Pyrophobia

Arsonphobia -13-

A/N Just to let you all know, this is probably the shortest chapter ever, but at lease it's soemthing right? The next one will hopefully be better! I finished Editing Masquerade and plan to upload the new and improved chapters very soon. On that note, I have more time to write chapters for this book! Thanks for being so patient with me!

Chapter Thirteen

It wasn’t safe, I had to get out of here, and I just had to leave. I could feel my skin blazing as it caught fire. I could hear soft sobbing coming from somewhere. I couldn’t locate it and with every passing second I felt myself losing; losing against the fire.

It was so realistic I could hear the crackling of wood as it fed the fire fuel. The sick sparks were falling all around me, some burning my clothes as I tried to find the source of the helpless cries. I was tired, so tired.

The room was getting even hotter, and I felt like I was suffocating. I heard a wicked laugh, it was crazed and bizarre. Turning around, I faced him. He was smiling at me, he was black with ash. He laughed again, slowly walking towards me. He was a flame. I tried to move, but my feet were melting around me, sticking me in my place with no escape.

“Dawson! Don’t!” I shouted, closing my eyes. “You killed me! Now it’s your turn!” He said menacingly.

I jumped up with a start, already feeling my eyes well up with unshed tears. I was having a panic attack. I felt my stomach turn sour, and before I even realized what was happening my body took control. I was running into the bathroom, spilling out the contents of my stomach in one swift motion. The acid was burning my throat and I let out a quite sob. 

“Melon?” I heard a weak but rough voice ask down the hall way. My face instantly drained color at the familiar voice. I thought he had left, what is he still doing here? I crawled over to the door before he could reach the bathroom and shut it, making sure I was leaning against it so he couldn’t come in.

“Are you alright?” He asked, sounding worried. I nodded my head at first, but realized he couldn’t’ see me, and so I mumbled a soft yes. “Let me in.” He demanded; sleep still thick in his voice. I didn’t say anything; I just sat there, replaying the whole dream in my mind. My stomach turned sour again, and I instantly went back to the toilet to let it all out.

As I flushed the toilet, I heard the door open, but I was too weak to get up and kick him out. My face lay resting on the seat and my eyes were swollen and half closed. I saw his face contort into some sort of an emotion, but just as quickly he left. I closed my eyes and let the tears fall; even he didn’t want me.

I don’t know how long I had been there, but when he came back I was almost asleep. I felt him grab my hair and put it up into a messy bun of some sort, dabbed my face with a chilled wet wash rag and pick me up carefully.

I felt heavy, but maybe it was just the gravity. I felt like I was getting sea sick, but I swallowed it down. My feet were dangling down swinging with every step he took. I felt the soft cushions of the couch as he gently placed me down. I sighed and closed my eyes again.

“Stay awake.” He ordered. I tried to open my eyes but I found it nearly impossible. I heard him get up and leave, but almost just as fast I heard he comes back. “Drink some of this…” He said, I held my hand out and took a sip of whatever it was. It was cold water, fresh; it was the best thing at the moment. It chilled my throat and ran down my body.

I was finally able to open my eyes and look at him. He was tired, I could tell. “Why are you still here?” I croaked out. I blinked, picturing the dream all over again. I started to breathe heavily again.

“I never left.” That was all he had said to me in reply. I felt his hand rub my back lightly and it felt good, I never told him to stop I didn’t want him to. Somehow, he always knew how to calm me down; even when he had no clue as to what was going on.

“I’m going to turn on the television, I want you to try and sleep again, alright?” He asked kindly. He grabbed the remote off the side table and turned it on. I didn’t think I was going to be able to sleep, that is until he found a channel to watch.

“What made you chose this?” I asked him, curious and confused. I looked back at the television, where tennis was being played. I found myself smiling slightly and I looked back up at him. He was watching me, closely.

“I always see you looking at the tennis court outside at school, I just figured you liked to play?” He asked, sounding unsure of himself.

“I used to.” I said, smiling. I saw him reach for the remote, getting ready to change it.

“No, don’t change it… I want to watch.” I said, sleepily as my eye lids drew closed. He mumbled something but I was far too gone to realize what he had said.  I felt him grab my hand and rub circles onto my skin, I knew I was smiling, I just hope he didn’t see. I heard cheering on the screen, indicating that someone had made a score. I sighed once more, just before falling off into sleep.

When I awoke next, it was morning. The sun was seeping through the curtains and leaking onto the floor. The temperature in the room had risen slightly. When I looked around for Bentley he was nowhere to be seen. I could smell something, it didn’t smell fresh, but it did smell appetizing.

As I made my way towards the unfamiliar kitchen, I noticed a small plate of eggs, sitting on the counter with a fork placed nicely beside it. I smiled instantly, he was just to kind.

The eggs itself was something to write a book about. They were fluffy, but not the rubbery kind of fluffy, the good kind. The taste was magnificent and indescribable. There was some sort of spice inside of it, which I could tell. I was assuming it was nutmeg, perhaps?

I wasn’t paying much attention, but eventually I remembered the baby and decided to go get her and play for a couple hours. I sure can say one thing… that baby is a handful.

~*~

My parents were glad to have me home after countless calls on Sunday, asking me when I was going to return. Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to by how long it took Mr. Hunt and his wife to get back home. It was a nightmare.

My mother asked me question after question, countless times. Eventually though, I just told her to drop it and went to take a nap. I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I hadn’t heard from Bentley or anyone in that family, and now that I was thinking about it, I hadn’t heard from Courtney either.

I’ve spent the rest of the day, dreading tomorrow and school. I had put myself in my bed, looking up at the ceiling, and going over anything that popped up in my mind. I was thinking of things from my childhood and to what if scenarios.

What if I married an orange? What if I lost all my teeth tomorrow? What if a giant snake just came out of my mouth and slithered around my room? What if I was a wizard and went to Hogwarts? What if, I had no limbs, and I would have to hobble around everywhere? Random things that I had no idea where they had come from kept popping up into my mind.

With a loud sigh, I turned around and shut off my lamp that was on my bedside table. I fell asleep thinking about Bentley.