Beating Heart II: Anti-Pack (Delena Fantasy/Fanfiction)

Chapter 10: Dancing Flames

Demi's POV:

6 years ago

I know I'm asleep. The awareness of dreaming makes everything worse. I can see flashes of the leaves of many trees, twisting and turning all at once. Selena's face hovering over me, tears streaming down her precious cheeks. Her messy hair almost tickling my face. I can feel her arms around me, holding me. I feel dirty. I can feel mud covering my body. I've had this dream before many times. I cannot move, I cannot speak . Selena keeps talking to me. In previous dreams, I couldn't hear her. This time I could. 'I'm so sorry' 'This shouldn't have happened. It's my fault. Please, please come back to me.' 'I love you. Please don't leave me. I love you so much'. Her words were devastating, I felt the warm tears tickling down my temple. I wanted to sob, cry, at least move. It hurt, the poison hurt so much.

"Demi!" My eyes shoot open, and the first thing I do is try to even out my breath. "Sshh, come here." Selena sat right up next to me and held her arms open. I carefully sat up as well and snuggled up against her. "You were crying in your sleep." Selena's voice is soft and worried. I quickly wipe the tears from my face. "It was just a dream." I looked around my room, focusing on anything but the nightmare I had. My eyes were pointed at the harp in the corner of the room. That's a nice harp, I like that harp. "Demi?" "What?" "I asked what you dreamt about." "Oh.." "Do you want to talk about it?" "It was you.." "Me?" "Well.. me in your arms. Just like that morning in the forest. Only you were crying and.. I couldn't move. And it was dark.." I said quietly. I didn't hear anything coming from Selena for a moment. I looked up at her. She frowned, staring forward. "You.. you dreamed that you saw me while I held you?" "Yeah.." "You heard me too?" "Yeah, I.." "You remember things you never sensed.. That's impossible. How can you dream about that?" "I don't know.. I don't want to have that dream again." "No, of course not." Selena said, looking up for a moment. "What?" I asked. "Remember when I told about that old book that said something about Penariks?" "Yes?" "It said 'Its nightmares will be shared with those who rest near it'." "You mean-" "It's my fault. I'm responsible for your nightmares." "That's not true." "It is. It's always been that way. Penariks simply cause nightmares. They attract anything dark. I'm sorry." She seemed to feel very guilty. Not only for causing my nightmares, but just for making her abnormality have us such a difficult relationship. I sat up and looked into her eyes. "Listen. You shouldn't be sorry for all of this. This is who you are and we will have to face the consequences. I love you, not only for you, but also this awesome journey you're sharing with me. I wouldn't want to miss a thing." Selena smiled at me for a moment and looked down, fidgeting her fingers. Her face was puffy and tired. She was adorable. Something still seemed to be bothering her. "I think my shadows are trying to warn us for something." Her voice was soft. "Why?" She looked at her grey wrists. "I don't know.. When they pulled my soul out in the bathroom, you saw the same flashbacks. I think it's their way of trying to communicate with you or something." She rubbed the symbols with her fingertips. "What would they warn us for?" "I don't know. Is there something we shouldn't do?" "I mean, we're going to Spain in 2 weeks, but what could go wrong?" We were both quiet for a moment. "Maybe a plane crash." I added. Selena looked at me, as we both couldn't hold back our laughs. "Really?" "Yes, because the pilot has fallen asleep, since our flight is during the night." "Interesting." "And then he wakes up once the occupants are screaming in terror." "And he's like 'oh well darn, Harold, you should have given me my coffee'." We laughed again.

Present

Selena's POV:

She sat there, right in front of me. Only a few inches of mattress is what separated us. The terrible screams and yells still echoed in the room. They still echoed in my head. The last worst we spoke reminded me of two sisters who just fought over nothing. "I didn't mean it like that." "I know." Tears threatened to spill over the cheeks of the woman sitting in front of me. She didn't want to be kept here any longer. This was obviously not the place she intended to be. She did not belong here. She didn't feel safe. She didn't feel happy. If only I could make her happy. She was born to fight. She was born to compete. She couldn't just give up her whole world for me. My eyes were glued to hers. I focused on the orbs that were looking at her fidgeting fingers. How a thin line of tears took place underneath them, shining in the dimmed light of the depressing empty room. Nothing was said, and nothing was done. I had to do something. I carefully reached my hand to hers, but she painfully pulled hers to her chest, still fidgeting her fingers. There was no anger hidden in her gesture. Only a simple 'not now'. I frowned for a moment. It was a dick move to do it, but I had to. I looked into her eyes again, and focused on my specialty. I gave my attraction to her, just like when I called the swine and policeman to me before I slaughtered them like an animal. There was no intention to seduce her. It took a little while before she raised her chin and fell for my spell. Like a sailor attracted by a siren, she gazed upon me. I thought of how she must felt at the moment. The bittersweet soothing wave of peaceful smoothness washing over her mind. The euphoria warmly blooming in her chest. It was wrong. So darn wrong. I was forcing her to be happy. I quickly made it undone. I had to quit it, it was too inhuman.

