The Protectors: Book 1: Reunion

Chapter 36: I Have A Plan

"How am I supposed to do this?" Joseph said, panicking as he paced the gym floor.

"Dad, this is a little advanced, don't you think we should start off with something easier?" Chisai pleaded, whispering to his father in the corner.

"Either he does it or I stop being his teacher," Fortis said, his voice direct and unyielding.

"What if I burn everything up again, what if I ruin it like I did the last time, Kev isn't here to help me calm down...what do I do?" Joseph said, questioning himself and Fortis' lesson.

"Chisai, how do I do this?" Joseph asked, looking over at him.

"Chisai cannot help you!" Fortis yelped.

"But...what if I burn the barrel or everything goes haywire?"

"We have dowsing fluid on standby if that's what you're worried about," Fortis said, trying to ease his worry.

"You mean that liquid that fixes burns and stuff?" Joseph asked.

"Yes."

"Who even made that? It's incredible," Joseph asked.

"That idiot isn't important, now stop stalling!" Fortis yelled again.

"Okay, okay," Joseph said, putting his hands up, slowly walking over to the barrel.

As he stood there, his mind flashed back to Caius and the crew pushing him to do something similar. Hesitantly he reached for the barrel, the still surface of the water reflecting his hopeless face back at him.

"Just breathe," he whispered to himself, carefully dipping his fingers into the lukewarm water.

"Think about blood flow...and stuff," he continued, speaking to himself.

Slowly breathing in and out he could feel his heart rate increase, as the room stood silent, Chisai and Fortis looked on.

'Just close your eyes and don't let it go out of control, I can do it...I can do it,' he told himself.

"He burned my house down!"

An unsuspecting voice zipped through his ears, throwing off his breathing.

"He's from hell!" Another voice echoed, slamming the walls of his brain over and over.

"He destroyed everything!"

"I say we burn him like he burned our land!"

"The One Curse to Burn!"

The voices came flooding in, drowning out the numbing stillness of the room, his heart beating faster as he fidgeted and twitched, pain and heartbreaking agony enveloping his mind and body.

"Joseph!" Chisai yelped. "Calm down!"

"Cut him down!"

"Throw him back in the ocean!"

"You'll never be anything more than a cursed outcast, burning everything you touch..."

His breathing became short and erratic as the voices grew louder, bombarding his senses as more heat bubbled to the surface. His arms and legs throbbed as his blood boiled, setting his muscles ablaze.

Suddenly, the water violently bubbled, spilling over the barrel as it splashed to the floor, piping hot plumes of smoke erupted filling the room as the metal screws fastening the barrel together shook out of place. The wood curved as the water's pressure and ravenous bubbling forcibly deformed it. Instantly, the barrel exploded, blowing Joseph back as the water shot out drenching him and the floor in the blazing hot spray.