Victim

|6| Heartache

Alexandria looked about her surroundings. The same mansion where she was kidnapped, the building was engulfed in flames. Her eyes darted around her, Ramona came from the burning smell of gasoline. "This was your fault. Your fault." Ramona's silky voice repeated in her head. 'You're not good enough' Alex covered her ears. Her eyes widened at the sight. Blaze was spattered in blood, the crimson liquid trailing down his jawline and from his temple.

"You'll never be good enough. No one will love you. I don't love you. I never will."

That's when she broke.

Alex awoke in a cold sweat. Her breathing was unfocused and she could feel her eyes jump around the room, expecting something to be there. When she found nothing her breathing slowed but heart hadn't joined it yet.

"Dria?" Her head shot to the door in fear but it was only Blaze, his head poking out the door that had opened just a crack. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. "What's the matter, love?" He wiped a tear that Alexandria hadn't noticed.

"I, I, I, It was terrible and I was engulfed in flames and you w-were dead and-" She broke down into sobs, clutching her stomach.

"It was just a bad dream, darling, it'll-" Dria's head snapped up in anger.

"No!" Alex's voice was squeaky, tired, and irritated. "It wasn't just a dream Blaze, it made my heart race and my breath quicken and-" Just talking about the effects made her cry more.

"Those are all normal reactions. Dria, it was just a dream-" Blaze reached out a hand but she slapped it away.

"No! You don't understand! That was more than a dream to me. You, you, you'll never understand" Alex turned away from him. "You aren't good enough." She whispered.

"Excuse me?" Blaze asked.

"I said you aren't good enough!" Alex yelled. "Nobody could love you!" She yelled. "Just-Just pack up your things and LEAVE!" Blaze stared at the girl in shock.

"Don't you?" He asked her. Alex sat there shaking. She looked into his dark verdant orbs, choking back a sob.

"... No."

The word hit him like a train. He had hurt his family. He hurt innocent children for pleasure. He hurt his Dria most of all.

He realized it at last:

When she looked at him, she saw a monster.

Blaze stood up without a word and exited the guest bedroom. Once he entered his room, he slammed the door shut and screamed into his pillow. He paced around the room, throwing books and pens, anything he could find, onto the floor. He kicked the door out of frustration. He was supposed to hate her. He was supposed to kill her like he did to the others. Some invisible force stopped him from continuing on.

"I love Alexandria Sinclair. I fell in love with my victim." He muttered. "And I let her slip away." He sank to his knees.

"She hates me. She hates me." He replied in his head.

"But I don't hate her. I never could."

---

Alex didn't sleep that night. Not after her fight with him. Why had she said those things? She didn't mean any of them. She really did love Blaze. But in her defense, he really was acting sort of rude and selfish. For the rest of the night, she silently cried to herself, thinking everything over, thinking of how it could have gone differently. About how she already wanted him back. She wondered if they were still together, if they ever really were, and if they ever really could be.

"I do love you Blaze," She whispered to the dark. "I do."

---

Phoebe walked into her brother's room and stood in the doorway. "Are you done yet?" She asked, watching him pace about frantically. He gave her a death glare before returning to his seat. "What happened with you and daddy's girl?" He scoffed.

"Nothing Phoebes. Just an argument is all. Nothing too big." Phoebe arched her brow.

"Are you completely sure?" She inquired. Phoebe took out a golden locket and studied it in her palm. "Huh. Always wondered why she wore this." Blaze' head shot up.

"Give it." He snarled. "That's Dria's. Hand me it." Phoebe chuckled.

"Do you know whose it is?" She questioned him. "The necklace?" It was Blaze' turn to be confused.

"What?" Phoebe stared at her brother.

"Are you on something or are you just dumb?" She tossed him the necklace. "It's her mothers you ding-dong." Blaze looked closer at the design. Seeing a message engraved, he gaped in surprise before slapping himself. Phoebe laughed. "Oh how I've missed this!" She left the room, cackling in laughter.

The world is your heartache Mi Vida.

Blaze placed the necklace gently on the vanity next to him. His thoughts wandered before having sleep got the best of him.