spark.

~Chapter 23~

I wander through the house, looking arou d for Preston. I asked the others I'd seen while looking, and they said they hadn't seen him.

I had searched the house at least 2 full times, and I finally gave up, suddenly needing a breath of fresh air.

I finally stumbled outside, and found myself sitting next to Preston beside the pool.

"How long have you been out here?" I ask him, fixing my gaze on my feet as I softly swing them under the water.

"The past thirty minutes or so," he says, seeming to pause for a minute to gather his words, before continuing.

"What brings you out here?" He asks curiously, turning to face me.

I keep my head down, looking at the small ripples in the transparent water.

"I came to find you, actually."

"Why?"

"I was wondering what you dreamt about."

He adverts his gaze away from me, staring at the water as well. I look at his reflection, an uneasy look plastered on his face.

"Are you alright?"

"Never been better."

"Then, not trying to pry, but- what did you dream about?"

"I didn't." He states bluntly, staring off into space.

"How's that? You always love rambling on about the 'fantastic' dream you had the night before."

"I know. I had a nightmare."

Once again, his reflection seems somewhat panicked, his iris' consticting while his breath becomes uneven.

"What about?" I ask nonchalantly.

"I-"

He stops. His eyes glaze over, a single tear trails down his face before dripping into the water.

Did it really bother him that much?

"It wasn't real, Preston. I promise."

"It was so r-real... T-too real."

He stops again, blinking away the few tears forming in his eyes.

"I killed you all."

I don't respond, staring down at the water.

"There was so much f-fire, and-"

My eyes perk up.

"Wait- fire? How did the fire get there?"

"I m-made it..." He stutters, staring at his hands.

The puzzle pieces begin putting themselves together slowly in my head. Preston likes fire. Preston's trigger...is fire.

I look up at him, furrowing my eyebrows.

"You like fire though, right?"

"Well- I guess, but that's besides the point."

He has to stay away from fire.

There was a short pause.

"What did you dream about?" He asks, looking back up at me again. Somehow, he's acting as if he didn't nearly break down because of a nightmare.

I open my mouth, searching for the correct words to use.

"It's complicated."

"I have time."