My Collection of Short Stories and Poetry

Loving fire

Screaming in pain, you lift your head up, your mouth open, the terror dripping from your shouts of pain. Looking around, you see the one you love, more than anything, on the opposite end of the room. They're tied to a post, a gag in their mouth and their head hung limp. You can't tell if they're still breathing or still alive so you place your head back down and look around, pain like venom coursing through your blood, swimming through your veins.

You grimace when you move, hissing slightly when you feel where the pain is coming from. Moving your head to the right, then left, you see nails stuck in each of your fingers and your palm. You're nailed to the floor by your hands! Your heart beat picks up the pace once more and your breathing becomes heavy and labored.

Trying to move your feet, all you feel is something like fire, spitting it's hot breathe along the skin of your feet, traveling over your body, dancing inside you like the devil at a party. Craning your neck up, you see your legs are bent, your feet flat on the floor, blood and dirt covering your toes. Despite that, you can see the nails in each toe, and the middle of your foot. Your eyes widen in shock as you remember what led you here.

Laying your head back down, you try not to twitch your fingers or toes, your hands or feet and you fail. Your fingers attempt to curl up, but stop when the pain becomes unbearable. You hear footsteps and they stop by your head to the left. Looking at the unknown figure you can see the unmistakable shape of them. The one person you hate more than anything, the one person you would risk jail, just to kill.

They smile down at you, kneeling on the dirty floor. Your eyes have adjusted to the dim light and the pain numbs you, allowing you to smell the cow shit, taste the blood in your mouth. Realization dawns on you that you're in a farm.

The person grins, and they lay one hand on your chest, feeling your erratic heart beating against your chest. More than likely trying to escape this trap of a human body.

"Hello, what have we here? Awake are we?" They ask the hatred for you evident in their tone. You glare up at them, their eyes piercing into yours, even in this dim light.

"What...about...them?" You ask, blood spitting out of your mouth, splattering on their face. You know your enemy knows exactly who 'them' is.

They look at your loved one and smile. "Oh they're still alive. Not for long." Your enemy winks at you and stands up, kicking your left hand in the process. Your gut wrenches and you heave at the pain, trying to throw up, but nothing comes out. You swallow, your throat as dry as sandpaper, thick as blood, ironically the only thing you can focus on.

Once you close your eyes tightly and try to regain your bearings, you look at them and see them standing next to the one you love. "Watch this." They call out, the gasoline can in their hand, angled at your loved one. They begin pouring it all over your world, gasoline on their naughty bits, their nipples, and finally, up to their open eyes. They look at you for help and your eyes widen, seeing they're still alive. Your enemy pours the rest in their hair, gasoline drenching over their body, the smell now mingling with the cow shit. You gag, making sure not to move.

Once the gasoline is thoroughly drenched on your love, your enemy stalks towards you, grabbing a hammer from their back pocket. You clench your eyes shut, gritting your teeth as they begin removing the nails from your hands. First the left, then the right, the pain rushing back into you again, no longer numb. It overwhelms you and you cry out, the blood dripping onto the floor.

Tsking at your outburst, they slide a chair over, and grab your hand, squeezing into your wounds. Tears leak from your eyes as they sit you up on the chair, your feet still firmly rooted in place. They get in front of you, blocking your view from your beloved. "Pay close attention."

Your eyes follow their every movement, from picking up the matchbook, ripping it out and striking it. The match flares up and they throw it at the puddle of gasoline at the foot of your loved one. You cry out their name, the flames bursting up in a bright flash, then it catches onto their feet. It licks up their body, their eyes wild and searching for you. Their eyes lock onto yours, their mouth open in a soundless scream, their tongue cut out.

You begin sobbing tearless cries, as your other half is devoured by the flames, the red fire bursting at their crotch, climbing up their body, sparking at their nipples. The fire rushes into their hair and eyes, the smell of burning meat overwhelming you now. The shit and gasoline is now a background smell, the once perfect human body being burnt to a crisp as they don't struggle, don't move, their now burnt eyes gazing in your direction. The pain in your body can't compare to the pain in your heart as you watch them die.

They're mouth closes, their silent scream forever finished. Their lips no longer going to kiss yours, nor tell you how much they love you. You begin crying freely, your body numb to the pain. All you hear is clapping, claps of ecstasy and joy, your heart beat slowing, and slowing. It becomes so slow, you wonder how you're still alive.

It beats once more, your body going limp. Nothing else happens.