UnTouchable, Vol 1. Dreams, Boys and Creatures of The Night

Chapter Six: Burning Flesh

Ashton woke up once again, from a dream he'd fallen into. The faceless man had locked him in a closet without air or light. He panicked quickly, thrashing about the tight space. He screamed and yelped. The man laughed and cackled, Ashton heard him, he sounded like a smoker. The wheeze-like laugh he could remember, it was almost like his fathers'. He missed his father, had he'd been there in the dream, he could help Ashton break free. But he wasn't, Ashton left him in Sydney's South-West, in Duxton where those who want a high education got it. Those who were somebody didn't talk to those who were nobody. He wasn't like that, he wasn't rich or posh or even remotely snobby. But, the man, he wasn't even middle class. His clothes and fashion spoke for itself. A suite and tie. But his voice...that fuckin' voice. It was very low class, it was horrible. Ashton tried hard to get out of the closet, trying to pull his hands free. His legs bound with twine. He wanted to remove himself, he wanted to use his power, but it wasn't working. He tried astral projection, it didn't work either!
"You're in my world, and in my world, you're harmless to me!" The man laughed, heat began arising and so did the moisture that followed. Ashton wasn't in a cupboard anymore, it was in a tall oven. The coals below him, burning his feet and his buttocks. He could feel the steam hit his face, it was a horrible stench, like burning plastic. But, it wasn't plastic, it was his skin. His skin bubbled and blistered. The coals sparked and flicked ambers into his lap, burning through his trousers and underwear. He let out a cry. The pain turned to sweat, the sweat turned to blood.
The man cackled, he whooped. Ashton let out a blood curdling scream. And the next thing Ashton saw was Calum's face over him, his uniform still on, the sun was setting, and Calum looked more beautiful in this moment. Anything besides a tall oven or faceless coward was beautiful at this point.
"Ashton!" He shouted, Ashton opened his eyes with the quickest pace. Calum's eyes were a pool of wonderment. "Are you okay?"

**

Ashton sat at the table, the dining room's fluorescent light reflected off the steel of the counter tops, refrigerator, the stove and even the table. It was cold, and Ashton shook in the blanket Calum had supplied him. The coffee that he'd made for the boy was steaming away into the air. Ashton looked into Calum. Into
"You want to talk about it?"
"No." Ashton replied quickly, Calum sighed. He bit into his sandwich, the peanut butter smeared over his plate.
"I'm concerned. I want to know what's going on."
Ashton didn't answer.
"I come home, I find you screaming, buck naked on your bed, acting crazy."
"I'm not crazy." Ashton snapped, Calum put his hands up in defence.
"I didn't say that."
"Good, because I'm not." He snapped again.
Calum had been snapped at enough today, Ashton had done it twice. And all Calum wanted was the nice as pie Ashton he'd met at the airport. The guy who he'd dreamt about last night before waking up for breakfast, fishing Michael out of Luke's bed for the second day in a row. Speaking of which, Michael and Luke had only rolled through the door, laughing and giggling like they were at lunch. Ashton looked up and Michael who immediately stopped his laughing along with Luke after they saw Ashton glaring at the floor, Calum with his arms folded.
"Who died?" Luke asked, Calum shook his head, darting it toward Ashton, shivering inside the blanket. He was covered in sweat.
"Ashton had a nightmare."
"Another one?" Luke asked, Calum cleared his throat, peanut butter had scratched his tongue, tickling his pallet.
"Wait, you knew about this?" He asked. Ashton took a breath and almost growled, "It wasn't a nightmare!" aggravated, he pulled the blanket off and threw it to the corner, Michael sat down beside the sandy blonde boy, taking his hand. He shut his eyes, focusing. "What are you doing?"
"He's not possessed," Michael said replacing his hand toward Ashton's forehead, "But, he's got a fever."
"Of course I'm not possessed! It's these dreams," he shouted, Michael leant back in shock, Luke jumped. "They've been happening since I got on the plane to here."
"What are they? Anxiety based?" Calum asked, picking his plate up and walking toward the sink. Ashton shook his head,
"No, I think it's magical." He said, "I can't explain it. It starts off the same. It's this guy."
"Channing Tatum?" Luke asked
"No."
"Zac Efron?"
"No!" Ashton exclaimed annoyed, "God! Nobody's going to listen to me, are they?" He looked around, Michael and Luke carried sympathetic looks on their faces, Ashton took this as a chance to finish. "It's this guy, he wines and dines me and then after he kills me. But every time I fall asleep, like today at lunch and this afternoon, it gets worse and worse." He gulped, he held the steaming drink in front of him in his hands. "He hasn't got a face, but he finds a way to charm me."
"Why don't you use your powers?" Calum asked. Ashton shook his head.
"I tried, I couldn't even astral project which is a pretty basic power that every witch knows."
"But, you're sure it's not mundane?" Michael asked.
"I'm sure." Ashton said, slamming his hand down onto the table, underneath was the morning paper. He read the front page...it was the story he shook at this morning. "Look!" Ashton said, holding up the paper. Calum stepped away from the sink, reaching for the paper, unfolding it.
"Woman dies after a horrible string of nightmares," he read, "Winifred Flemming was seeing psychiatrists complaining of nightmares in which was written off as night terrors. Yesterday morning, the coroner reported she'd died with every bone shattered in her body as though she'd been dropped from a twenty-two floor building."
"That doesn't fit the profile." Michael said, protesting what he'd heard clearly. Ashton shook his head.
"No it does, he tried to push me off the top of a building." He replied, Luke took the paper from Calum's grip.
"So is this a drug, a spell?"
"Only one way to find out," Calum replied, "Michael check online for deaths like Flemming's. Luke, go to the library, try to see when this all started. I want clippings, obituaries, the lot. Ashton an I will look in the Grimoire for spells, tinctures, potions -- whatever we can find on dream manipulation. Let's go!" He finished, Ashton stood up along with Luke, Michael heading for the stairs. Calum smiled at Ashton as he struggled to get up, holding onto the blanket. Calum just wanted to help, but too afraid that Ashton might snap, he only helped him up the stairs, where he truly needed it the most.