The Oblivious Oblivion

Chapter 3: Plastic Taste

The sun's rays burned my eyes as I laid motionless on the hot asphalt, trying not to move. I turned my head slightly as tears began to run down my cheeks, my eyes straining from the light beating down on me. My body pulsed, aching, as I moved my muscles the slightest bit to turn my head. Everything hurt, nothing was right, and everything I knew then was wrong.

My life had so suddenly changed since last night, such a nice night on the hill with the cool breeze blowing on us as we sat and talked and tried to enjoy our high, just me and Clover.

Clover.

Fuck!

I sat up and immediately curled over, my hand wrapping around my waist. She rushed over to me and put her hand on my shoulder, steadying me as I regained control over my body.

I heard sirens in the distance as I looked around at the fallen trees and burning car, the noise beginning to hurt my ears. I began to notice Clover was slightly scuffed up and had some dirt or something on her cheek. She looked adorable. She noticed my staring and stepped back in slight distress, that look from earlier still clearly imprinted into her eyes, and it hurt to have her look at me that way.

"Are... are you okay?"

She's averted her gaze to try and break the awkwardness and I tried to get up, beginning to regain my breath.

Straining myself, I wrapped my arms across my chest in a tight embrace.

"I think so," I coughed, and Clover glanced back at me for a second before turning.

She stood still for a second and held herself. She tugged on her sweater, pulling it up her arm and exposing the other. She stared down at the ground before walking forward.

"Good."

It was quiet and the sirens are getting louder.

No one has seemed to come out of their houses as if this would be a normal occurrence. Just another day of monsters, powers and, the most normal thing, a flaming car. This wouldn't be normal in the craziest of towns. We'd reached a whole new level of crazy and we had no idea what awaits us.

I followed behind her, keeping a distance and staring at the burning car as we pass, the smoke rising up into the sky. I directed my attention back to Clover. As she walked past the car her arms dropped to her sides and her hands formed into fists. Her position became jutted and angered, I tilted my head slightly and stopped. Her arms began to shake more and more as she stomped ahead. As she let out an angry growl, the flames from the car suddenly rose and exploded.

"Clover?" Stepping back, my eyes darting between her and the car, she turned around and her eyes are yellow just like in the dream. Neon, glowing yellow, illuminated like a car's headlights at night, like a raccoon in the night. They glowed, burned more accurately, her teeth clenched tightly together, her body contorting itself with the built up anger inside.

"Clover?" I repeated with more certainty, stepping back as she did the same while the flames rose once again. The sirens grew louder.

"Clover, you need to calm down," The fear of what would happen when the authorities arrived to see a flaming girl clouded my mind, but I focused on trying to stop whatever this was.

"You don't get to tell me what to do. 'Need to calm down,' I am calm!" She said, waving her fists, the flames rising even higher and catching nearby tree on fire.

The ground seemed to heat up and I could feel it radiating off of her from where I stood. A couple feet separating us, I try to close it by stepping forward again, embracing the heat.

"Clover, here," I extended my hand out slowly to make sure I meant her no harm and she stepped back, squinting her eyes at me. I slowly extended my hand as far as I could and left it there, no longer caring about the pain or the heat. "Clover, please, take my hand".

"Don't tell me what to do!" She yelled, the heat exploding off of her and burning my hand.