Mercy [Buzzfeed Unsolved]

13. Fickle Understanding

The... the thing was blinding him, shimmering and bold in the rest of the darkness that surrounded him. It hovered above him, menacing both in size and aura.

Shane couldn't wholly understand what it was. What he could discern when he managed to crack an eye open were the multitude of what seemed to be wings and feathers outstretched from almost every angle of the beast. The light was probably some sort of flame that engulfed it, burning brighter yet refraining from becoming any warmer. Perhaps it was the eyes that were the most noticeable about its appearance: though Shane could only imagine how many all-knowing eyes bejeweled the creature itself, he could most certainly feel them on his weak and pathetic being.

That thing... Shane almost believed that it was calling out to him, beckoning him, trying to make him understand what it was saying. Shane wasn't completely sure he wanted to even try listening. All he could hear was the shrill peal of bells... or maybe that was simply the painful ringing of his ears; his hands were pressed tightly against the side of his head to muffle it, to no avail.

So much commotion was bombarding Shane's senses that he wasn't aware of how he was reacting. Had he been shouting the entire time? His throat felt raw. Was he even able to make a sound? It felt like his throat had closed up on him.

The darkness gradually became engulfed in flame. Maybe that creature had decided to cleanse everything around Shane, but he was finally beginning to feel the heat, too quickly arising so that it became scorching. Agonizing light took over his setting, burning the nothingness around him and threatening to attack him too.

Shane had nowhere to run. He curled up to hide his head between his knees.

The fire was going to eat him alive.

Shane sat there for what seemed like forever. The tighter he tensed the more he could pretend that he wasn't there at all. Time either refused to pass or all passed within an instant.

When he was pretty sure that the smoke hadn't consumed him and the flames hadn't scorched him, Shane eased slightly, daring to peek up from where he was. The ringing in his head had also disappeared at some point in all the cacophony.

Standing in front of Shane —maybe a few feet away— was Stevie. Though expressionless at first, Stevie blinked when Shane noticed him, mouth breaking into a familiar grin.

A solace. A saviour. An absolute angel. Stevie was the only thing Shane could see, illuminated by a softer halo that was comforting to the eyes. The mere image of him flooded Shane with relief.

Stevie was reaching out to him, encouraging him to stand up, but when Shane reached for his hand, he found that he couldn't quite make it. The tiny hand was right in front of him, close enough to touch, yet still remained just out of Shane's grasp. Stevie's hand stayed open, almost as if he didn't notice Shane's struggle to reach him.

"You'll be okay, Shane," Stevie assured. His voice was still so innocent it was near impossible to imagine that he was the one who had saved Shane from the fire and the beast. "I know you will be."

"I can't reach you." The words fell from Shane's lips before he fully realized they had been formulated. His arm was shaking with effort, but he refused to let it drop. "Please... I want- I need to see you again."

Stevie's expression didn't waver. "Can't you see me now?"

"Why do you always come back? What do you want?"

"I want to look after you, Shane."

There's so much need coursing through his veins — Shane's never wanted anything more than to wrap his arms around Stevie and never let go, feeling his body warmth just to make sure he's still alive. A more static sense of foreboding filled him; the fire and the angel presented him with terror, but Stevie? With Stevie, he felt a quiet sense of panic. Despair. Loss.