Stare

Taming of the Flame

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Ellie's Point of View

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a second to comprehend the night I had just had. My heart still fluttered. I grabbed the wall behind me then launched myself off and held my hands out like a bird. I was free. My body stopped when I came across the closet I had locked my mother in. It wasn't the same as I left it. In the middle of the door there was a massive hole with blood on the edges of the broken wood. It trickled on the knob and down the door itself as well. I scowled.

"Boy shes stubborn." I said to myself. There was a trail of blood leading up the stairs. I hesitated at first. Knowing her she was about to kill me. I grabbed hold of the rail and stuck my face up the stairs just enough so I could see a light coming from Jackson's room.
"Ellie?" Her voice ringed from upstairs. I could see the side of her shadow but not her face. She was holding Jackson in her arms. "How was it?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow.
"It was great..." I became a little skeptical.

"Well come upstairs I want to admire how beautiful you look." She called me and disappeared deeper into the shadows. I wasn't so sure of it.
Go Ellie...
My fathers voice rang. I took my first step, then another until I reached the top of the stairs. There was a humming coming from my brothers room of one of my favorite songs, Black Beauty. I peeked my head in to see the back of what I assumed was my mothers head. Her hair was long, blonde, and straight. It actually looked done for the first time in a while.

"Mom?" I asked. She turned around and looked at me straight in my eyes. Her eyes sparkled shined with the incandescent lighting from the room. Her teeth were fixed, her veins were gone, and she no longer had the ugly red bags under her eyes. Her mouth dropped when she saw me. She put Jackson in his bed and stood up to hug me.
"Oh Ellie, you look gorgeous." Her eyes began to water. This was all so confusing.
"Thanks?" I said unsure about everything.
"Whats wrong?" She asked. I hesitated and looked around the room. Everything was organized in Jackson's room. In fact, the whole house looked neat for once.
"Well... Things were uhh... Different when I left." I said. I grabbed my own wrist. She looked at me puzzled.
"Well, I did clean the living room... If thats what you mean." She smiled. Then suddenly she squinted her eyes and looked at my hair. "Weren't you blonde before?" She asked. My heart skipped. I had remembered how my hair change color once my Dad reached me in my dream. She scowled and looked some more.
"I... dyed it. Its a new trend at a school and I had to have it." I looked down at my chocolate brown hair. "Do you like it?" I asked.
"Yeah its great." She tried to say with enthusiasm. Both me and my Mon had the "bad liar" gene. "Anyway, why don't you get some sleep, I bet your tired." She was right. I nodded then left the room. This all wasn't making any sense. I opened my door and as soon as I entered the room I began to pace.
"This couldn't possibly be real, she was a witch before I left. Is this real?" I walked from one corner of my room to the other over and over again. Then finally I plopped down by the side of my bed and rested my head on my forearm. Then something hit me. I looked up to see my room back to normal too. The clouds were white and puffy on my ceiling and my unfinished portrait still laid on my desk with the pencil laying on the paper at a 143 degree angle.
"Or is this a trap?" I whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two Days later.
Life throws unexpected things at you. I know that now. They either make life easier or harder for you. But either way, no matter what happens, you must fight through it. Only the weak back down. People will accompany you on the way, whether its family, a friend, or a random face you have never seen before. The world gives us as much stress as it thinks that we can hold. If it didn't no one would be here today. Ever since the day of prom I was able to see exactly how much I had before my life had changed. Yet I still felt like there was something missing...
"Okay! The bell has rung! This is my time now." Mr. Deandra yelled. I sat in my new seat, right next to Brandon somewhere in the middle of the classroom. I was finally somebody again in my school rather then face in the crowd that stood out for being the weirdest. I laughed along with everyone else. People have even been asking me where I had gone. I told them I never even left. I was always here.
