Burning Sage

Chapter 12: Cooling Down

I woke up on the cold and dirty road with Maple and Landon by my side. A dusting of snow blanketed my burnt chest. My eyes were boiling with tarred ash and sutt. Miserable sounded like my middle name. "See I told you he was alive." Landon gushed. My head rang like a church bell, except it was always 10am on a Sunday morning.

I turned my aching, sore self around the two, "Where's Hope?" I coughed, "And that other girl?"

"They're in the car. Ember told me you'd be a little cranky when you woke up. You know, all of them burns you got." Maple squatted down beside me, "I'm glad you're ok Sage." she put her warm hands on my forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too-"

"Well damn-it Sage, don't go risking your life for some girl that ain't me-" Maple warned with her arms wrapped around my neck, "You could've died. Then I'd have no one."

"You'd have yourself." "Well I fucking hate my self in the first place." Maple took her glasses off, and kissed my dirty lips. I still could taste the lingering strawberry yogurt in my mouth. It coated my insides and reminded me of what I did with Hope. I needed another drink, another excuse to find myself in a place where I wasn't.

"I need to piss." Landon muled around. "Then go piss." My whole body hurt - Burn marks laced me from head to toe. My pants were tailored by the fire, ragged and crisp black. I looked like I had a bad case of homelessness.

Me and Maple went to the car. Ember was beside Hope, who was in the driver's seat. Hope was bent over the dashboard, hogging the heat like a little kid.

"Get up." Maple fused, opening the driver's side door, "You don't even have your glasses."

"I can see with-out them." Hope explained, putting her hands above her head like she was about to get arrested, "I promise I won't crash again. I know how to drive."

"Like you better not." Maple slammed the driver's side door. Me and her got in the backseat. I couldn't believe it. As I sat down, his robust, 1 year old face glanced over at me and Maple. Ember swayed him back into her chest.

"What is that?"

"That." Ember paused with a weary face, "Is my child. Say hey."

"I thought everyone was dead. How in the hell-" "Awww." Maple cheered, "Can I like hold him?"

"Just don't drop him." Ember reminded like any concerned parent. Maple's eyes melted and gooed when she grabbed the baby from her. Maple held the baby how she held me for the first time. All the pain inside me that'd been locked and tortured, hurt a little less with the care Maple shared for that child.

"Why- How is that your kid?"

"I prayed." Ember said, "Prayed to that dude-" "Ya mean Luke." Hope cranked the car and turned on the defroster, "I ain't prayin to him for shit."

I eventually took the baby off Maple's leg, and situated himself on top of me. The baby kept screaming and crying, desperately pleading for his mom. It's not like I could scream back. Ember would kill me, and Blondy would push me away. I didn't like babies - They want more attention then they need... wanna-be popular people. They get to suck titties every day, like shut-up little dude. You have it better than all of us.

"Keep him back there. I need to sleep for a bit." Ember put her head against the headrest and fell asleep.

"How in the hell did you get out?" I looked over at Maple. She watched me pick at my biting burns. "Through the front door. I woke up to smoke. I slept in your mom's room, I would've slept in your room but the door was locked. I was wondering what you were up to, you never lock your door."