Black Sky

4.

That's the last thing I can remember clearly, the rest is a blur of voices. A deep voice that moved slowly around the circle in the center of the gym, pacing. A slightly higher voice that slung my semi-unconscious form over its shoulder whilst mumbling,
"This one's alive, barely"
and the highest voice, it was unmistakeably a woman, who sighed and begrudgingly muttered,
"More work for us then..."
The deepest voice moved closer to where the other two voices echoed and whispered, although I could not hear what it was saying... I recognised the tone. It was the same tone a mother uses to scold a child, gentle but harsh.

"Can we please hurry up?"
sounded my carriers' voice impatiently, shattering the steady silence of the hall with words tinged with anxiety.
"I don't really want to meet whoever was responsible for this..."
the other two chuckled,
"Not with her over my shoulder anyway"
The voice added, I didn't have to see their face to know that they were embarrassed.

"Sure Lux"
chuckled the deepest, amusement licking at his words. The other voice had gone silent, it was a few moments of lulling quiet before she spoke.
"We could take them easily" she said choosing her words carefully, I felt my carrier shift uncomfortably from one foot to another,
"Just not yo-"
"That's enough Cass"
the deepest voice interrupted sharply
"Whatever, I'm not scared of him like the rest of you are... I can see him for what he really is" sneered Cass
"I said that's enough!" The deepest voice began to become aggressive, their words becoming more pointed and the voice deeper, more menacing.
"I've told you before and I'll tell you again, that little trick doesn't work on me"
Cass laughed, obviously enjoying herself
"Turn it off"
Cass said again slowly as if she were speaking to a naughty child. I hear a noise, like water hitting the floor from a height, as if someone had dropped a bucket of water onto the ground below.
"That's better..."
Laughed Cass, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I'm not scared of you,"
She spoke, now seriously to my carrier.

I could feel a dull heat on my back and thigh through my clothing, as if someone was shining a spotlight on my body.

"Do it! I dare you to! You'll be out of here before you could say-"

The heat increased,burning into my flesh.

"It was an accident! I didn't mean it"
Cass was now laughing, hysterically giggling and my body was burning.

"Nobody believed you! Nobody believes you even now!"

The heat was unbearable, like a hot poker pressed hard against bare flesh. I was certain that I was on fire. Why was nobody helping me?

"You're a murderer, everybody knows it. Including you!"

The heat took over. Searing into my back and the skin on my thigh causing it to bubble up in blisters. My eyes flew open and I heard felt myself scream but I could not hear it. All I could hear was the heat.

"Lux!"
I didn't know who said had said that because all I could see was a brilliant white light, it was everywhere. It was all I could see, feel and smell. Engulfing me. I was drowning in both pain and wonderment. Screaming for it all to end but finding myself secretly hoping that it didn't, willing it to continue to scar me.

"Lux! Stop! You're going to kill her"
I could feel the fire weakening but it didn't stop burning.

" I told you he wasn't ready for this, he shouldn't be here!"

There was invisible smoke in my lungs,gripping them tightly.

"Lux!"

The burning stopped abruptly and I felt myself fall. I did not know I had fallen until I saw the ground next to me, my senses were drunk on the dull pain. They were dizzy and blurred, slurring the speech that I tried to force out and sending shock waves of electricity through my skull. The wonderment stayed clinging to the blood in my veins. Dancing to the beat of my racing heart.