"As you all know on Friday we will have our annual junior poetry club in the auditorium. Everyone must bring in their favorite poems and read them to the grade. Please make sure its appropriate.... Zach." He looked over to one of the students. "Thanks to the help from the office this year they will actually decorate the auditorium for this event and you guys all get to miss class time." He cheered. This was a big deal for this class, this was poetry elective and we has been waiting for this day for the entire year.
"So you all four days to get one. I expect good picks from all of you." He pointed to everyone. Then his eyes stopped on mine. "And make sure you read it loud." He said. My fire burned. Even though my life seemed back to normal there were still a few people who hated my presence. I haven't seen Jen in a while. Bree still cries every time I see her, and Lauren is starting to lay low. I controlled myself then just smirked at him slightly when he turned away.
Lunch was the thing I was dreading all day. Where was I going to sit? Ive been dealing with it for the past three, almost four, years now. I looked around aimlessly to try to find somewhere to sit. I heard a whistle behind me. My old group of guy friends called me over. Before I could walk over a cold hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. As soon as they grabbed me they flinched back from the scorching temperature of my skin.
"Ow." The voice said. I turned my head to see Lauren's face. "Hi." She said. She smiled sincerely.
"Hi." I said back. Things were awkward at first. She stood there and shook her head for a little.
"Its been a while since we talked." She added. We both sat down on the empty table next to us.
"Yeah it has been." I added. We just sat there not saying all that much. I sighed.
"Look, I'm so sorry for everything Bree, Jen, and I put you through. There is no inch of my heart and soul that doesn't mean that. It must've been so hard and-." Tears began to form in her eyes. She wiped them away. "I wish I could go back and change things. Everything! This will forever be part of your life and Im sorry. Im so so-." I stopped her.
"Please Lauren, don't get so upset. It wasn't you it was Jen. You have nothing to apologize for."
"Yes I do!" She wouldn't stop crying. Her emotions were almost too lugubrious.
"Okay, well its in the past now. I forgive you." She still didn't stop crying. "Was that not enough for you?" I said.
"No, no its not that." She paused. "I knew how much you loved Brandon and when you guys split I went for him and as a friend that is wrong and Im sorry for that too." Her dirty blonde hair fell onto the table as she buried her face in her hands. My heart began to race at the sound of his name. "He's honestly not even my type. He's yours." She used a napkin to wipe away her tears. "I broke up with him last week." That made my heart race even faster.
"You what?"
"Yeah, right before he asked you to prom is when I did it. He was never mine. Even when we were together he still talked about you and all the memories you had together and that made me realize my wrong doings and that he was never really mine. He was always yours." She drank some of her water. Before I knew what was happening I found myself standing up. Lauren looked up to me with a confused expression. I hopped off my seat and ran past tables and nearly hitting several people with trays of food. I ran out the cafeteria door and down the hallway towards the auditorium. There he was walking down the empty hallway. I ran over to him.
"Brandon!" I yelled as I was running. He turned around.
"Hey! I was wondering if-." At that moment i stopped him by kissing him. "Whoa." He paused and laughed. "She told you?" He asked. I nodded. He pulled me closer and embraced me in another kiss. His lips tasted like fresh raspberries.
"What were you saying?" I asked.
"I was wondering if you'd want to catch a movie later." My hands were sitting on the back of his neck.
"Yes, I'd love that." My heart pounded. I could feel the pulsing in my feet. We both smiled at each other walked down the hallway, hand in hand.
I laid on my couch and stared up at the ceiling. Now that my mom was back to her old self she has been away a lot. Jackson sat on the rug playing with his blocks. I sighed and covered my eyes with my hands. I still wasn't fully satisfied with my life now. I thought of all the terrible incidents that had happened in my old life. I prayed for it to make me more grateful, still nothing. I felt a warm presence in the room. I opened my eyes to see my father sitting in his old leather chair.
