I'm The Monster ( Jinx X Fem Reader )

Good Nightmare

-chapter 9-

My eyes open and immediately, my vision is the equivalent of having them shut; black, unforgiving smoke forces itself into my eyes and down my throat, culminating at the base of my tongue to sit there and choke me. My mind is immediately spurred into action- thoughts bounce around the walls of my skull as I look around. I'm in a building, so dark I can hardly see. The only thing my strained eyesight can make out is the walls of said building collapsing around me, and the loud, insistent crashes of the brick hitting the ground shaking me from the soles of my feet up through my core. Squinting roughly, I attempt to make out something, anything, but the smoke is too thick.

I push through it, my hand out in front of me as a guide. A cough rips harshly through my lungs.

"Y/N? Y/N, is that you?!"

My hand meets another wall as I hear the voices- before me is two doors, and from one I hear familiar sounds.

"Y/N? HELP!"

I place my hands on the one to my left, ears straining to listen. I can't quite believe what I'm hearing, but as soon as I hear the scuffling behind the door and a sound much like someone sobbing, adrenaline floods my body.

"Mother?" My voice leaves my throat weaker than I remember, and I desperately clear my throat. "Mom, is that you?"

I try the knob, and jump back with a hiss. The metal is scalding hot, and I clutch my hand to my chest momentarily before trying again, rougher this time. Now, I barely register the pain.

More sobbing. "Y/N, PLEASE!"

When I realize that the doorknob won't budge, I throw myself against the wood; once, twice, three times my shoulder hits the door. I can barely register a creak of the hinges, but the door itself doesn't seem like it wants to move.

I can hear my mother heaving from the other side.

"Unlock this door!" I bellow, now slamming my fists against the door roughly.

The next voice comes fainter this time. "Help us!"

"Please, unlock this door!" I scream. When I catch a glimpse of my fists, they're bloody. I continue anyway. "I'm here! I can help you! Mom?!"

"Don't let us die, Y/N!" Her voice is strained, the same as mine. I can almost see her face... Almost. It hardly makes itself seen in my thoughts before it flits away, a distant memory torn away by time. Unknowingly, I sob, smacking my body into the door once again. Tears blur my vision worse than the smoke had, and I barely register them flooding down my face; they're a momentary salvation from the blistering heat of the fire around me.

"Y/N, please..." I hear my mother's voice clearly again, seemingly right on the other side of the door. Another sob rips itself from my core. She sounds so defeated. "It burns... Please, help..."

A presence materializes behind me- I feel her at my back before I see her or hear her speak. When she does, her voice is level.

"Let's go."

I can't make myself move from that spot, despite the voice's command; my cheek  is pressed flush against the wood, splintering into my skin. I push my hand to the material of the door as if maybe, if I'm lucky, it will just melt right through. My salty tears run hot against my skin now, but I can't even find it in me to wipe them from beneath my eyes.

"The building is burning, kid." Comes the voice again, and I feel her metal arm grip my shoulder and move to pull me up from my position on the floor.

"No-" I protest. "No, NO!"