Into the Flames

CHAPTER SIX

Darkness fills my vision, clouding my mind as the world before me shifts and pulses with static. The bars of the cage surrounding me dig into my flesh even as I pull my knees closer into my chest, head resting upon them. The cage is too small, I can't sit up, nor can I extend my legs, causing my muscles to scream in agony. My six-year-old frame shivers in terror, unable to make a sound for fear of the dark and what lay beyond. The stench of my own bodily excrements engulf me, causing my eyes to water. Slowly a sliver of light invades the all encompassing darkness as a door is opened in front of me. I begin to be filled with panic. As terrified as I am of the dark I know that what waits for me behind that light is ten times worse. The large and rather potbellied outline of a man grows closer and closer until, suddenly, a pair of sneering eyes and crooked yellow teeth fill my vision.

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I sit up screaming. Six bodies frantically scramble to enter my bedroom, heads looking around frantically for the cause of my scream. There are mixed reactions as the boys realize that there isn't any sign of danger within my room. Yoongi looks peeved.

"What the fuck Emmy?! You got a reason for scaring the piss out of us at three in the morning?!" His hands are folded across his chest, looking down at me with contempt.

Jin just barrels right past Yoongi to sit on the bed beside me as I swing my legs around to sit upon the edge. He takes my hands in his, using his thumb to rub slow circles into the backs of them. "Don't worry about him, he's just a grumpy old man-"

"Yah! I am NOT an old man!" Yoongi shouts indignantly.

"Don't interrupt, it's rude." Jin is giving Yoongi that eye. You know, the one your mom gives to you when you're being a little shit? The rapper frowns in return.

"What's wrong Emmy?" Jin asks me kindly. "Did you have a nightmare?" I am unable to respond with anything but a hesitant nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The others are huddled around me gazing softly at me in sympathy. Even Yoongi softens as he registers the absolute terror still shining in my eyes. He kneels down on the floor in front of me and takes one of my hands for himself. A drop of moisture falls onto his hand, and it is only then that I realize I am crying.

"It's nothing, just some stupid shit that happened in the past. I have nightmares about it occasionally, it's not really anything to be worried about." I try to be convincing. I really do. The sniffling doesn't help.

Out of nowhere Taehyung launches himself at me, accidentally kneeing Yoongi in the nose and sending me reeling backwards. I land with my back upon the bed and the blonde haired goof-ball splayed half on top of me as he snuggles his face into my neck. "Don't be sad Emmy!"

There is a rather loud growl as the boy is suddenly ripped from my person. "Watch your boundaries pabo!" Yoongi yells as he deposits the boy on his ass.

"Tae is right though. Don't be sad Emmy" J-Hope says as he leans forward to pat my hair.

"Yeah! No tears." Jimin adds as he hugs me gently.

I laugh softly, the happiness not quite reaching my eyes. "Thanks guys. But really I'm fine."

The boys all shuffle out of my room to return to their own rooms and their own beds. All save for Min Yoongi. He pulls me into his arms as he sits upon my bed. I sit like that, on his lap with my legs to either side and my head tucked into the junction between his shoulder and neck, and cry. His arms tighten and his chin comes to rest upon my head as he allows me to cry it out on the skin exposed by his baggy t-shirt. Before long I cry myself to sleep. Yoongi maneuvers me back onto my bed and tucks me in. He places a kiss upon my forehead, and makes to leave, but my hand shoots out and grabs the hem of his shirt, halting his efforts. When he looks behind him I am giving him such a scared expression. He sighs. The rapper then turns around and climbs into my bed and under the sheets before laying on his side and drawing me in closer. He wraps his arms around me, crushing my back to his chest. The two of us fall into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.