"Hello Ellie." He said. His hands were clasped together and his elbows rested on the sides of the chair. He rested his head against the back of the chair and stared at the ceiling too. He didn't say anything right away, which was odd. Every time he stopped by he would have something to say about my job. I wanted to ask him why he was here but knowing him he was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.
"Hey," I started. The tone in my voice was uneasy. I opened my mouth to say something but he interrupted me.
"How was school?"
"Good... Hows hell?" I asked jokingly. He laughed a little. His laugh was even evil, deep and had a tone of indescribable disastrousness.
"Its hot." He replied.
"So... Why exactly are you here?" I asked.
"Just to get away from work for a bit." He replied. Something in me didn't feel right. "And of course to spend time with my daughter." That made me feel better. Jackson didn't acknowledge that my father was here. I looked at him puzzled.
"Jackson, whos here?" I asked him. He pointed at me and himself.
"He can't see me." My father said.
"Why is that?"
"Only the ones that want to see me can." He waved a hand in front of Jacksons face. Nothing.
"Well, that doesn't make sense, when I was younger I couldn't see you. I never saw you." He nodded.
"I felt like you weren't ready to see me yet when you were younger. You were too young and innocent and I didn't want to ruin that part of you right away. I waited for a special time and even then I gave you the option of seeing me." He paused. I was confused still. "When you had that dream with me in it you had a choice of letting me get to you or not. You had the choice of me putting demonic powers into you. I was very surprised that you let me."
"I needed them, I was angry." I replied. "But Im still mad at you for ruining my life, asshole." I said. He just laughed.
"Ahh Ellie, it will all be justified in the end." He laughed again but this time it was a dark laugh. The type of laugh you would only hear in scary movies. His body burst into flames and he was gone. There was a burn mark on the chair he sat in. I got up and turned the cushion over so it wasn't noticeable.
All of a sudden I hear Jackson mumbling something. I turn around and encouraged him to try to say it. He try's over and over again but nothing came out. Just different sounds of gibberish. I sighed again but this time I rested my head against the table and fell asleep.
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Two Days Later...
Two days till annual poetry reading
Brandon opened the doors to the auditorium. It was almost finished, all that was left were the light that were being hung as we spoke. He spun me around, it felt like old times again. The best years of my life that I spent with him. He held me close to him. Something about the spring time always made people happier, especially the students in the poetry class. This was our time.
"Wow, its stunning in here. Almost better then prom." I said. It was probably true. Brandon nodded. The stage was set up with one side being a moon and the other was a sun. Blue and silver ribbon and streamers lined the rim and ceiling of the stage. Someone hanging up the decorations turned around on the ladder and waved to me.
"Hey Ellie." He said.
I waved back.
"So you have a poem for Friday?" He asked.
"Yes, its my most favorite poem of all time."
"Oh really? Which is it?"
"You'll have to wait and see." I teased.
"Oh come on." He begged.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was my Mom asking where I was. The time was four fifteen. I was suppose to be home at four to babysit Jackson.
"Oh shit! I have to go." I said and grabbed my backpack. "Bye." I kissed him.
"Wait! I forgot, I wanted to give you this the other day." He held out a red piece of cloth. "Its my watch. Its broken but it means a lot to me. And I want you to have it." I opened it. It was beautiful. It shined in the from the light being hung on the ceiling.
"Oh my god, its beautiful." I noticed the time stopped on exactly one thirty six pm. "I don't know what to say." I hugged him with my arms around his neck. He kissed my cheek.
"No problem. But weren't you suppose to stay till five?" He asked.
"I totally forgot I had to babysit Jackson. If you can you should come over." I winked then closed the doors to the auditorium behind me. I ran all the way home. My Mom was waiting in the living room of the house.
"Im so sorry, I was helping out with the poetry set up." I said.
"Don't worry about it. Jackson is upstairs sleeping so when he wakes up then thats when you'll have to jump in." She grabbed her purse and fixed her hair in the back. She looked beautiful, the same way she did a few months back when George was still alive. "How do I look?" She spun around.
