Forgotten Flame

Torn

My hands fell into my lap as my shoulders relax, the ache in them easing slightly. I look over to Zak who's sat silently, his eyes fixed on the road as he drives.

I hadn't even asked him where we were going, I just followed his orders of packing and getting into his car.

"Where are we going?" I question eventually, caving into the curiosity.

"Somewhere that isn't toxic." He replies.

I stare out his window thinking of how Vegas itself was a toxic environment, but I didn't care mainly for the fact that I was with him. Somehow in our few interacts, I had placed a small amount of trust him. Like a timid child testing the pool water. I too shared the same fear of what awaited.

"We are going to find you a new place to stay." He speaks making my eyes move to his mouth.

"What if I don't want something new?" I ask. The question was meant to be internal, projected onto my mind. But it wasn't it was aloud.

"If you don't move into an apartment. Then I will have no option but to make you stay at my house." He concludes.

"Who says that's bad option?" I reply quietly looking back out his window. I felt Zak stare at me, but I had no energy to look at him. Instead, I watched the world slip by us.

Maybe that slice of trust was bigger than I thought..

"You don't know what you are saying. You look tired. Get some sleep." He advises making me shake my head.

"I don't want to ruin the leather."

He chuckles causing warmth to run in my veins. "You don't drool. I was messing with you."

I roll my eyes and sigh "You're cruel."

My ears hear the end of Passenger - Let her go, finish on the Radio which Zak had playing through the car. My assumption of him listening to some heavy metal was dimished, besides the haunted items and dark clothing, he really is a regular guy.

The radio begins playing a song that chills my blood, it stops my breath and freezes me in time. Suddenly I'm back to a place that I had left in my past, the walls are coming in, the darkness is descending, the laughter is filling my ears, my insides are crawling and my heart is hitting my rib cage painfully. It wants to escape, it wants to leave a broken me behind. My worst fears are alive and breathing. The monsters rise, exposing their true intentions. I can't fight. I'm stuck. That's when they bounce-

My hand grasps warmth, my lungs shamelessly heave in the oxygen of the car whilst my other hand hits the radio off. Silent meets my ears..

Slowly the darkness fades, the monsters retreat in fear as I suck in more air, fueling my body with oxygen. I had no understanding of what was happening. They never retreated before, they consumed me, I would cry, sob and beg for it all to stop. I would be a juttering mess, but this time was different.

A thumping connected with my skin, it penerated into my flesh, found my pulse and slowed it from its rapid beating, eased the pain that it caused and coaxed it gently back into its place in my chest.

The dark veil fell, I was safe.

"Mina? For fuck sake! Speak to me woman!" Zak snaps. I see his hands grip my face as he shakes me back to reality.

I shudder a blink and swallow the pain away. His eyes are fixated on my face with concern, I lower my head in shame and notice my hand was attached to his arm. He was the warmth, the pulse that calmed the darkness.

"Speak to me or so help me god!" He shouts at me, his voice reverbrating off the car.

"I'm sorry." I whisper.