11

99 6 0
                                    

That whole weekend was stormy. It rained non-stop, so Toby didn't go outside. It would be nice to do stuff in the rain, but he knew he'd get sick immediately afterwards, and missing a day of school would not make his dad so happy.
He didn't understand why the man cared so much, probably because he knew that school would drain the boy, and it was.

Toby laid on his own bed, picking at the bandages that still wrapped around the wound those kids left on him. He hated the feeling of the sticky, tight bandages, the injury was most likely healed by then.

He picked at them a little more, feeling a rip start to form between his fingers. He started to unwrap the bandages completely. He could finally breathe properly again, damn they were tight.
Toby reached over and dragged his hand over the cut, it was definitely healing but still felt deep and as if it would rip open again if he forced it.
He leaned his head back on the pillow, huffing.
One hand over the cut and his other arm resting over his face. Toby figured maybe a couple of band aids would work better. They ran out of gauze and he didn't want to use the ones on his arms. Plus, he liked breathing.

Toby sat up and pulled his nightstand drawer out, reaching in and digging around. It was pretty dark and he didn't have a light.
He came across something metal and box shaped. He pulled it out and looked at it.
Then he remembered. It was that lighter he found in that abandoned school a few months back, when that strange man chased him for it.

Toby leaned back, sitting against the bed as he flicked it on. The flame lit up the small portion of the room, and also his eyes. His full attention melted onto the bright orange and yellow light.
He slowly raised his other hand, going to touch it. He laid his finger on the flame, curious.
It just felt warm, but his skin was shriveling up. He pulled his finger away and looked at it. It was all red and crinkly now.

"Hm.." he hummed, using the lighter as a light, eventually finding the bandaids he was looking for. Toby pulled them out and started to apply them to the cuts. It took about 5 to completely cover and secure it.

Toby looked back to the flame of the lighter one last time before putting it on his nightstand.
Ever since then, he started to realize the true beauty of fire.
How its natural glow captures the soul, sometimes making you tired. It can be a disaster, but also make for a stunning sight.

•••••••

:Ticci Toby:{A Rewrite}Where stories live. Discover now