"Amazing, now go! Have fun with your date." She smiled wide. It was good to see her happy again. "But not too much fun." I added. She swatted her hand at my playfully then waved goodbye. Instead of taking her bright red coat this time she took her grey black charcoal one. I threw my bag by the door and walked towards the kitchen. From time to time I still felt my flame kick in. Even when I wasn't mad or anything close to it. I grabbed a bottle of water and some crackers. It never hurt, when I first got my powers it did. Not anymore. The TV was already on in the living room. The food network was on. They were cooking with ghost peppers, the hottest peppers ever. They actually could kill you if you took too much. I laid across the couch and kicked off my shoes.
I heard some sort of noise come from upstairs. A creaking noise. It was probably the house settling.
The next thing I heard was the dropping of an object. It almost sounded like a book. I stood up that time. I waited silently for another sound. I heard a slight hum of cars outside. It was too distracting and loud. I held up my hand letting my powers take control and the cars stopped in the exact place they were. At that moment I could hear the sound of footsteps upstairs. I began to panic and grabbed a baseball bat from the hall closet. I could've used my powers but if they were to get away then I would've been caught. I quietly walked up the stairs with the bat in my hands. I adjusted my fingers. The sound was coming from Jackson's room. I put my ear to the door and looked down at the light reflections under the door. There was no sign of anyone in there. I backed away from the door. It may have been something on the roof.
I was just half way down the stairs when I heard the footsteps again. I turned right back around and with no hesitation and kicked open the door. There was a tall dark figure looking down into Jackson's crib. I swung the bat at its head. Then felt the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. I flew backwards. My head hit the banister. The figure turned around but I couldn't see its face. My vision was too blurry.
"Oh sorry about that Ellie." It was my Dad. He held out a hand to help me up. I shook my head and grabbed his hand. "That sorta comes with the whole 'king of the underworld' deal."
"What were you doing in here?" I asked right away. My dad turned around toward the room.
"I was watching him sleep. Hes very peaceful, maybe even more peaceful then you were." He joked. I crossed my arms and raised one eyebrow. "Its true! I don't always have to be this mean spirited beast!"
I walked over to the crib. Jackson looked the same. Still breathing and squirming around a bit as he slept. I sighed of relief.
"Please leave the room. I don't want him to wake up yet." I demanded. He walked out and I slowly shut the door behind me. I looked back to my father. He smiled back to me. "So why have you been coming here lately? To see me?" I asked.
"Your so skeptical lately, damn. But today I actually came to talk to you. Its important."
"What is it?"
"Well, Ive been thinking that making you like... Well... This." He pointed at me, up and down. "I mean demonic. If your wondering. And its not fair, you never asked for it. And it seems like they have done their part. Your life seems back to normal. So, I'm going to take them back."
My heart skipped a beat. Take them away? I thought of all they helped me. And how much pain I went through with them. I felt in power once. Unstoppable. But is it all worth it? My life was back to normal. Did I still really need it?
"What do you think?" He asked.
I took a long second. And I knew that I no longer needed them.
"Take them." I said. He nodded.
"Great." He stepped towards me and placed his hands on my eyes. "One, two, three." I closed my eyes at the last second.
I felt the warm feeling being sucked out of me. Also part of my soul seemed to fly out along with it. Cold air rushed in through my eyes. After a few seconds it was over. They were gone.
When I opened my eyes he was gone too. I looked behind me. Nothing. I scowled as I stood there in a state of confusion. I opened the door to Jacksons room again. He wasn't in their either. I looked over to the window. It was all fogged up. I walked toward it a little more. Then letters began to form.
They said:
See you soon...
I shook my head and smiled a bit. I had remember that only the ones he marked could see him.
All of a suddenly Jackson began to mumble something. I walked over to his crib.
"Come on Jackson you can do it!" I cheered.
He stuttered and stuttered. And finally his first word was spoken...
"Danger."