When Everything Burns {Mianite/CaptainFoxx} ✔

Chapter 15: TLC (Tender Loving Care)

Chapter 15: TLC (Tender Loving Care)

(Sparklez's POV)

     I was back in the clearing. But this time, it was peaceful. The grass was a dull green, and the canopy of leaves were thick and lush. A small, red butterfly flitted across my vision before landing on my shoulder. It stared at me.

     "Hey there, little fella." I addressed the butterfly as if it were human. What it did next made me think that a part of it was human. It snarled at me, two rows of pointed teeth showed and a monstrous roar rang into the air. The butterfly dissolved and became an angry, red, whirling ball of flame. It dashed over to a small tree, and within the blink of an eye the whole area was ablaze, just as it had been that night. Trees bent and flames licked away, eating everything it came in contact with.

     The fire grew and grew until it was no longer just a flame, but a face of fire. It was a man's face. He had shaggy hair, with dirt and cuts all over his face and neck. The face grew a neck, body, arms legs and so forth until it was a full human. It was the man from my last nightmare, the one who had killed each and every one of my friends with dull delight.

     His eyes swept over my body from head to toe, as if assessing me. After a few tense seconds, he spoke. "Hello again."

     "W-What do you want?" He laughed his deep, menacing laugh that held nothing but hate and insanity.

"It's not what I want, but-" his voice cracked and changed along side his body, until he was no longer himself, but...

     "It's what I want." Sonja sneered. She walked over to me, and ran a red-ish finger nail across my cheek. Blood seeped from her marks. "It's about time that I made use of you."

     Sonja's body gruesomely split in two, and soon she was joined by Tucker. "Why else would we keep you around? You're useless. You always have been." His voice was malicious and full of hate. Something emerged from his back, and broke away. But it wasn't just something, it was someone. It was Tom.

     He took a look at my face and broke out into hysterical laughter. "You're so stupid, Sparklez! Did you honestly think that we cared about you? If the gods didn't like you so much I would've killed you ages ago."

     No. That's too far. I shook my head. "No, no that's not true. We're friends, and right now you're lying. I know when you are. I know you, Tom."

     A loud snicker came from behind me. I turned around to see Wag, completely engulfed in flames, matching the others . "I always thought you were blind, but now I know for sure. You're so pathetic, having to beg for kindness from others." I took a step towards him, but a burning hand grasped my arm, sending a numbing spark through my arm, spreading to my whole body. I couldn't move.

     They circled me. "Useless."

     "Dumb."

     "Pathetic."

     "Clingy."

     "Rude."

     "Ignorant."

     "Annoying." Their words swirled around me, burning me worse than the flames eating the forest around me. Tears poured from my eyes, but they evaporated as soon as they touched the ground. Fire slowly crawled closer and closer, until I felt the orange tendrils tug at my skin, consuming me completely.

     I jolted awake, covered in sweat with tears running down my cheeks. I swiped the fresh tears with the back of my hand. 'Damn. Just when I get used to one nightmare, a new one rolls in.' I rolled out of bed, and quickly changed from the black shirt and green basketball shorts I wear as pajamas into my regular attire. 'May as well work on my reactor. That's usually pretty thought-consuming.' My feet clumped down the stairs, and as I walked by I grabbed a blueberry muffin that had gone askew from a box of baked goods I had ordered from Captain Sprinkles, the local baker, earlier that week. Closing the slightly damaged- thanks to Tucker- door behind me, I twisted the angel ring I wore and spread my wings.