fact that the following days would be just as normal and boring as today.

~

I was on my way home from school as usual, the wind blowing past my skirt and pressing up against my scrunched face. My grip on the straps of my backpack tightened as I felt eyes on me. I stopped in front of the small space between to convenient stores that I normally passed through on my route home. Looking around me for an audience of eyes, which I did not find, I stepped into the narrow passage way, my eyes glued to the concrete paving.

Just as the end of the narrow walkway came to an end, I walked straight into a figure. Looking up, absolutely terrified, I met a grinning, purple haired, adult man.

"Why hello there Hinaki. It's nice to finally meet you in person!" The man's expression softened slightly as he walked towards me.

I backed away, shaking.

"Wh-who are you!?'" I asked with a yelp.

"Ryusei! Don't you recognize me?" He displayed a playful grin as his significantly taller figure creeped closer towards me.

"D-dont touch m-m-" I stuttered.

"Don't touch what?" He asked playfully, leaning down so his face was level with mine. "Don't touch you? Too bad." His grin faded as he threw me over his shoulder.

My heavy breathing gave me an idea. I kneed his chest, catching him off guard and fell to the ground, scrambling backwards and getting to my feet, shaking. He looked at me, rage in his obsidian eyes, and stood up straight again. I took a deep breath and puffed out a cloud of smoke, watching in horror as his skin became reflective and my fire bounced off of him. I covered my face with my hands as the heat rushed past me and burned the skin off of my right arm. He barreled towards me and threw me over his shoulder again in one swift motion as my shrieks of agony filled the alleyway.

I continued screaming in pain, smashing my unscathed hand against his back. My thrashing became vain as soon as he started running.

Through the narrow alley, down the street, many turns and blocks later, he ran inside a run down and almost unlivable looking apartment building. After more thrashing and punching, he threw me to the floor of what I assumed was an apartment.

I sat there terrified after he dumped me on a dirty white mattress.

I looked around after he left the room. Then I noticed the dusty window.

My hope shot up.

I scurried quietly over to the glass and lifted the panel with all my might, but to my horror, it was nailed shut to the windowsill.

"No.." I thought, flopping down on the bed, defeated.

I had zero idea where I was and zero way to get back to my family.

If they even wanted me back.

So I guess this is goodbye to the life I once knew.