Random Encounters: Home

You've Been Bugging Me

Nate stares at his arms that are covered in burns. His arms covered in blackened splotches. He feels no pain, but a burning sensation in the skin around the burns. He remembers the way the flames had attached themselves to his arms, the heat burning him so much he could hardly take it. He shudders from the memories as he stands up slowly, pushing forward.

"I can't believe you haven't broken yet," the soft voice from the shadows says.

"I don't break easily, okay?" Nate retorts.

"Oh, sorry Mr. No one breaks me," the voice responds in a mocking fashion.

"I don't feel scared, or stressed, or anything," Nate admits, "Is that normal?"

"You're used to the chemicals that are emitted here."

Nate nods slowly, watching his feet as he walks, "The nightmares get worse, every single time. Worse and worse."

"They're not meant to be fun, sweetie," the voice responds in a discrediting fashion.

"How long are you here to torment me?" Nate asks, kicking a pebble on the cobblestone path that begins to form as he walks.

"I'm not here to torment you, I'm here to help."

"Oh, what a help you were when I was on fire, or when I was having the autopsy done on me while still alive?" Nate snipes, tracing the Y-shaped incision lying under his shirt.

"Hey, that autopsy made you weigh less. Without all those organs, you're light as air," the voice jokes.

"Oh yes, and the pain doesn't matter because I now weigh a significant amount less and am walking around, how?"

"Not sure. I'd best be going now, this next step is... more difficult than the last."

Nate sighs and stops a moment, remembering the decisions that were made to trap him in this living hell. For the best, that's what he tells himself every time, but was his decision made in a crazed rush? Nate shakes his head, AJ and Gwen needed one another, he was... disposable. He continues walking as the cobblestone path slowly fades into a simple dirt path and the town surrounding him changes into tall trees, forming a large emerald canopy over him. He cranes his neck to examine his new environment.

Birds sing their songs and small critters scurry along the forest floor. Sunlight barely seeps through the thick leafy velarium as he walks along the dusty trail. His left forearm begins to itch, as if there's an insect crawling on it. Nate looks down, prepared to smack it away, but there's nothing there. The irritation stops as Nate runs his hand over his antebrachium. He shakes it off and continues to walk. The feeling returns to his arm, this time it's more like a piercing... a stabbing pain. Nate flinches from the pain and looks down, his arm is swollen with shades of both red and yellow. The pain increases as a faint buzzing noise grows louder and louder. A gray sharp object pierces through his skin abruptly and Nate's eyes grow wide as more and more follow. Eventually the skin on his arm bursts and several wasps begin to fly out of it. Nate staggers back as his right arm has the same event take place. Nate squawks as this happens repeatedly and continuously all over his arms and legs. When it's all complete, and the swarm of wasps has completely left his body, he crumbles. He falls to his knees, hanging his head, the pain resonating as the screams within his head grow louder and louder.