Rebirth

Chapter Eight - Combined Souls

Chapter 8 – Combined Souls

I stayed in the hall until everyone had left.  During the dinner I kept trying to see Kayla, but with no reward, there were simply too many people.  I ate my dessert and had a small chit-chat with some of the Elders, and with Xavier.

And now I sit there, on the oak chair next to the rosewood table.  The last few minutes have been eerily silent; the only think I could focus on was my own dreary heartbeat.

My hands lie on the silk table cloth, resting lightly on the fabric as I gently rub my fingers against it.  The silk feels so soft and new.  It shines slightly with its glossy like nature.  As I bring my own attention back towards my hands I can see the tendons and muscles contracting as I move my fingers.  I sit there, gazing impotently at myself as I have nothing left to say.

That is when it happens, I start to feel dizzy, light headed and I can literally feel my insides heating up.  I reach for the nearest thing; which is a glass of water.  As I move the glass towards my head I sense almost everyone is looking at me. 

Just as I place the glass against my forehead it smashes; the water effectively spreading across my chest.  The left over glass sits in my hand, some of it digging into my palm, oozing my fiery blood from my veins.

The awe and slight weariness is evident on everyone’s faces as I look up.  I try to act natural, or as natural as can be, by scraping the glass from my hand.  I apologize immediately, “Sorry about that.”  But it is clear that no one is listening to my reasoning.

My core body temperature is still abnormally high and I find myself wishing I had another glass of water.  The reason I know my temperature is high is because when you can literally feel your blood steaming within your body – you just know it’s not right.  So, unceremoniously I bolt from the room.  I have no idea where to go, but I know I have to find somewhere cool.

I can hear footsteps’ trailing after me, becoming more rapid by the second as the pursuer accelerates in my direction.  My body reacts before my brain can; I quickly turn a sharp corner.  I keep walking at a brisk pace, the alley I now walk down is narrow – so narrow I have to angle myself to fit.  It is dark, but not cold, the atmosphere is uncomfortably moist and warm.

My ear twitches as I take note of sounds all around me.  A clank and creak of metal echoes within the compact space, the hissing of steam vibrates eardrums.  Then, as I place my hand against the wall I know I’m in trouble.  My hand barely touches what seems to be the wall when I screech in pain.

With throbbing fingers from the fast burn, I focus on my surroundings.  More sounds of pressurized pipes and boiling water make their way to my ears.  The heat covers my body, intensifying the temperature I already suffer with.

One last click is what I hear from behind me as the containers burst.  The pipes open and release pure, hot, pressurized steam.  I look up in a panic, my feet stinging from the sudden impact with the one hundred degrees gas.  At first glance I see nothing, but as my panicked gaze flutters over the ceiling again I see a small hatch.

Knowing that if I stay here I will become boiled human I make a hasty decision.  As soon as my mind is made up I surrender my hands.  I place them against the scorching metal – which is most likely copper – and begin to climb.  The stinging and bubbling sensations I get from my feet and palms are enough to indicate I am severely burned.

I strive to climb; I go higher and the blistering gas follows.  My body grows weaker every inch I go, my muscles sizzling from heat and over exertion.  I am about ten feet off the ground when I feel the much awaited feeling of cold air.  The open window is big enough for my mediocre frame to fit through.