Her face was intriguing. She blinked a few times and trembled of shock for a slight moment. As if a ghost went through her body. Her eyes pointed at several places, as she tried to process what just happened. She looked confused at me. I felt the guilt rising in my body. I wanted to hide from the anger I expected. I wanted to sink through the bed and plead for forgiveness. "W-why did you do that?" Her words sounded surprised, but didn't sound mad. Indignant. This time, the tears occurred in my eyes. It didn't take long for them to make their way over my cheeks, to drip on my chest from my chin. I didn't want her to be seduced by me. I didn't want her to fall for me like I was some sort of goddess. I simply wanted her to feel something. I wanted her to love me again. "I.." I couldn't say it. My breaths turned into small sobs. I shook my head. I wanted her to read my mind as she always does. Her guests were always right. She could read me as if she had invented me. Or my language. I could suddenly feel two warm hands on the sides of my prone neck and a forehead touching mine. The tip of her nose almost touching mine. She breathed my breaths. She felt my touches. "Do you miss me?" She asked. I was unsure about the hidden meaning behind her question. Perhaps she meant our relationship. Or how we used to do anything together without a problem. Perhaps she did understand me, perhaps she meant her love. Even though I was unsure, I still answered. "I do." She opened her eyes, as they looked up at mine. She carefully aligned her face with mine, so her lips could find my lips. She had never kissed me this carefully, not even when we kissed for the first time. I could feel my shadows curling up in the corners of the ceiling again. They always did that when Demi and I made physical contact. To give privacy, or to simply observe us.

Two flames. Both as small, and as light. Both a soft and as pretty. They dance together, one touching the other. Without hesitation and yet so careful. They dance like two gypsy girls. Like two Koi fishes swimming in a circle. Like Yin and Yang forming a circle. They dance as their colors shift. They dance as they love. The ultimate sign of love.

Her lips carefully draw away. I don't mind since I get to stare in those beautiful brown orbs again. My facial expression was somewhat shocked, yet joyous. "Why did you do that?" I said, realizing I repeated her exact words. "I felt like you needed me." She said with her soft voice. I thought for a moment, but then slowly nodded. "I'm going to call my trainer." She stated. I frowned. "If this is so important to you, the competition can wait. I'll compete in the next one." She concluded and nodded. "You were right. Our lives have been circling around my kickbox career for a long while now. It's your turn now." A smile appeared on my face. I was speechless. "A little 'thank you' might be appropriate." She teased, raising an eyebrow. My arms flew around her neck, as I laughed with happiness. "Oh!" Demi didn't expect my attack and fell on her back with me. She laughed as well. "Thank you.. thank you, thank you, thank you." I buried my face in her neck, as I loved to do so. She grinned, wrapping her arms around mine as well. "You're adorable, you know that?" She said as I felt her lips getting planted on the crown of my hair. "Am I?" "Yes. The cutest of all." "Of all?" "Hmhm." "Of all your past and present relationships..? Of all Penariks in this house?" I teased. She sounded her wide and contagious laugh, as I could feel her chest going up and down underneath me. "Of all the creatures in this universe." She smiled. "Then I should call Xandra the alien that I finally beat her." "Oh well you should, you beat her easily." "Are you sure?" "Well, what does she look like then?" "She's like.." I rolled over and landed on my back next to her, with her arm under my neck. "50% eyes and 50% adorableness." I blabbed. She laughed again. "Well, you're 70% adorableness and 20% magnificently beautiful eyes." "And the other 10%?" "A Penarik, or an Anti-Penarik, or maybe even something else. But we are here to find that out. And we will. I promise."

Demi's POV:

I wiped the sweat from my temple and continue sawing the small tree near the big house. Ketua had ordered me to make wood for the campfire tonight. I personally never liked to be ordered around by him, but I like campfires so that's why I do it. Or at least, that's the excuse I make for myself. I could never say no to that intimidating man. I place the sawed chunks on top of a chopped tree trunk and start chopping them one by one. Until suddenly I see nothing but darkness in front of me. I take a few steps back of shock. I can hear the ax falling out of my hands. What is this? The memory immediately came up in my mind. Being strangled by poisoning roots and getting blinded. It didn't take long before it then paralyzed me. My breath accelerates as panic starts to wash over me. "Selena!" I yell scared. "Y-your shadows!" I didn't even know if she could hear me. I didn't even know if she was there. Or if anyone was there. The darkness soon turned into flashes. Flashes of terrifying faces and images too frightening to tell. Small screams fly out of my mouth every time I see something popping up in front of me. I stick my arms out, feeling around. "Selena!" I yell louder. "Help! Please!" Another face and another scream flying out of my lungs. "SELENA!"