Caught On Fire

CHAPTER 2

I wake up to the sound of strong, steady footsteps and the slamming of a door. I sit up on my bed, my breathing becoming heavy.

They're here. They found me. They're going to kill me. I know it. I can feel it.

You know that feeling like you're going to throw up, but you aren't, and still your mouth starts watering disgustingly, and your stomach clenches, and your head hurts? It feels sort of like that, realizing that your death nears.

I hear my dad's voice from across the hall. "Who are you-"

"Sir," a deep voice resonates from the walls, "step away or we will have to retain you."

Dad, please, get out of the way.

"No," dad says. "I want to know what you're doing in my house!"

"John, what's going on?" Mom. Oh, mom.

"Miss, move from the hallway. We don't want things to get ugly."

Dad scoffs. "Things are going to get ugly if you don't-"

"Sir," I hear the click of a gun. My breath hitches in my throat.

Silence.

Then,

"No."

Daddy. He never gives up.

The gun goes off. Once. Twice. My mother screams.

"Daddy?" I hear Sam's voice coming from his door. Oh, my little brother.

"Sam, go back inside," my mother sobs.

I can't stay here and let my family die. I stand up. It's unbelievably cold all of the sudden. I shiver as I walk towards the closed door that seperates me from the men with guns.

I turn the knob.

"Um," my voice comes out like a squeak. They all turn to look at me. It's dark, so I can only see the shadow of the thing on the floor that used to be my father. I swallow back the lump in my throat, if my throat could close. "I-I believe y-you're looking for me."

"Amber, no," my mother cries. But I'm not looking at her. I'm staring at the two silouhettes that produce the one and only known threat to my life.

"Well," a deep voice coming from the largest one resonates against the corners of my mind. "You just made our job a whole lot easier." I recognize the voice. He's the one who shot my father.

"Then we shouldn't just stand around. Let's get to it," I say, somehow strong and stubborn.

"Amber!" My mother exclaims in horror.

"Well, damn," I can almost hear his smile. "Let's go, then."

"You're not leaving, Amber," my mother grabs my arm. "You don't have to do this."

I know what she means, of course. I can just burn them to death right here. But I won't do that. Not only have I promised myself I wouldn't use my gifts to hurt another person, but killing them will pose a threat against my family. I'm taking care of them. I can't let them be killed because of me.

"Yes," I say, sure of myself, "I do. Please let go of my arm, mom." She hesitates for a moment, but lets me go.

I walk down the stairs at a steady pace. I, of course, don't want to die. But now that I know what The Government's capable of, I really don't see any way for me to escape without them hurting my family.

"We have your friend in custody," says the big man. I turn around to face them.

"What?" I ask them, panicked. "Who?"