Playing with Fire

27

"You know what?! I cannot continue following this path!" Daniel stops abruptly as we trek into the night and I can see him shaking with fear. "I'm going left! You guys coming?!"

Lee raises his hand and stumbles over to him.

"Oh, so you're leaving us?!" Toboni snaps at them.

"Yes! I am doing the right thing, YOU'RE NOT!" Daniel points at Adam. 

I scowl at him and storm towards him in anger. "If you're gonna go, then go. Just don't blame HIM!" I feel Adam's warm hand wrap around my wrist to restrain me before I attack Daniel once more.

He pulls me back and makes me stand by his side. "It's fine. He can do what he want."

He then looks at me and smiles. I smile back and I feel his hand move up from my wrist onto my shoulder. He then stands by Toboni and holds the joint of her arm as she is a tad taller than him.

"Well. Hope that you don't die." Daniel snaps at us and assists Lee away from us and we are left alone once more-

In a forest-

In the middle of the night with the cold wind brushing against us.

I wrap my arms around myself and stare down at my feet. Toboni stares at me and tries to smile through this moment of anger, Adam tries to as well.

"Come on, ignore them," Adam tells Toboni and I.

She nods and I smile in response that we will.

Adam starts walking first, followed by Toboni, then I, down the road-

"LAWRENCE HOLLOWAY!!!" a shout so distant echoes through the forest, through to my ears. I turn around and the others do as well. They must have heard it.

A cock of a shotgun could be heard from 10 meters away and the shouting gets louder and louder.

"LAWRENCE HOLLOWAY!!!!"

I can feel myself tense up in fear as I realise who it is-

Steven.

"Run." I manage to say through the horrible taste of apprehension and we all run through the forest, through the trees in the night-time; treading onto twigs which causes them to snap underneath our blistered feet, leaves crunch, our breathing is rapidly fast. I can't stop now, we're so close to getting to our destination!

"LAWRENCE!!!!" he screams out once more, only that he is getting closer by the second.

Pelting past rocks, trees-

Bullets!

"GET BACK HERE!!!" a shot from Steven's shotgun blasts through the woodland.

We keep running and for the first time in days, Toboni manages to run past us. Her face is full of trepidation. I turn to see Adam.

Not scared but looks pretty antagonistic.

There isn't any shotgun blows after a few seconds, followed by a, "Shit." But we keep retreating for safety and that ain't like me.

In front of us there is: No trees. The moon shining through tall buildings. Stars twinkling. A waterfall.

This is it.

This is Brocklesby.

"LAWRENCE HOLLOWAY!!!!" Steven calls out once more but he is closer than I thought.

I see Adam frantically searching around him and he points out, "Hide there! In the tunnel!"

We run inside the tunnel and everything is so echo-y. It's absolutely dark and I remember my powers. I thrust my hand out in order to create a flame in the palm of my hand in order to generate light-

It doesn't work.

"LAWRENCE!" Steven stands by the entrance, my pistol in his hand along with a razor-bladed knife in his other.

It's time for me to man up for once in my life.

I turn around and face him, straightening my shoulders and I scowl. "STEVEN!"

I storm towards him and I throw a punch at his face but he grabs his knife and swings it down at me but I dodge it and I miss the attack.

Damn it.

I scowl at him and I begin to punch him again but he hits me across the jaw and I stumble over, trying to catch my fall but I fail and I land on the cold concrete floor, head spinning all over the place. eyes going out of focus. 

I try to get up but my gets constantly gives way and I just cannot fight him.

"LAWRENCE!!!" Adam runs over to my assistance and rests his arm underneath my arms and pulls me up to my feet. I stare at Steven, lip bleeding along with my nose but for once, it wasn't because of the noise in my head; my limbs are extremely limp and extremely numb. I cannot stand upon my two feet.

Toboni runs past us, roaring in anger and punches him in the stomach. He falls over and and Toboni gives him another blow. 

Steven kicks her in the abdomen and she collapses too, groans in pain.

Come on Adam...

With a shock of realisation, Adam lays me onto the floor, head upright, resting on a rock. He looks back at me and then at Steven. He grabs a rock and thrashes it at Steven's face.

Hitting harder and harder. 

Blood begins to coat his fists and the stone itself. He looks like he doesn't care about brutally slaughtering him-

Adam wants him dead for certain.

Steven grabs his knife but Adam kicks it in my direction. I pick it up and I stagger to my feet. Adam stops hitting him and I limp over to him, brings the knife from the back of my head and brings it down, aiming it directly into his neck.

"Again Lawrence."

I stab him once more.

"Become that person who she wants you to be."

I repeatedly thrust the knife into his wretched body, coating myself in blood.

I HATE HIM!

I HATE HIM!!!

I HATE HIM!!!!!

Finally.

He stops breathing in the ghastly air and he doesn't speak no more.

I killed him.