𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 | 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐳

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 (𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥)

 "YOU KILLED MY DOG!" She watches in horror as the cougar's neck slowly turns in a direction it shouldn't. She feels the bile in her throat come into her mouth, and she can't help but let it escape.

 She lets out an ear-piercing scream. It feels like she's throwing up, her throat constricting as her lungs contract, almost pushing everything inside of her out. It hurts; it burns her lungs, her throat, and her mouth, but she can't stop.

As soon as it starts, she stops, but the constriction on her throat stays, making her gag. She falls to her knees, throwing up all and anything in her stomach until it's clear. It hurts to breathe. Everything hurts. It's like she just drank lava and let some go to her lungs. It burns. It hurts so much. Tears soon form in her eyes, and her breathing fastens, only doubling the pain and the tears.

"Cher!" Sean kneels beside her. He pulls her against him. Her radiating heat makes him sweat immediately, and he has to take his hands off her every now and then so he doesn't burn himself. He holds her as best as he can, watching as smoke leaves her mouth while tears roll down her eyes.

"She has powers?!" Daniel exclaims.

"We just found out. We were going to tell you."

"Did you know she could do this?"

"I- no. I didn't." Cherry wipes the tears roughly from her eyes, forcing them open. She wishes she didn't. She gasps, her mouth burning more in response. She moves out of Sean's grasp, staring at the carnage she created.

"I'm a fucking monster."

The cougar is burnt black, with only small tufts of fur left on the creature. It's rigid like a statue, joints bent in place forever as the snow around them is gone, the dead grass and dirt underneath burned and scorched. The cougar's face is contorted in its last known feeling: pain. And Cherry did all of that. She repeats her words once more.

"I'm a fucking monster."

Cherry swallows roughly, feeling the dryness in her throat still despite downing large amounts of water and snow. Her stomach growls loudly, but she ignores it. She glances up and watches the boys finish building the grave for Mushroom. A shuttered breath escapes her lips before she looks back down at her hands, her eyes becoming glossy. She takes in a deep breath before sighing, watching the smoke leave her lips before dispersing. She feels like a circus freak and not even the cool kind.

 "Cher." She looks up, seeing Sean take a few steps towards her. Would you like to say something for Shroom?" Her eyes linger on him before she spots Daniel behind him, tears in his eyes. She gets up without a word but stands a foot or two away from the boys.

 "Um-" she clears her throat, "Thank you, Mushroom, for looking after us these few months. You really saved our asses."

 "You won't be forgotten," Sean adds.

 "Guys." The teens look down at the boy, who wipes stray tears from his face. "Do you think she's up in Heaven with Dad?" The two glance at each other before nodding.

 "Yeah, I'm sure he'll look after her."

 "Wait. What about his allergies? Won't he get sick?" A soft laugh escapes Cherry's lips.

 "There's no allergies up there, mi amor. Just happiness. They'll be fine together," she says. Daniel nods silently, giving the makeshift grave one last look.

 "Cherry." She hums in acknowledgment. "When did you get powers?"

 "We sort of figured it out last night," she says, waving a hand between her and Sean. "I'm not sure how long I've actually had them, though." 

 "I'm pretty sure you've had them since the gas station." The two look at Sean, who rubs the back of his neck with a guilty expression. "You melted your zip ties, and your hands were bright red too." Her face scrunches up immediately.

 "You knew and didn't tell me?"

 "I didn't know what it was," he defends himself. "Even though Daniel has superpowers, I didn't think you'd get powers too." She stares at him briefly before sighing, rubbing her face tiredly.

 "You're right, I'm sorry."

 "When were you guys going to tell me?" Daniel butts in.

"This morning, and then..." Sean trails off, waving towards Mushroom's grave. "Then shit hit the fan." The three stand at Mushroom's grave for a few moments longer before Sean speaks. "We should go. It's getting late. Can you get our bags for us, enano?" He rolls his eyes but goes to grab them from the house. The teens let the silence linger for a moment.

"I killed it."

 "You didn't have a choice."

 "I did, and I decided to burn it to a crisp."

 "Cher." He watches as her eyes become glossy. She looks anywhere but at him. 

 "Who the fuck does that?" Her voice cracks partway through. "Only a fucking monster."

 "Cherry, look at me. Please." There's a pause before she does. She plays with the sleeves of her hoodie, trying her damndest to keep eye contact despite the uncomfortable feeling in her chest. "You did what you thought was right. You saw that we were in danger, and you reacted. We'll figure this out and help you gain control like Daniel did. I'll help you." She finally breaks eye contact, looking around for a moment before a sigh passes her lips, her body a bit more at ease now.

 "And if your grandma asks why my clothes are burnt after we practice?"

"We'll say you just fell into a firepit." She snorts reactively but tries to cover it up with a cough. "Nah, I heard that," he grins. "Do I see a little smile too?" He leans in closer, forcing her to lean back. She covers her lips with her hand, shaking her head no quickly. "I think I see one, mi cariño ." He watched her eyes widen dramatically at his words and swore he could see roses blossom on her cheeks.

"Are we leaving?!" The two look over, spotting Daniel standing on the porch with all three bags floating in the air. Cherry lets out a shriek, followed by a soft thud. Sean looks back to see her on her ass in the snow.

"I-"

"Not a fucking word." He shuts his mouth immediately.