Piece By Piece

Chapter 9

                                                          Chapter nine

                                                       Playing with Fire

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Sweat dripped down my forehead as I stumbled through the grassy plains. I was running, continuely looking back behind me to make sure that no one was chasing me.

Everything was on fire.

Our tanks, our campsite, everything.

I was running from the fire.

"Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop," I chanted in my head. Keep moving. Don't stop.

I nearly tripped over a rock, causing me to stagger to the left and losing my balance. I crashed into the ground, and before I could tell my body to get up, there was a huge explosion.

I couldn't move or think. All I felt was an agonizing, searing pain on my back. It spread onto my arms and legs, while I writhed and screamed in agony.

Everything else around me went up into flames, while I went down into darkness.

***

I thrashed awake, screaming at the top of my lungs. My breathing was erratic and my head was spinning.

It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. It was just a....

"Val?! What's wrong?" Someone shouted, terrified. I looked at my door, to see Pac standing there, staring at me like I was a crazy person. I could see the fear in his eyes, though.

"I'm fine, Pac. I-It was just a dream. Go back to bed."

He came in closer. "Val."

My heartbeat hadn't slowed. "Y-yes?"

"Why are you crying?"

"What? I'm not crying." My voice cracked, giving me away.

He came up to me, then sat on my bed. He raised his finger and gently touched my cheek, wiping away a tear. Then he did something that he hadn't done in years: He wrapped his arms around me, his cheek against my chest. "It's ok, Val."

Hesitantly, I returned the hug and pulled him close into my lap. He was silent as I cried into his neck. Eventually, I fell asleep with my little brother curled up beside me.

***

I woke up feeling like crap. My head was pounding, and I was still terrified of that nightmare that I had last night. 

That was exactly how my Dad died.

I felt like bursting into tears again.

I remember getting a phone call one day after school, a few years ago. The male on the other end had asked for my mother, so I gave the phone to her. I thought that maybe it was her Doctor or something, or one of her employees. Turns out, it was the last thing that I'd expected.

Mom suddenly clutched her chest as she continued talking to the man. "A-an explosion?" She whispered.

 Her face grew pale, and tears started streaming down her face. She dropped to her knees and I ran up to her, scared. "Mommy, what's wrong?" I asked.